Golden Eagles Could Continue Their Rise
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The last time that I checked in I was at the BCA Classic watching the Thad Five Freshmen from Ohio State dismantle their opponents. Since then, I have been on the road for long stretches at a time, sometimes even forgetting what day it is or what city I’m in. The only thing that keeps me sane is the excitement of the college basketball season. Although I am on my last leg after being away from home 14 of the last 16 days, the smell of the hardwood, the sound of the ball bouncing, the sweet music of the ball as it tickles the twine keeps me going.
On Wednesday night I happened to be in attendance at the reception for the “College Basketball Experience” Hall of Fame induction. What an experience that was. Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Dean Smith, and the great John Wooden were the inductees. I actually got a chance to shake the Big O’s hand. I didn’t even mention all the other big-timers in attendance like Larry Brown, Bill Walton, J.A. Adande and a bunch of others. I silently kept asking myself what in the heck was I doing there. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – the history of basketball all in one room. Two of the greatest players, maybe the two greatest coaches all within feet of one another. It was priceless.
The next night it was off to the games. In the first game of the CBE Classic, Duke took care of Air Force 71-56. To my surprise the Blue Devils made the game look pretty easy. Demarcus Nelson led the way with 23 points, while Lance Thomas, the freshman out of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, New Jersey chipped in with 15 big ones. Air Force’s Princeton offense seemed to be tailor-made for the Duke Blue Devil’s pressure defense, but it was not to be on this night. The Blue Devils did not seem willing to deny all the passing lanes and get back-doored to death as they did in their lost to Georgetown last year. They played a sagging help defense and did not allow the Falcons to back-cut for layups, a testament to the great coaching of Mike Krzyzewski. With that said, the Blue Devils are still a young team and don’t seem to have the firepower that they had in the past. This is not a dominating Blue Devil team like last year, but they still have some talent and those big bold blue letters across their chest.
Marquette breezed to an easy win over Bob Knight and the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the nightcap 87-72 to improve to 5-0 on the year. The Golden Eagles’ perimeter of Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Mathews combined for 55 points as they sliced through the Red-Raider defense at will. McNeal had 7 assists on the night, two of which were alley-oops to the 5-foot-10 James. Texas Tech All-American Candidate Jarrius Jackson had 14 points but struggled, going 4-11 from the field.
Marquette will take on Duke tonight in the CBE Classic Championship Game at 10:00 P.M. EST in what will be an interesting early-season Big East-ACC matchup: Duke, a perennial powerhouse, against Marquette, a program beginning to regain its national luster. Marquette will rely on its perimeter, one of the best in the Big East. James, a Pre-Season All-American Candidate, has been stellar early in the season, averaging 16.8 ppg. Duke will look to counter with its strong frontcourt of Nelson, Thomas and Josh McRoberts. McRoberts is also a preseason All-American Candidate, but has had modest numbers early in the season with 10.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg.
Look for an intense match-up between two talented teams. Marquette coach Tom Crean is one of the rising coaching talents in the country. His teams play hard and with passion. Crean is a great X’s and O’s guy, yet he never over-coaches.
He will surely be tested tonight against Krzyzewski and the boys from Durham. Let’s not forget, this is Duke and sometimes the mystique can spot the Blue Devils 5 points early in the game.
This will be a good one, but in my opinion Duke is not the Duke we are all used to and there will be no Cameron Crazies to give them the edge at Muncipal Auditorium in Kansas City. As I stated before, McRoberts has started slowly and the Golden Eagles will by on a high for this one, plus James may be one of the best point guards in the country. Guards win games in college basketball.
Prediction? I’m not scared to say it.
Marquette by a nose.
