JS preview MU OSU

[TVDirector]

When Marquette and Ohio State clashed last year at the BMO Harris Bradley Center it was a defensive struggle. The Buckeyes won, 52-35, after the two teams went into halftime tied at 19.

"That was brutal," Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said Monday. "I thought maybe the first one to 20 was going to win that game."

If the Golden Eagles are going to have a chance of pulling the upset against the 20th-ranked Buckeyes on Tuesday in Columbus, they're going to need to be another defensive game.

"Defense is a point of emphasis for us," Marquette senior forward Juan Anderson said. "If you're pressuring a team in full court like we press, then that changes everything. They are getting into their offense with 18 on the shot clock, so they are rushing. It changes their whole offense."

After coaxing 33 turnovers from Wisconsin Lutheran and 19 from Tennessee-Martin, Marquette's defense, especially its full-court press, is set to face its first major challenge of the season.

Ohio State senior guard Shannon Scott knows pressure is something he and the Buckeyes guards need to be prepared to handle.

"They've got a lot of pressure defense that we're going to have to be ready for," Scott said. "They have a lot of players that can press us and pressure the ball. It's going to be tough for us."

Buckeyes redshirt freshman guard Kam Williams, wasn't as worried as Scott, saying that he believes his team features too many offensive weapons to stop them all. If the Golden Eagles have a chance of doing that, they'll need to play assertively while steering clear of fouls, which was a problem in their season opener.

Marquette had four of its nine players pick up four fouls against UT-Martin.

"We want to be aggressive," head coach Steve Wojciechowski said. "We have to continue to learn as a group, and we have to stay out of foul trouble because we don't have the depth."

The Golden Eagles short bench will be at full strength on Tuesday. Senior guard Derrick Wilson, who sat for the second half of Friday's opener with a lower leg injury, practiced Monday and is expected to play against the Buckeyes, Wojciechowski confirmed Monday night.

Depth is something that Ohio State has, with 13 players on the roster and 10 seeing action in a 92-55 victory over UMass-Lowell. The Buckeyes will employ three-quarter court press of their own. Matta sees that amount of pressure as an effective use of his squad's depth, athleticism and length.

Having only coached against Duke three times in the past 20 years, Matta admits that he doesn't know Wojciechowski well. From his limited exposure to this year's Golden Eagles, Matta sees a team that prides itself on turnovers and pushes the tempo on both ends of the court.

Two of the biggest things that Matta has stressed this week are communication and taking care of the ball in the face of pressure.

"We don't know what to expect, so it's got to be about high communication and really trying to figure out what we're going to do," Matta said. "We're going to take risks, we're going to turn the ball over. Hopefully not very much."

The more turnovers Marquette can force, the better its chances will be. While the Golden Eagles defense is still a work in progress, Anderson believes the success it has had so far is indicative of how good it can be against any opponent.

"I think it will work against any team," Anderson said. "It is the name of our game right now....We gambled a little bit too much (on Friday), but if we can stay disciplined I think we can change a lot of games with it."

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

This beat coverage is awesome. Well done, JS.

[Skatastrophy]

If the content is good, link to the guy's article. Don't steal content from someone doing a good job.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/goldeneagles/marquettes-defense-will-rely-on-pressure-b99392102z1-283005251.html

[ttheisen]

Forget the worry about Wojo using Marquette as a stepping stone to Duke. 

What are Matt Velazquez's plans?

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I agree that Velazquez has been great..but let's not get carried away. The guy is just doing his job, and after Mike Hunt, a friggin green college graduate would have been a refreshing change.

Keep up the good work.

[Benny B]

Forget the worry about Wojo using Marquette as a stepping stone to Duke. 

What are Matt Velazquez's plans?

Maybe when Haudricourt retires, Rosiak takes over the primary on the Brewers beat and Velazquez will get the secondary.

[Securitizer]

After not subscribing for about a year, I resubscribed because of the great coverage.  Gotta support such good work!  I sent an email to the JS editors stating that it was because of Matt's coverage.  I encourage anyone who subscribes to let them know directly.

[Silkk the Shaka]

After not subscribing for about a year, I resubscribed because of the great coverage.  Gotta support such good work!  I sent an email to the JS editors stating that it was because of Matt's coverage.  I encourage anyone who subscribes to let them know directly.

I literally just finished doing the same thing. I had never even considered doing so before.

[MU82]

If the content is good, link to the guy's article. Don't steal content from someone doing a good job.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/goldeneagles/marquettes-defense-will-rely-on-pressure-b99392102z1-283005251.html

Agreed. Even though I already had read it above, I clicked on the link.

A reporter who generates a lot of pageviews gets the attention of his supervisors.

[w0bbie]

Here are some additional pregame notes from Matt V.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/283100291.html

[Litehouse]

Click early and click often.  Matt is doing an awesome job.