BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Seton Hall @ Marquette

January 22, 2007


Fresh off knocking Pittsburgh from the spot as the lone unbeaten team in the Big East, Marquette needs to put that emotional high behind them and gear up for the energetic Seton Hall Pirates when they visit the Bradley Center tonight. At 4-2, only one game seperates the Golden Eagles and the 3-3 Pirates in the conference standings.

Here are the pregame stories and previews found on the internet:

Golden Guards Will Challenge Seton Hall (Star-Ledger)
MU Starts New Year Off Right (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
James, Marquette Get Groove Back (Journal-Sentinel)
Seton Hall-Marquette Scouting Report (Courier-News)




Click below for our brief preview and prediction on this game and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section.

READ REST OF PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW


This might be an interesting match-up as both teams have their strength in their guards. We all know about Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Mathews from Marquette, but Eugene Harvey, Jamar Nutter and Larry Davis, along with Paul Gause, would really like us all to get to know them better, and what better way would that be when they play Marquette. Both teams have lightning quick point guards in James and Harvey with ball-hawking defensive perimeter players in Gause and McNeal. Davis and Mathews both bring smooth games to the swing guard position and excellent size. Both teams even have a sweet-shooting guard in Nutter and David Cubillan of Marquette. These teams nearly mirror one another in how they are put together, but Marquette's group has a little more experience since they have all been starting for two years together and have been very successful in their time.

The rest of the line-up is where Seton Hall might have to make their mark. Brian Laing is SHU's leading scorer and rebounder and will be facing Dan Fitzgerald and Lazar Hayward at the forward spot. It was Fitzgerald's clutch 3-pt shooting that was the overlooked key to Marquette's win over Pittsburgh, if he finds room and buries the jumpers, expect a tough time for Seton Hall to keep up. Marquette also has the clear advantage with the improving Ousmane Barro in the middle, even moreso now that Seton Hall has lost Gran Billmeier for the season. John Garcia still has a ways to go to get into full game-shape and Stan Gaines gives up way too much size. The Pirates will try to press and trap, but the Golden Eagles should be able to handle it with their talented guards.

I think this game will be closer than many think with Marquette being a 14.5-pt favorite, which agrees with Pomeroy's prediction of a 15-pt win for MU. They have too much of an advantage inside with Barro and some depth to let Seton Hall steal it, but the Pirates will keep coming at them.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Marquete 83 Seton Hall 72