Big East Basketball: 2018-19 storylines for Providence at Marquette

1. Is Marquette in trouble without Markus Howard?

Player of the Year candidate Markus Howard went down with a back injury three minutes into Marquette’s matchup against Georgetown on Tuesday. The Golden Eagles ultimately squeaked by the Hoyas, who are now 12-6, by one possession. Howard did not return and is listed as questionable for Sunday.

Luckily, forward Sam Hauser helped guide the Golden Eagles to the victory on Tuesday. The junior posted a career-high 31 points to go along with eight rebounds.

Unfortunately, Marquette can’t consistently rely on Hauser to perform to the same level Howard has this season. Two weeks ago, Hauser scored two points against Xavier while shooting 1-of-8 from the floor; he didn’t record a field goal against No. 12 Kansas State in December, either.

Howard is undeniably the most impactful player for Marquette. In the Golden Eagles’ three losses this season, the 5-11 junior is averaging 14.3 points per game, ten lower than his season average. If Howard doesn’t perform well, Marquette doesn’t compete to the same level it otherwise can.

There is still a chance Howard dresses on Sunday. In some ways, the Golden Eagles could benefit from his absence, as it will provide a test to see how well they can play without their best player in the event Howard is injured down the road. However, a Howard-less Marquette squad only increases Providence’s chances of leaving Milwaukee with an upset win.