Marquette vs. Wisconsin: Key storylines for the 2018 rivalry matchup
By TJ Miller
Howard vs Trice
Viewers will have an opportunity to watch a couple of players with the ability to catch fire from long-range.
Markus Howard is Marquette’s undisputed alpha dog and one of the best shooters and scorers in college basketball. The junior has been less efficient this season from 3pt range (35.8%) than his first two years but has increased his scoring to an impressive 22.4 ppg.
Howard has the ability to take over games as displayed with a 45 point effort vs. K State last week. What’s more impressive, though, is how he got those 45 points. Against a stingy Kansas St. defense, Howard was in full attack mode ending up an absurd 19-21 from the free throw line. Through just nine games, Howard is on pace to almost double his free throw attempts last season, showing he’s far more than just a jump shooter.
After missing the majority of last season due to injury, D’Mitrik Trice has wasted no time in making an impact, giving Wisconsin another reliable scoring threat besides Ethan Happ. The younger brother of former Michigan State Spartan sharpshooter Travis Trice, D’Mitrik has made a name for himself as he’s gone a scorching 60% on 30 of 50 from beyond the arc on his way to averaging 17.0 ppg.
Trice gives the Badgers the three-point shooting threat they desperately missed last season and Coach Bard should continue to give him the green light. Although Marquette has shown an increased ability to guard perimeter shooters this season, they are far from being great in that regard and Trice should find himself some good looks.
How Trice and Howard play in this game should have a huge impact on which team comes out on top.