Wrapping up DePaulMU lost its sixth straight game on Saturday night on the boards, this time by a 40-35 margin to DePaul.
Even still, coach Tom Crean said he's seeing progress there. Compared to last week, absolutely, Crean said. But we're still the last team in defensive rebounding in this league. I don't think we're going to win that title, but we've got to get ourselves out of the cellar there. We've got to keep doing a better job with rebounding margin. Emphasize it every day. We've emphasized it every day since I've been here. Some days it's good; other days it's not so good. We've just got to stay after it. When our guards get down and get boards, I think that really helps our team.
-- As for the center spot, Dan Fitzgerald started for the second straight game and Ousmane Barro was first off the bench, right around the 15-minute mark.
He started off great, scoring four quick points -- a huge improvement over his back-to-back scoreless games at Louisville and Connecticut -- and also wound up grabbing six boards and blocking two shots in 13 minutes.
Dwight Burke, meanwhile, had three points and one board in 14 minutes.
I'm first and foremost locked into who's providing that energy on the court, said Crean. Secondly, I'm locked into matchups. I'm not nearly as concerned about prototypes at positions right now when we have to play at a pace and create things. But they did show some signs tonight of doing things that will help us get better, help them get better. Stuff that position should be doing.
Also semi-noteworthy: DNP for Lawrence Trend Blackledge, who had gotten minutes in relief of Barro and Burke the past few games and had been somewhat productive.
-- Fitzgerald struggled shooting the basketball, going 1 for 6 and 0 for 4 from beyond the arc. But he grabbed four boards and again provided the spacing that Crean is looking for, leading one to believe he did nothing to lose the job as the starting 5 heading into the South Florida game on Tuesday.
He's always going to be a threat, said Crean. "He makes things happen. They've got to guard him. It's just a matter of time before he starts drilling shots. We don't have to worry about that. He's in there battling. He's a competitor, and that's why he's in that position.
-- What looked to be an ugly ankle injury suffered by Maurice Acker at the end of the first half wound up not even keeping him out of the second half, although he clearly was affected by it.
He gave it a try, but I don't think he was 100 percent, said Crean. I thought it was really bad. For him to come back was impressive. They'll treat it. I'm sure it'll swell up tonight, but they're taking care of that right now.
Acker wound up knocking down a three-pointer during what turned out to be the game-deciding run for the Golden Eagles, and also dished out two assists in 17 minutes. His presence has become a calming one for MU of late; if he's hobbled considerably it would be a blow.
-- James was clearly the most aggressive he's been since spraining his right wrist against Seton Hall. He also knocked down 7 of 11 shots, giving him his first plus-50% performance from the field since the Big East opener against Providence.
Crean went so far as to say James' performance was one of his best since arriving at MU.
I think this was one of Dominic's best games, Crean said. He was really spent every time he came out of the game. He would come out, be dead-tired and then go back in and be ready to go. I was really happy to see how hard he played. He had a lot of great possessions tonight.
-- Despite playing just 18 minutes because of foul trouble, Lazar Hayward still found a way to be productive. He finished with 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds, knocked down his only three-pointer and all five of his free throws.
His candidacy for the Big East's most improved player award continues.
-- Two banked shots tonight -- one for DePaul big man Mac Koshwal from the free-throw line, the other for James from the top of the key. It wound up being the only three-pointer he made.
Didn't you hear me? James quipped when one reporter jokingly asked him if he called the bank.
-- One of the more boneheaded plays you'll see in a college basketball game occurred early on when DePaul's Cliff Clinkscales had a wide-open breakaway layup but instead chose to flip the ball off the glass to a trailing Dar Tucker.
Instead of throwing down a highlight-reel slam, though, Tucker muffed the dunk and the Blue Demons wound up turning the ball over.
Tucker wound up getting his slam not too long thereafter, though, when he spiked one on Fitzgerald's head with two hands on another breakaway.
-- MU will once again have its hands full on Tuesday with 6-9 Kentrell Gransberry, who's probably heavier than the 270 pounds at which he's listed.
Gransberry ranks third in scoring in Big East games at 21.0 points and second in rebounding at 10.6. He went for 11 and five last season in Tampa while battling foul trouble; it's a safe bet he'll up both totals on Tuesday at the Bradley Center.
http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2008/01/26/wrapping-up-depaul.aspx
