Lancing State Journal on McNeal

[SoCalwarrior]

Marquette injury may have big impact
Thursday status for Golden Eagles star McNeal is unclear

By Joe Rexrode
Lansing State Journal


EAST LANSING - After the obligatory questions about each other, Tom Izzo and Tom Crean fielded queries at their Sunday night news conferences about Jerel McNeal.

Crean was asked if McNeal, a sophomore guard who is his top defender and second-leading scorer, will be able to play for Marquette against Michigan State on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Izzo was asked about the impact if McNeal can't go with an injured right thumb that has cost him the past three games.

"I'm not holding out great hope, OK?" Crean said of McNeal, a 6-foot-3 speedster who averages 14.7 points a game but hurt the thumb in practice nearly two weeks ago. "Would we love it? Would he love it? No question. Are we going to go into the week planning on having him? Probably not. ... I mean, it's just not there yet. There's no way it's there yet."

Izzo called McNeal a "Charlie Bell-type player" who "gets into passing lanes and stuff" and "will be missed." He also noted Marquette's perimeter depth and the fact that freshman guard David Cubillan stepped up with 20 points in McNeal's first game out, a win against Pittsburgh.

Regardless of McNeal's status, the No. 8-seed Golden Eagles (24-9) and No. 9-seed Spartans (22-11) should combine for an interesting matchup in Winston-Salem, N.C. Crean was an MSU assistant during Izzo's first four season as head coach (1995-99), after serving as a graduate assistant under MSU's Jud Heathcote during the 1989-90 season.

Also, MSU assistant coach Dwayne Stephens came to the Spartans after serving as a Marquette assistant during Crean's first four seasons (1999-2003). There won't be too many surprises out there Thursday night.

"There aren't any secrets," Izzo said.

Both teams boast defense, rebounding and thick offensive playbooks. The Golden Eagles, even without McNeal, are more perimeter-oriented and fast-paced. The Spartans have better defensive and rebounding numbers, and more size inside.

Marquette's top player is sophomore guard Dominic James, a player MSU recruited who has tremendous quickness, athleticism and scoring ability, but who has had trouble shooting at times this season (26.4 percent on 3-pointers).

"He's quick, strong, can jump, athletic, can pass the ball, he can do everything," MSU sophomore guard Travis Walton, whom MSU signed instead of James, said of James. "It'll be a great matchup and I'm ready for it."

Sophomore Wesley Matthews (12.7 points per game) is another explosive guard who can score. Ousmane Barro is a 6-foot-10, 245-pound junior who eats space inside and provides Marquette's post presence. Dan Fitzgerald is a 6-9 shooting specialist.

"There will be a lot of issues that we have," Izzo said of the matchup.

MSU junior guard Drew Neitzel said he's seen several Marquette games this season and is particularly wary of the Golden Eagles' shooting. Five players, including McNeal, have 22 3-pointers or more, led by Fitzgerald's 50.

"Our focus is definitely winning the first game and seeing what happens after that," Neitzel said. "From the experience my freshman year (when MSU reached the Final Four), if you win that first game, you never know what can happen."

[MU10]

Neitzel said. "From the experience my freshman year (when MSU reached the Final Four), if you win that first game, you never know what can happen."

How true...the main reason MU has a shot