Sometimes the shots don't fall. And they didn't Friday night in Dallas for Marquette. The Golden Eagles shot a combined 54% from the field in their two tournament games coming into the Sweet 16, but could only muster 33% shooting and an abysmal 4-31 (12.9%) from deep against NC State. Throw in 60% shooting from the free throw line, and you have the perfect recipe for a loss to just about anyone. With no good way to lose, 67 of the 68 tournament teams will end their season with a loss. Marquette had hoped to end their season in stronger fashion, but sometimes…sometimes the shots don't fall.
Credit to NC State and what they did defensively. They were able to cut off dribble penetration into the paint for most of the game, keeping Marquette out of their preferred offensive flow and forcing the ball back to the outside. Forcing the ball outside worked for the Wolfpack, creating contested 3-point shots off rotation where Marquette couldn't hit anything. Marquette is an above-average 3-point shooting team, but they weren’t getting the usual shots out of their offense. The gameplan for NC State disrupted flow and defended the perimeter from the tip, and the Golden Eagles could never get their footing.
NC State would carry a double-digit lead early, behind a mostly shared effort on the offensive end. Shooting 53% in the first session, they were efficient enough to have the defense win the first half. That defense seemed to be a particular problem for David Joplin. On a night to forget, Joplin shot 0-6 from the field, 0-5 from behind the arc, and 0-3 from the line in the opening half. The defense also stifled Oso Ighodaro early, clogging the lane with a 2-3 zone. Ighodaro put up just three shot attempts in the first half and scored just 2 points. Tyler Kolek was the only one to find any kind of scoring success, accounting for 14 points at the break, but he added just one assist due to the plethora of Golden Eagle misses. Marquette would trail 37-24 at half.
Marquette actually outscored NC State in the second half, although you wouldn't think that they did. The shooting percentages would only increase slightly as Marquette played a much better defensive half. Kam Jones scored 15 points in the second half, finally finding room around the basket, but Marquette would continue to miss just about everywhere else. The shooting struggles transferred to Tyler Kolek, who went 0-5 in the second half, and Oso Ighodaro remained quiet, attempting just three shots. Never quite within striking distance or able to put together any kind of scoring run, NC State salted away Marquette, sending them out of the tournament with yet another disappointing exit. Sometimes the shots don’t fall.
“...it’s been an absolute honor to coach this entire group. The worst thing about losing today is that we don't have practice tomorrow…” were the words from head coach Shaka Smart when asked about the legacy of this team in the postgame presser. Although it wasn't the ending that Marquette had hoped for, it’s difficult to say that there weren’t plenty of successes throughout the season. Marquette had to deal with multiple injuries, some coming at the worst of times, a brutal Big East and non-conference schedule, and roaring expectations. They played through it all. They almost won the Maui Invitational against the best in the country, they picked up huge wins against top opponents, and they showed the togetherness that Shaka has ingrained into the Marquette culture.
So ends the Marquette careers of Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro. Both have set the standard for what Marquette basketball is, and they will forever live on when people talk about the Marquette all-time greats. Both are expected to be drafted in this year’s upcoming NBA draft. Pending transfers, Marquette will return the rest of the roster for the 2024-25 season, including Kam Jones, David Joplin, Stevie Mitchell, Chase Ross, and Ben Gold, amongst others.
Marquette finishes the season at 27-10 overall and second in the Big East at 14-6.