Our first Big East game was an important game for Marquette's program. We had just won the Great Alaska Shootout, but no real big wins to hang our hats on, but no one thought much of the team. The Final Four was becoming a distant memory. Scot Merrit did not step up his senior year and Diener was hurt the following year for most of his senior season. Dameon Mason did not become the player he was supposed to be. The program was respectable, but nothing special. The team was heading into mediocrity and could have made the transition to the Big East in DePaul fashioin becoming a perrenial bottom feeder.
Before that game, my buddy typed up an article for the Marquette Trib regarding firing Tom Crean. We were all sick of watching guards hand the ball off at the top of the key and then jack up a terrible shot as the shot clock expires. But, Novak had a game and Crean had the boys ready to play. We beat the #2 team in the country. My buddy never turned in the 'fire Crean' op-ed.
It was a statement game then, and this has to be a statement game now. Someone needs to be the Novak and step up and have a big game.
