Oh Marquette

I feel like I have seen this movie before... Watching the Marquette Golden Eagle-DePaul Blue Demon game was the continuous nightmare that is the Marquette season as the Golden Eagles lose 51-50 to a team comparable to Warren from There's Something About Mary.  I love the team and stand by the team but I just cannot invest as much emotion as I did the last four years because I will probably be dead by the month of March. The game made me realize a few things and maybe make the season much better.

The first thing is there is no star on this season.  I think the last four years, Dominic James was the star for two of them and Jerel McNeal took over that role in the other two while Wes Matthews did so much that you could consider him a star all-around.  Lazar Hayward was a nice role player in three of those years but he cannot be a star for this team.  He disappears in almost every game for a substantial amount of time and when you are a star of a team, that just cannot happen. 

Another thing is I realize not to expect anything to go right in the last minute. My editor Mach would tell you I am probably overly positive with the Golden Eagles, but let's be real, this team's late game free throwing shooting is worse than Jay Leno handling of the Tonight Show. Therefore unless the game is clearly out of reach (let's say 10 points in the final minute), I will forever be nervous about that minute and what will happen will not turn out in Marquette's favor. I hate to be negative but that's the way it has to be.  

There is still a chance they can make the tournament, it's still early in the Big East but now because of the DePaul lost, they have to win one of the upcoming road games against Syracuse and UConn to stay in the mix. In addition, in no way possible can they lose to 0-6 Rutgers at home on Tuesday.  That's makes the Golden Eagles 4-5 at the end of January with games against Providence, DePaul, USF, and Pittsburgh before a tough make-or-break three game road trip.  I think they can win all four making them 8-5 going into that road trip and at worse, 8-6 giving them a viable chance of being a bubble team.  

It comes down to a cliche line for Marquette's season... "It is what it is." You will take your punches and maybe hope that luck turns your way finally... Although, it might be one of those years where hard-fought wins are difficult to come by. 

-Charlie.