Men’s basketball: Panthers look to stay perfect in Big East

It has been a basketball season of “almost” for the Marquette Golden Eagles.

They almost… It has been a basketball season of “almost” for the Marquette Golden Eagles.

They almost beat No. 1 Duke in late November, falling 82-77. They almost upset No. 22 Gonzaga, but lost by three points. They almost knocked off No. 24 Vanderbilt, but couldn’t prevent the Commodores from netting the winning basket with four seconds to play.

“We’ve lost four games by a total of 14 points,” coach Buzz Williams said after a recent win over West Virginia. “Did we earn the right to beat the No. 1 team in the country on a neutral site? No. Did we earn the right to beat Gonzaga…? No.”

As a result, the Golden Eagles (11-4, 2-0 Big East) entered January without a big-time win for their NCAA Tournament resumé, and the road ahead won’t get any easier when they take on No. 5 Pitt (14-1, 2-0 Big East) tomorrow at 2 p.m. in the Petersen Events Center.

The Panthers would be more than happy to continue the Golden Eagles’ string of tough losses against ranked opponents. The Golden Eagles defeated West Virginia last Saturday to open conference play, but they, like every Big East team, have a daunting schedule ahead of them in a conference with eight ranked teams.

“It’s an 18-mile run and we finished one,” Williams said.

On Tuesday, the Panthers nearly discovered the strength of the conference the hard way, when they trailed Providence, 76-74, with one minute to play. But Travon Woodall hit a 3-pointer late, and Pitt escaped with an 83-79 win.

“It got real tense,” Pitt redshirt freshman Lamar Patterson said in a press conference Thursday. “No one wants to lose, especially not to Providence away. We wanted to get that win … Now we just worry about Marquette.”

Woodall is the most recent case of Pitt’s different day, different star mentality. It’s tough to find a weak spot in the Panthers lineup as seven Panthers now average at least six points per contest.

“I got in the game because Brad [Wanamaker] fouled out,” Woodall said Thursday. “[Head coach Jamie Dixon] called me off the bench, and I was just ready to go.”

Dixon’s team is second in the nation in rebounding and first in assists.

Marquette counters Pitt’s attack with a balanced one of its own. Darius Johnson-Odom, Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder all average at least 12 points per game, and freshman Vander Blue adds almost 10 more off the bench.

“They’re similar to Providence in that they like to attack off the dribble, trying to get to the rim, trying to get to the foul line,” Dixon said.

Marquette averages 80.8 points per game, second in the Big East.

Crowder might be the most impressive Golden Eagle lately. Last season’s junior college player of the year had 29 points against West Virginia on New Year’s Day.

“I said about seven weeks ago — nobody listens to me unless we win, I understand — that he would end up being the heart and soul of our team,” Williams said. “He’s such an instinctive player.”

Crowder is the second player in two years to start for the Golden Eagles out of junior college. Johnson-Odom, Marquette’s leading scorer this season, joined the team last year out of Hutchinson Community College.

“It’s a tough transition,” Dixon said. “It’s very hard for a junior college transfer to come in, but they’ve had guys do it and come in and play and be productive right away.”

Johnson-Odom had 21 points against West Virginia and 29 more in a win over Rutgers Wednesday night. Woodall, though, said that the Panthers can slow him down if they limit his space.

“We just have to do a good job of bottling him up and try to alter his shots,” Woodall said. “We have to limit his touches. That’s the best way to stop a player.”

If they do that, it could be another “almost” for Marquette.