Starters cranking out minutes
Ineffective backups keep core players on floor
By Todd Rosiak of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Dec. 12, 2008 8:16 p.m.
Injured, inexperienced and ineffective.
Any combination of those three adjectives could describe the performance of the Marquette Golden Eagles' bench so far, a factor that has forced coach Buzz Williams to rely on his core group of starters more than he'd probably like at this point in the season.
Guards Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews, Dominic James and forward Lazar Hayward are all averaging at least 28.6 minutes per game for 24th-ranked MU (7-1) entering today's game with IPFW. And were it not for his penchant for foul trouble, chances are center Dwight Burke's minutes would be right up there as well.
While far from ideal, it's also a situation that isn't likely to change anytime soon.
"The ones that are playing the best play the longest, and I would say that'd be the rule more so than it'd be the exception," said Williams. "And I would say that they would be happy to just play 30 minutes as we get into January and February."
The Golden Eagles' victory over Wisconsin last Saturday underscored the current chasm between the team's starters and reserves.
Matthews, McNeal, James, Hayward and Burke each played at least 30 minutes, with Matthews and McNeal both setting collegiate highs by logging 39 of a possible 40 minutes. It marked the first time since March 9, 2005, that five MU players got at least 30 minutes of action.
But that was also an overtime game in the Conference USA tournament for which only seven scholarship players suited up, and a walk-on played 25 minutes.
Against the Badgers, Williams played all nine of his scholarship players, but kept those who didn't produce quickly on a short leash - no surprise in such a high-stakes game.
"No matter who's in the game, we can't take possessions off, and we can't have empty possessions," Williams said. "All those guys that come off the bench are going to have to be productive, but it probably puts more pressure on the starters, because they have to be extremely productive."
The victory over UW and a loss to Dayton have been MU's two most competitive games to date, and the bench was largely a non-factor in both.
Against UW, Maurice Acker hit 6 of 7 free throws, and against Dayton David Cubillan scored five points and Acker grabbed three rebounds.
Not exactly overwhelming production.
But to be fair, Williams found himself in a tough position well before the season even began.
He was already two men below the NCAA-mandated limit of 13 scholarship players in late August with sophomore center Liam McMorrow having to redshirt after transferring in, and then with Trevor Mbakwe transferring out days before the open of the fall semester.
MU then lost 6-foot-7 sophomore forward Joe Fulce on Nov. 1 to a stress fracture in his right kneecap and 6-10 freshman center Chris Otule two weeks later to a broken left foot. Neither is expected to return until late this month, depriving the Golden Eagles of a pair of big, active bodies.
With those four spots unavailable, Williams was left with just four reserves and virtually no roster flexibility.
Acker and Cubillan are both under 6-0 and are most effective playing when spotted minutes at point guard and shooting guard, respectively.
Junior-college transfer Jimmy Butler can play guard and forward but has had his struggles, and sophomore 6-7 Pat Hazel is for all intents and purposes still a freshman with regard to experience, and playing out of position at center to boot.
So that's left McNeal to play 32 minutes a game, Matthews 31.4, James 29.1 and Hayward 28.6. The remaining five scholarship players, meanwhile, check in between 18.8 and 14.3.
"It's kind of a mixed feeling," said Matthews. "You always want to play as much as you can as a player, a competitor, but I don't know how many games we're going to win if the bulk of our team is playing 35 minutes a night."
It's a legitimate worry, especially with a deep, athletic team like Tennessee coming up on Tuesday, and Big East play opening on Jan. 1, but one that Matthews isn't in a position to fret over.
"As long as I'm on the court I have to be the best player I can," he said. "You can't think, 'Dang, it's an 11-minute stretch and I'm still out here.' You have to be, 'OK, I'm going to bust my butt until I get to sit down.' That's got to be everybody's mind-set — on the court you've got to sell out, no matter what."
Good thing, because it's likely to be a while before Matthews & Co. are able to receive anything more than the cursory blow on the bench every now and again.
"I don't know what they say in the locker room. They can say whatever they want to say," said Williams. "They're going to have to play."
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