A pair of teams that have struggled down the stretch will try to turn things around in the Big East quarterfinals when the No. 16 Seton Hall Pirates take on the Marquette Golden Eagles. The Pirates are favored by 2.5 points with an over/under of 151 points.
A few weeks ago, Seton Hall was running away with the Big East regular-season title. However, the Pirates have lost four of their last seven games, ultimately settling for a three-way tie with Villanova and Creighton for the conference title.
That late-season slump also dropped them to the third seed in the Big East tournament, forcing them to take on a tough Marquette team.
Of course, the Golden Eagles have also spiraled late in the season, losing six of their last seven games. As a result, Marquette now sits at 18-12 overall and finished just 8-10 in conference play.
Despite that disappointing record, the Golden Eagles are still a safe bet to grab an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. But they are surely feeling pressure to snap out of their funk before the tournament.
One Soaring Eagle
Leading Marquette this season is one of the best guards in the country in Markus Howard. The 5-11 senior plays bigger than he is, averaging 27.8 points per game while shooting 41.2% from the perimeter.
While the Golden Eagles have gone into a late-season slump, Howard continues to play at a high level. He has scored at least 30 points in five straight games, so he is not the reason why Marquette is struggling down the stretch.
The Golden Eagles need to get more out of their supporting cast if they hope to turn things around. Second-leading scorer Sacar Anim is coming off a 24-point effort in the season finale. But he’s also been held to single digits in four of his last nine games, so he’s been lacking consistency.
With Marquette’s struggles on the defensive end, the Golden Eagles need as many scorers as possible, even with Howard going for 30-plus points.
Triple Threat
The Pirates have been led by star player Myles Powell all season. However, Seton Hall is a three-headed monster. In addition to the 21 points per game they get from Powell, the Pirates get 11.9 points per game apiece from point guard Quincy McKnight and forward Sandro Mamukelashvili.
The latter has been a barometer for Seton Hall late in the season. Mamukelashvili scored just seven points in the season finale against Creighton, a 16-point loss for the Pirates.
The good news is that performances like that have been rare for Mamukelashvili over the last month. But if he doesn’t produce up to his potential, the Pirates have limited options to be their third playmaker behind Powell and McKnight.
Mamukelashvili is the team’s best outside shooter, and the Pirates have no serious shooting threat on the perimeter if he goes cold.
The Sweep
Seton Hall has already beat Marquette twice this season, and they are likely to beat the Golden Eagles for the third time.
The Pirates should get on track offensively against a weak Marquette defense, and Howard won’t have the help around him to overcome it. Bet on Seton Hall to win and cover on Thursday night.
