Marquette Basketball

The Marquette Golden Eagles are seeking a new head men's basketball coach following Buzz Williams' departure to Virginia Tech on Friday.

Updates from Monday, March 31

Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com has the latest on Marquette's interest in Steve Wojciechowski:

Duke associate head coach Steve Wojciechowski formally interviewed with Marquette officials early Monday about replacing Buzz Williams as the school's men's basketball coach, industry sources told CBSSports.com on Monday afternoon.

Parrish later reported that Cuonzo Martin had made his decision on if he wanted to take the job:

Updates from Sunday, March 30

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports has the latest on Marquette's head coaching search:

Duke assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski has emerged as a target for Marquette University in its searching for a basketball coach, sources told Yahoo Sports.

Marquette made an initial push for VCU's Shaka Smart, but Wojciechowski has joined Tennessee's Cuonzo Martin as one of the preferred choices to take over the Big East conference program, sources said.

Late Sunday night ESPN's Andy Katz reported that Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin had met with the school:

Marquette officials met Sunday with Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin and there is significant interest from the Golden Eagles in hiring Martin away from the Vols, multiple sources told ESPN.com.

Sources told ESPN.com that discussions are underway between the two parties, but Tennessee still has an opportunity to keep Martin.

Updates from Saturday, March 29

ESPN's Jeff Goodman has the latest on Marquette's search and its newest target:

Sources told ESPN.com that [Tennessee head coach Cuonzo] Martin and former UCLA coach Ben Howland are two top-tier candidates to replace Buzz Williams, who left for Virginia Tech last week. Sources told ESPN.com that Howland is extremely interested in the job while it's unclear whether Martin would seriously entertain discussions from Marquette.

Updates from Thursday, March 27

Andrew Gruman of Fox Sports provides a quote from AD Bill Cords, who spoke about the head coaching search:

CSB Sports' Gary Parish reiterates that Marquette's next head coach will not be VCU's Shaka Smart:

Updates from Wednesday, March 26

Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports provides an update on Marquette's upcoming press conference:

Updates from Tuesday, March 25

ESPN's Adam Finkelstein provides a synopsis of Shaka Smart discussing his coaching future: 

Updates from Monday, March 24

Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reports another high-profile coach receiving interest from Marquette:

Marquette and Wake Forest have both reached out and expressed interest to VCU coach Shaka Smart, multiple sources told ESPN. ...

... One issue that could hinder Marquette's chances to land Smart is the fact that the Golden Eagles have both an interim president and athletic director.

Jerry Meyer of 247Sports.com had more on Smart and Marquette:

Updates from Sunday, March 23

ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman has an update on Ben Howland's interest in the Golden Eagles job:

Marquette has contacted former UCLA coach Ben Howland about replacing Buzz Williams, but the school has yet to offer him the job, sources confirmed to ESPN.com. 

Multiple sources close to Howland told ESPN that he is "extremely interested" in the Marquette opening.

Original Text

While the search for Williams' successor is still in its infancy stages, one notable name has already emerged in ex-UCLA coach Ben Howland, according to CBS Sports' Gary Parrish:

Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel reported Friday that Williams is signing a seven-year contract with Virginia Tech to try to bring the Hokies out of the ACC cellar:

Marquette released a statement regarding Williams' departure, and the excerpt below focuses on its effort to find his replacement:

[Williams'] commitment to player development and the creation of Buzz’s Bunch, which provides children with medical needs positivity and support, were the hallmarks of his success off the court.

The university has already begun a search for a new head coach, and we are confident that we will attract top-tier talent. Marquette’s elite basketball program is built on a proud tradition of excellence and we look forward to continuing to build on that legacy.

Whoever takes over for Williams in Milwaukee will have quite a pedigree to live up to. Williams took over in 2008 when Tom Crean left for the head job at Indiana, and he made the NCAA tournament every season with the exception of 2013-14.

In that span, the Golden Eagles advanced to at least the Round of 32 in all but one appearance, peaking with an Elite Eight berth in 2013.

ESPN's Jeff Goodman cited some of the reasons Williams left despite a strong track record before posting a 17-15 record this season:

With all of that established, Marquette must find a high-profile coach to replace Williams and continue the building tradition of strong recruiting and overall success for Golden Eagles basketball. That's why Howland makes a lot of sense as a prospective candidate.

Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel feels Howland makes sense for Marquette:

Goodman offered some names in addition to Howland—Syracuse assistant coach Mike Hopkins and Wisconsin-Green Bay head coach Brian Wardle:

Anyone with any coaching chops who's learned under Jim Boeheim is a worthy candidate for a high-profile job, and Goodman seems to think that Hopkins is a logical fit. Considering Hopkins has been with the Orange since 1996, it's not a stretch to say that he's due for a head coaching gig soon.

Wardle has the in-state connection and wouldn't have to move far, if at all, and if the Golden Eagles like what they see, he could be an easy solution to their vacancy—and one within close proximity. The Phoenix won the Horizon League regular-season title but fell in the conference tournament and got bounced by Belmont in the first round of the NIT.

Part of what makes Marquette an attractive job is not only its recent excellence, but also a strong incoming recruiting class, as CBSSports.com's Jeff Borzello points out:

The trick to retaining such a coveted crop of freshmen will be landing a respected coaching authority, and the Golden Eagles administration seems fully capable of that based on their two most recent hires.

This past year was no doubt a rebuilding effort for the program. The results on the court weren't pretty, yet as long as a strong coach enters the fold, there should be little uncertainty as to the upward trend of Marquette basketball. Plenty of quality candidates should be linked to the Golden Eagles, and it's still too early to even speculate as to who might land the job.

What is certain is that Marquette has had an excellent plan to emerge as a legitimate power in the Big East, thanks to the enthusiasm and passion Crean and Williams brought to recruiting and developing players. A similar leader will be necessary for the Golden Eagles to bounce back next season and contend for a Big East title.

Usually when February rolls around, we are beginning to talk about what a great job Buzz Williams has done with his Marquette team. 

In the last three seasons, Williams has guided his Golden Eagles to the Sweet 16 (at worst) in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. 

Just last year, the Golden Eagles got over the Sweet 16 hump and made it into the Elite Eight before falling to Syracuse in the East Regional final. 

This year has presented a much different scenario for Marquette, as it sits at 13-10 overall and 5-5 in the new-look Big East.

A record like that has put the Golden Eagles on the verge of failing to qualify for the big dance as a whole for the first time since 2005, when now-Indiana coach Tom Crean was in charge of a team that went 7-9 in the Big East. 

The main reason for the failure to succeed in Milwaukee this season has been inconsistency. Since their December 17 victory over Ball State, Marquette has alternated winning and losing, a dubious streak that includes losses to three of the top four teams in its conference. 

Having a terrible streak like that will do no good for a team that is usually near the top of the conference standings, no matter who the competition is. 

Another problem for the Golden Eagles has been their scoring, as they rank 213th in the nation with 70.4 points per game and have just two players on their roster who average more than 10 points per game. 

As expected, Davante Gardner (14.0 ppg, 6.0 rebounds per game) has carried the load, but his teammates have not done the same. Williams is now on the verge of missing out on his first postseason as head coach of the Golden Eagles.

The worst record a Williams-led Marquette team finished with in conference play was 9-9 back in 2011, a year in which it still advanced to the Sweet 16. 

The good news for Marquette is that there is still some time to turn things around before it is too late, but it will take a Herculean effort to do so. 

Marquette still has a chance to enact revenge on Creighton, Villanova and Xavier, as well as complete its season sweep over Providence, but for that to happen, players not named Gardner will have to up their levels of contribution. 

Todd Mayo (9.5 ppg) and Jake Thomas are the two players who would be best fit to step up and game-changing plays for the Golden Eagles down the stretch, but it would also be nice if Chris Otule (6.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg) finds his own in the paint alongside Gardner, especially against the top teams in the Big East that have an established paint presence. 

In all honesty, we are asking a lot out of Marquette to make the postseason, but this is college basketball, where stranger things have happened before. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. 

Saturday’s Big East matchup between the Marquette Golden Eagles and Villanova Wildcats at the BMO Harris Bradley Center will feature two teams coming off of very different performances.

The No. 4 Wildcats (16-2, 5-1) are coming off of an embarrassing 96-68 home defeat against the Creighton Blue Jays. Ethan Wragge stole the show for the first-place Jays, nailing nine three-point baskets and trapping Villanova in a big hole they could not climb out of.

The Golden Eagles (11-8, 3-3) enter the matchup riding a small wave of momentum. They rallied back to force overtime on Monday night, thanks to a Todd Mayo game-tying three-pointer with six seconds left and a 15-point overtime performance in route to an 80-72 win on the road against Georgetown.

