Marquette Basketball: 3 keys for Golden Eagles to upset No. 1 UConn Huskies
By Kyle Craib
Disrupt the Passing Lanes
The UConn Huskies enter Saturday’s game equipped with one of college basketball’s most relentless offensive schemes.
The group has shot an efficient 50.1 percent from the field through the first 25 games of the season. In terms of true shooting percentage (adjusted for three-pointers and free throws) that number shoots up to 61 percent. Both figures rank within the top 10 in the nation.
The question then becomes: How do you stop an offence that has shown no signs of slowing down?
For Marquette Head Coach Shaka Smart, the answer starts with defensive intensity.
During his time with VCU, Smart popularised the “havoc press” on defence. The scheme is a variation of the 1-2-1-1 full-court press often seen late in games that aims to trap opponents in unfavourable positions around the court to force turnovers.
Flash-forward eight years and Smart has continued to push a defence-first agenda, this time zeroing in on deflections. The coach has made it his mission to produce 32 deflections per game - or about one per every two possessions.
All tall order for most teams has become a calling card for this roster.
Oso Ighodaro is leading the way in this category as of February 9, 2024, racking up 113 tipped-balls this season. Despite only recording one steal per game, his role as a deterrent in the middle has forced opponents to operate outside the painted area.
Marquette’s active defence is tied atop the Big East in steals per game with 8.75 alongside Xavier. This paired with their ability to take care of the basketball has created a + 5.21 turnover margin, the sixth-best figure in the nation.
The Golden Eagles will need to limit lead-distributor Tristen Newton on the defensive end. The senior leads his team with 5.7 assists per game while only turning the ball over 2.7 times, generating an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.11.
However, in his team’s two losses this season, that figure has plummeted to 0.38.
If Marquette is able to disrupt the passing lanes and corral some steals, look for this team to get out and run. The Golden Eagles currently lead the conference in points in transition with 14.79 per game.
Since Sean Jones’ injury, Smart has essentially trimmed his rotation down to a seven-man unit. With few opportunities to rest, this roster’s conditioning will be severely tested if they hope to keep up with the Huskies all night.