A Big East showdown is set to go underway tonight as No.15 Marquette takes on Rutgers.
The standings may not reflect it, but Rutgers hasn't always been as poor as their record. Streaky shooting has been a bit of an issue, but sophomore Eli Carter has been a bright spot for the Scarlet Knight, until he broke his leg. They had a strong start to the season with a 12-4 run, but a six game skid against mostly ranked opponents proved that Rutgers isn't quite ready to hang with the big boys.
No.15 Marquette is focused on getting themselves ready for March Madness. They're in the awkward middle group of teams where nothing really separates 10-20, but if this season has proved anything, it's that rankings are meaningless once you're in the tournament.
Coming off an impressive win over Syracuse, the Golden Eagles climbed up the rankings to where they are now, but they're going to need to prove they deserved it. Luckily, Buzz Williams knows his group needs to stay focused, but he also knows his bench is ripe and ready, if he can convince himself to rest his starters.
"When all 10 of our guys show up, then it becomes really difficult for me to get guys in and out," said Williams, whose bench held a 32-20 edge Saturday. "I am not taking Jamil out when he is playing as well as he is. I am not taking Chris out when he is playing as well as he is. ... That is the kind of problem I want to have."
A deep bench becomes so much more crucial when starters struggle, so look for the Golden Eagles to maybe let some guys get a little bit of rest tonight and build the confidence on some of the younger players.
Prediction: Marquette has an easy going with Rutgers.
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