And so it beginsFor the second consecutive season MU opens the Big East with the Providence Friars, who, according to esteemed beat writer Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal will be without starting point guard Sharaud Curry and possibly backup Dwain Williams as well.
Providence still has talent in the backcourt, most notably Weyinmi Efejuku (13.2 points, 4.2 rebounds) and Jeff Xavier (12.7 points, 35 three-pointers), but 10th-ranked MU has the advantage of depth, with all six guards expected to be available for duty.
That means the focus for the Friars most likely will shift to the frontcourt, where 6-foot-8 junior Geoff McDermott and 6-11 Randall Hanke roam the paint.
Both have experienced success against the Golden Eagles in the past. McDermott put up 11 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists and three steals in the Friars' 74-59 victory at the Dunkin' Donuts Center last Jan. 4, then had 10 points, six rebounds and six assists in a 69-62 loss at the Bradley Center on Feb. 3.
So far this season McDermott is averaging 11.6 points and also leading Providence in rebounding at 7.6 boards per game and assists at 4.4, underscoring the versatility he brings to the court.
"He's an excellent player, but they're far from being a one-, two-, three-man team," said MU coach Tom Crean. "They're a good team. There's a lot of balance. But McDermott is the guy that makes so many things happen because of the way he passes, drives, can get to the rim. He rebounds at a high rate. He's a really good player."
Hanke, who redshirted last season due to an injury, had 23 points and a collegiate-high 15 rebounds in a loss at MU two seasons ago. He's rounding back into shape after a slow start, and is averaging 7.9 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting a remarkable 76.5% from the field.
"Two years ago he put some serious numbers up here. We didn't have an answer for him," Crean said. "We have a lot of respect for him. He's coming off the bench; he hasn't played a lot of minutes, but he's had a lot of production and we expect to see him at full strength."
MU, meanwhile, is back to full strength at just the right time with both senior forward Dan Fitzgerald and sophomore guard David Cubillan returning from injury.
While neither apparently is back to 100 percent, their presence will nonetheless be valuable for the Golden Eagles because of the threat they present from beyond the arc.
"They're getting there," said Crean. "I don't know if I'd characterize either one of them as 100 percent, but they've certainly made strides."
http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2008/01/03/and-so-it-begins.aspx
