Marquette Basketball: Markus Howard injury opens door for others to excel

Sam Hauser and Co. picked up the pieces after Markus Howard left the Georgetown win early with a back injury. Is Marquette Basketball even more dangerous now?

A previously innocuous trip to Georgetown quickly approached the danger zone for Marquette Basketball (15-3, 4-1) on Tuesday night, as guard Markus Howard checked out of the game after three minutes of play, clutching his lower back. A 9-0 Hoya run soon followed, all with Howard lying next to the MU bench looking like a late-career Larry Bird.

From there, though, things settled down as forward Sam Hauser ran the point, wing Sacar Anim slashed to the hoop, center Theo John owned the paint, and forward Joey Hauser did a bit of everything else. Marquette salted away the game with two key blocks and a pair of free throws in the waning seconds to leave D.C. with a 74-71 victory in hand, almost entirely without its best player.

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After the game, head coach Steve Wojciechowski was unable to give a definitive timeline on Howard’s back; MU does not return to action until Sunday at home against Providence. The Golden Eagles certainly have a ceiling on their season if Howard is plagued by this injury long-term, but should the junior guard return to the lineup unencumbered within the next week or so, Marquette may have found a recipe for more diversified success for the rest of the season.

As Deadspin pointed out earlier this month, Marquette’s top two players by usage rate – Howard and the elder Hauser – had the largest percentage gap between the first and second option of any major conference team. Everyone knew Howard was going to have to carry the load coming into the season, especially with the Golden Eagles’ relatively thin at the guard position. However, the disparity did not need to be this big (even after Tuesday’s game, Howard’s 34.6 percent usage rate dwarfs Hauser’s 19.2 percent).

Against the Hoyas, players up and down MU’s roster provided significant contributions. Sam Hauser proved more than capable of doing everything on offense, dropping 31 points on 10-20 shooting (4-9 from beyond the arc). Joey Hauser added 10 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in 39 minutes, while often switching onto Georgetown big man Jessie Govan defensively. Anim also scored 10 points in 39 minutes. John and Brendan Bailey combined for 23 points, eight rebounds, four blocks, two steals, and stellar defense in 57 total minutes.

Wojo painted a coaching masterpiece on Tuesday as well, proving he is not simply riding the coat tails of a superstar; rather, he has built something sustainable that is only made more wonderful by Howard’s heroics.

Howard is not a ball hog. He has insane shot-making talent, so he should be leading the team in attempts. However, he does often launch three (or more) completely head-scratching shots per game. If he can cut those out of his diet, and heed just a little more responsibility to his teammates, Marquette will be much less predictable and far more dangerous against top-tier teams. Opponents clearly need to pay attention to Howard as soon as he crosses half court, so he still has plenty of value as an off-ball option. And should one of the Hauser brothers get cooking, the defense is likely to get a wandering eye, freeing up Howard for more open looks.

Of course, Howard also provides a key scoring outlet late in the shot clock should the rest of the offense break down. He will easily find his way to 16-plus shots a night even with an uptick in attempts for his teammates.

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The Golden Eagles were already cruising along this season, so Tuesday’s win over Georgetown was not a statement showing. However, it did prove to everyone around the program that this team is more than a one-man band, and it could be the moment that elevates Marquette into a legitimate threat come March.

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