Jeff Borzello, Marquette News

MARQUETTE BEGINS REBUILDING PROCESS

Golden Eagles quickly becoming a team built by Buzz Williams two years into his tenure

by JEFF BORZELLO

Marquette has been one of the nation’s most successful programs over the last few years, mostly due to the perimeter trio of Jerel McNeal, Dominic James and Wesley Matthews.

With all three of them graduating after last season, the Golden Eagles are starting from scratch – with more newcomers than returnees.

If head coach Buzz Williams is worried about his prospects for this season, he certainly does not show it.

“I’ve been an underdog my whole life,” Williams said. “That’s how I coach, how I talk and how I live.”

Not surprisingly, Marquette is being projected to take an enormous step back this season – the Big East coaches picked the Golden Eagles to finish in 12th-place.

“It’s motivation,” senior guard Maurice Acker said. “We’re going to have to come out and play hard.”

Marquette does return one of the best players in the league in forward Lazar Hayward, who was the beneficiary of all the defensive attention allotted to the aforementioned three guards over the past few seasons.

He will have to become the go-to-guy this season, and how he adapts will shape the Golden Eagles’ season. Furthermore, someone else will have to step up and become a second option.

Williams acknowledged the need for a complementary scorer to Hayward, but did not have an answer.

“Who that guy that he’s going to pass it to – I just don’t know yet,” Williams said.

The newcomers are going to have to make an impact immediately; there is no time for a grace period in the Big East.

“They’ll all have to help us,” Williams said. “Each of these guys will have a niche.”

Acker said that JC transfer Dwight Buycks was making an impression in practice, while Williams spoke the praises of 7-2 center Youssoupha Mbao, who was recently suspended for two games for amateurism violations.

“Yous is as [good] as any big man I’ve ever seen as a freshman,” Williams said.

One player that Williams expected to have this season will be sidelined all season with an ACL injury – Junior Cadougan. The freshman point guard would have started immediately and helped ease the personnel losses.

“He meant a lot,” Williams said. “He will affect us drastically, since we’re down a guard.”

“Everyone is going to have to step up,” Acker added. “We’ll have to help the young guys.”

Marquette will be low on experience this season, and will have even lower expectations heading into the year. It is not all bad news, though – the newcomers are talented and there are some solid returnees still left on the roster.

Williams isn’t counting out the Golden Eagles being competitive in the Big East just yet.

“We lost three of the top 10 scorers in school history,” Williams said. “On paper, we will slip. How it will play out, we will see.”

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