Marquette's Defensive Tackle Gets a Game Ball by Al Kelly

On Wednesday night against another young but talented team this one from St John's, MU once again played a game with two very different halves. Even though Buzz's Boys got an 83-64 win it was definitely not an easy victory. St John's showed glimpses of how tough they will be when they mature as a team.


The first half was a game of continuous lead changes in which the stars were the two starting centers. St John's center whose first name really is "God'sGift" and Marquette's 6'8", 280lbs+, Davante Gardner who Jim McIlvaine refers to as the "Schemer" or the "Trickster" for his ability to score against taller players without getting off the floor, led their teams in a close battle that ended with St John's leading 32-31.

Marquette was hampered by foul trouble almost the entire first half with DJO, Jae Crowder, Junior Cadougan, and Jamil Wilson picking up two quick fouls within only a few minutes of playing time for each player. The scoring load for MU fell to Gardner and freshman Todd Mayo. Juan Anderson and Jamail Jones got more playing time as bigs in the first half than they have in the last five games combined. Vander Blue and Derrick Wilson filled the time at the point with good and bad play. The air was filled with off the mark jumpers and so the majority of points for both teams came in the paint from their centers.

Marquette's seniors took over in the second half with DJO leading a 20-3 run that decided the game. Gardner continued his strong game even getting a dunk on a fast break that had the whole MU bench jumping up and down in delight and surprise. He finished the game with career highs in both points and rebounds by scoring 22 points and grabbing 15 rebounds."Daedae" as Buzz calls him definitely earned a game ball for this one.

The other highlight of the night was coach Buzz Williams' attempt at honoring Al McGuire by wearing a blue and white plaid jacket. According to the announcers it was a hit on Twitter. He said after the game he thought it was a 70's style coat. You can check it out for yourself below.

Next up are two games against usual powers Pittsburgh and Louisville who appear to be getting worse instead of better as the season progresses. They have one Big East win between them and were both blown out in their last games.

Marquette Beware the Sleeping Dogs!!