[GoMarquette.com] Final Four Team To Be Honored Friday Night At Pittsburgh Game

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Final Four Team To Be Honored Friday Night At Pittsburgh Game
       

The Marquette University men's basketball team returns home Friday night at 8 p.m. to face No. 22/24 Pittsburgh in a matchup featuring the national spotlight of an ESPN broadcast. John Saunders (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst) and Allen Hopkins (reporter) will call the action. The Golden Eagles and Panthers will meet in the lone BIG EAST Conference contest of the night and the evening's activities will include the honoring of Marquette's 2002-03 NCAA Final Four team. MU leads the all-time series 5-4 all-time, claiming two of the three meetings in 2006-07. PITT did end Marquette's run in the conference tourney, downing the Golden Eagles 89-79 in the event's quarterfinal round.


Final Four Squad To Be Honored Friday Night
Marquette's 2002-03 NCAA Final Four squad will be honored Friday night in a halftime ceremony during the matchup with the Panthers.

Numerous former players and members of the coaching staff will be in attendance and the night's activities include; a taped message from Dwyane Wade, Brand Wade T-shirts for all MU students in attendance and a replica 2003 championship ring giveaway.

Current NBA players Travis Diener (Indiana Pacers) and Steve Novak (Houston Rockets) highlight the returning group from Marquette's 27-6 team, which also claimed the Conference USA Regular Season Championship en route to its historic NCAA Tournament run.


Tough To Improve More Than Hayward Has In 2007-08
Sophomore forward Lazar Hayward, a candidate for the league's most improved player award, has made dramatic improvements to his game in 2007-08.

The Buffalo, N.Y., native is enjoying a breakthrough campaign, currently contributing 14.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 51.1 percent from the field overall and 51.0 percent from behind the 3-point line. His scoring average improves to 14.9 points per outing in BIG EAST outings, where he is knocking down 56.8 percent (21-of-37) of his treys.

Hayward currently ranks 18th in scoring (14.0 ppg.), fifth in free throw percentage (.824) and 10th in field goal percentage (.511). In league games only, he ranks 16th in scoring (14.9 ppg.), 14th in rebounding (6.8 rpg.), sixth in free throw percentage (.857) and 14th in defensive rebounds (2.25 drpg.).

He started 16 of the 34 games in which he appeared in 2006-07 and averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

Only two BIG EAST players (Sam Young and Luke Harangody), have improved the scoring average by a larger margin than Hayward.

     

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