Golden Eagles Flying Under Radar

People may be counting Marquette out, but Buzz Williams' team could be this year's sleeping giant in Big East. (Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated)

Marquette basketball has used a three-guard lineup consistently for years at a time, going back to the days of Travis Diener, Steve Novak, and of course one of the NBA's best players in Dwyane Wade. Yet this year there is a little more uncertainty in Milwaukee as the Golden Eagles enter the 2010-11 season with a surplus of depth and versatility among their roster, a condition that elicited this response from head coach Buzz Williams at Big East media day last week: "I don't know who would start for our team."

The Golden Eagles' player is now on the next level, as Lazar Hayward became the latest Marquette product to be selected in the NBA draft, and expectations are for Chris Otule to step into Hayward's role as the primary option in the paint. At 6-10, Otule gives Marquette more size than they have had in recent memory, and there is a possibility that swingman Jimmy Butler could see some minutes at power forward. However, Williams' biggest strength is his backcourt, just as it was for previous head men Mike Deane and Tom Crean. Senior Dwight Buycks is back as the anchor, with Darius Johnson-Odom entering his junior season looking to prove that last year's breakout campaign was no joke. "He's really grown up as a person," said Williams when I asked him what the guard's biggest improvement was during the offseason.

How Williams fills the third portion of the backcourt triumvirate isn't as easy. The coach has former walk-on Rob Frozena, now a senior as one of his options to complete his troika, as well as freshman Vander Blue and sophomore Junior Cadougan, who missed most of last year due to injury after being highly touted by Williams as a newcomer. "He's a sophomore on the roster, but he's really a freshman relative to his playing time," stated Williams in response to my question of a healthy Cadougan's impact on the team over a full season.

The Golden Eagles return most of a team that reached the NCAA Tournament by opening their season in the CBE Classic, which features matchups with reigning national champion Duke and either Kansas State or Gonzaga, three schools Williams said were "all capable of winning the national championship." Prior to ringing in 2011 by facing West Virginia in their Big East opener, the Golden Eagles play another critical nonconference game at home on December 11th when intrastate rival Wisconsin invades the Bradley Center.