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Marquette vs. Seton Hall: 2019-20 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

By Brian Foley

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 15: Quincy McKnight #0 of the Seton Hall Pirates looks to pass as Markus Howard #0 of the Marquette Golden Eagles defends during the semifinal round of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 15: Quincy McKnight #0 of the Seton Hall Pirates looks to pass as Markus Howard #0 of the Marquette Golden Eagles defends during the semifinal round of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Two of the top guards in the nation square off this weekend as Seton Hall Basketball hosts Marquette Basketball in a Big East clash.

TV Schedule: Saturday, Jan. 11 at 4 p.m. EST (CBS Sports Network)

Location: Prudential Center (Newark, NJ)

The spotlight always shines brightly on Marquette’s Markus Howard and Seton Hall’s Myles Powell, two preseason Player of the Year candidates who are each posting sparking statistical senior campaigns. But on Saturday, extra attention may be paid to any extracurricular action on the court as Seton Hall (11-4, 3-0) looks to solidify its standing atop the Big East, while Marquette (11-4, 1-2) claws to join the conference’s upper crust.

The Golden Eagles and Pirates have been frequent foes in the Howard/Powell era, splitting their eight meetings with four wins apiece, with six contests decided by two possessions or less. The most recent confrontation turned heated in the 2019 Big East Tournament Semifinals, as the 81-79 SHU victory had everything to draw in the neutral observer, and take several years off the life of any Marquette or Seton Hall fan.

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As Anonymous Eagle so eloquently recapped, last spring’s back-and-forth battle featured 85 free throws, nine technical fouls, three ejections (which doesn’t include Powell thinking he was ejected at one point), and a missed Howard three at the buzzer. We’ll see if there are any fireworks on Saturday, though I expect both teams will be eager to show their physicality early in the game.

Seton Hall has made impressive strides on the defensive end this season, in part because of their dominant rim protection. Romaro Gill and Ike Obiagu both stand 7-foot-2, and rank in the top-15 among high-major players in block rate (min. 10 mpg). Opponents are shooting just 43 percent inside the arc against the Pirates, one of the 25 best marks in the country.

Strangely, that strength may not matter as much against Marquette, as the Golden Eagles are already dreadful shooting the ball inside. MU connects on only 45 percent of its two-point attempts, the second-worst rate among all high-major teams, including just 54 percent at the rim and 35 percent on two-point jumpers. Seton Hall might force Marquette into a slightly worse two-point percentage than usual on Saturday, but the Golden Eagles’ offensive success is generally predicated on their perimeter shooting anyways. Marquette currently ranks third in the nation in three-point percentage (40.5 percent).

Perhaps this is the game for Marquette to go without a big man for substantial minutes. Seton Hall’s towering bigs are likely to swallow up the 6-foot-9 Theo John, the 6-foot-7 Ed Morrow, and even the 7-foot Jayce Johnson down low, and it’s not as if MU relies on its big man trifecta for much offense anyways. But if Steve Wojciechowski trots out a small-ball lineup with Howard, Greg Elliott, Koby McEwen, Sacar Anim, and Brendan Bailey (or Jamal Cain), Marquette may be able to pull Gill and Obiagu away from the basket enough to beat them off the bounce with speed or over the top with threes. If the game turns into a three-point contest, the Golden Eagles have a decent chance to pull out a road win.

As for the two big-ticket stars, neither Howard (18 ppg on 22 percent shooting) nor Powell (26 ppg on 35 percent shooting) was at their best in their three head-to-head matchups last season. All of college basketball is hungry to see the two likely All-Americans trade buckets for two straight hours. Howard and Powell sport the two largest usage rates among all high-major players, so their coaches will certainly let them loose if they get going. An intense duel at The Rock featuring a pair of 30-plus point games from two of the nation’s pre-eminent stars? Yes, please.

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Here’s hoping we see each guard on their A-game, though Seton Hall’s Quincy McKnight and Marquette’s Anim may have something to say about that.

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