Golden Eagles will mean business in Maui
It won’t just be fun in the sun for the Marquette men’s basketball team at the Maui Jim Invitational this week.
The young Golden Eagles (1-1) will look to keep learning about themselves with three games in three days, starting with VCU (2-1) on Monday.
MU will then play either California or Wichita State on Tuesday and another game on Wednesday. Also in the tournament are Notre Dame, Michigan, LSU and host Chaminade.
MU has been a little disjointed in its first two games.
In the opener against Mount St. Mary’s, starter Markus Howard was questionable with an ankle injury but came off the bench to play 25 minutes in an 80-59 victory.
He was back in the starting lineup against Purdue but the Boilermakers’ size caused the Golden Eagles major foul trouble, forcing MU coach Steve Wojciechowski to play some funky, small-ball lineups.
“(We are) still very much trying to find our identity as a whole,” Wojciechowski said at a news conference Sunday. “Certainly this tournament, with the quality of competition, will be a springboard for us, hopefully for growth and improvement.”
MU is also looking for another reliable scorer.
Against the Boilermakers, sophomore wing Sam Hauser, senior guard Andrew Rowsey and Howard combined for 61 of the Golden Eagles’ 71 points.
VCU has eight new players on its roster under first-year head coach Mike Rhoades. The Rams are playing the frantic, pressing defense that Rhoades learned as an assistant for former VCU coach Shaka Smart.
“They play extremely hard and they put a great deal of pressure on you because of their activity and intensity,” Wojciechowski said.
The Rams are led by 6-foot-7 forward Justin Tillman, who is averaging 15 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, and point guard Jonathan Williams, who has handed out 21 assists in three games while scoring 13 points per contest.
Wojciechowski knows about winning the Maui Invitational. As a player, he was MVP when Duke won the tournament in 1997, playing smothering defense on Arizona’s Mike Bibby in the championship game.
Wojciechowski was also an assistant coach at Duke when the Blue Devils beat the Golden Eagles in the 2007 Maui final.
“To me it's the premier preseason tournament,” Wojciechowski said. “I think there is nothing like playing on the island in a gym that is so unique. Year after year you have topflight coaches and programs and certainly this year is no different.”
MAUI JIM INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE
MONDAY (Milwaukee time) Marquette vs. VCU, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Wichita State vs. California, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Notre Dame vs. Chaminade, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
Michigan vs. LSU, 10:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
TUESDAY
Marquette/VCU winner vs. Wichita State/California winner, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Marquette/VCU loser vs. Wichita State/California loser, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)
Notre Dame/Chaminade loser vs. Michigan/LSU loser, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Notre Dame/Chaminade winner vs. Michigan/LSU winner, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
WEDNESDAY
Seventh-place game, 1:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Fifth-place game, 4 p.m. (ESPN2) Third-place game, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Championship game, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)