Marquette Basketball: 2018-19 keys for the Golden Eagles vs. Villanova
By Brian Foley
2. Markus Howard takes on Phil Booth
As mentioned, Booth and Howard will be the headliners on Saturday. Howard (24.6 points per game) is an All-American candidate, and will be hungry for a bounce-back performance after shooting just 5-17 against the kryptonite Johnnies. St. John’s small, switchable, athletic lineup has really pestered Howard throughout his career, but few opponents have been able to replicate such success. Howard is an elite pick-and-roll ball handler who should not have as many problems dissecting Booth, Collin Gillespie, and whomever else switches onto him.
On the other end of the floor, it’s no surprise to see Booth stuffing the stat sheet after his breakout performance in the title game in 2016. However, he has struggled from the field of late, shooting just 38.7 percent over his last five games. Booth does a little bit of everything offensively and will have a green light to shoot on Saturday, meaning Sacar Anim – Marquette’s top guard defender – will play another massive role in the Golden Eagles’ fortune. Anim battled hard against Shamorie Ponds, and did well to fight through ball screens, but still surrendered the game-winning basket in the final seconds.
Howard and Sam Hauser have been MU centerpieces for years, so Villanova can rely on previous game plans to slow down the two marksmen. On the flip side, though, Marquette is accustomed to leaving Booth and Paschall open in an effort to slow down Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Mikal Bridges. Wojo and the Marquette staff will be challenged to find creative sets to spring open their stars while shutting down Villanova’s new leading men.