Marquette’s 20-game home winning streak will be in jeopardy against Villanova, though.

The Wildcats post the second-best offense in the Big East, averaging 80 points. A good chunk of those 80 points is spread across three Wildcats: JayVaughn Pinkston (15.3 PPG), James Bell (14.2 PPG) and Darrun Hilliard (13.5 PPG).

Pinkston is the player to watch for Villanova, and it will be interesting to see how the Golden Eagles match up with the 6'7" forward.

Many consider Saturday’s contest a must-win for the Golden Eagles, who have been extremely disappointing for most of the season.

Defense is never a problem for Marquette, as Buzz Williams’ squad ranks first in the conference in points allowed per game (64). Offensive consistency, however, has been the lacking element of Marquette’s formula.

The team got a shot in the arm—thanks to underclassmen Steve Taylor and John Dawson—against Georgetown on Monday.

Taylor, who had been recovering from a knee injury, logged 23 minutes Monday night, which was more than his last four games combined. He scored 14 points and reeled in eight rebounds while providing a physical presence in the paint for Marquette.

Dawson’s performance truly came out of nowhere. The freshman point guard logged a season-high 31 minutes against the Hoyas and scored 12 points while dishing out four assists. The offense actually looked fluid with Dawson in the lineup, which is something that cannot be said when junior point guard Derrick Wilson was in the game.

One thing to watch will be whether Williams continues to ride his veteran guard or decides to throw the youngster into the starting role.

Mayo, the hero of Monday night's comeback, should also be watched. He tends to play his more productive games in spurts, with gaps in between that leave much to be desired from the junior shooting guard.

Although he scored only six points against Georgetown, his game-tying three could be a catalyst for another spurt of encouraging play, which would be a big boost for the Golden Eagles off of the bench.

Despite coming off of its worst loss of the season, the Wildcats are still a formidable opponent, and they will likely get a relatively high seed in the NCAA Tournament come March. A win for the Golden Eagles on their home floor would not just be a statement; rather, it would be a season-changing moment.

And if there’s one thing the Golden Eagles need, it’s change.

With an 11-8 overall record, including a 3-3 clip in Big East play, Marquette currently sits squarely outside the NCAA Tournament field. The Golden Eagles were the favorites going into the new Big East's inaugural season, but now appear to be a middle of the pack squad.

After blowing a 12-point second-half lead to Butler on Saturday, the Golden Eagles responded with a late comeback of their own on Monday evening, defeating the Georgetown Hoyas (80-72). Both games went into overtime, so a split on the road isn't the end of the world, although both games were there for the taking.

Buzz Williams' squad has 12 games on their remaining schedule; seven of which will be played in Milwaukee, while the remaining five come on the road. Following the St. John's game on March 8, the Golden Eagles will travel to New York City to take part in the 10-team Big East Tournament.

Projected Results

vs. Villanova W

vs. Providence W

@ St. John's W

vs. Butler W

@ Seton Hall W

vs. Xavier W

vs. Creighton W

@ DePaul W

vs. Georgetown W

@ Villanova L

@ Providence L

vs. St John's W

First things first, the Golden Eagles must continue to protect their home court. MU hasn't lost a home conference game since 2011 and seven more home wins this season would continue that streak. While it won't be easy, every team in the Big East is beatable and vulnerable away from their home court. This attempted winning streak will start Saturday, as the fourth-ranked Villanova Wildcats come to the BMO Harris Bank Center.

Marquette notched only their second road win of the season on Monday in Washington D.C. Todd Mayo's game-tying three-pointer sent the game into overtime, where freshman backup point guard John Dawson carried the workload. Steve Taylor Jr. was also a pleasant surprise, nearly double-doubling with 14 points and nine rebounds.

On the road, Marquette would need to win three of their five battles in order to post a 20-11 (13-5 Big East) record before the Big East Tournament tips off. After receiving a bye on Wednesday, Marquette would do themselves a huge favor by winning their Thursday quarterfinal matchup, or even better, winning again on Friday and reaching the championship game on Saturday.

While the outcomes of the above games may figure differently, it is simply a blueprint for what Marquette must accomplish from here on out. A 13-5 Big East record should get them back to the Big Dance, while a 12-6 league mark gives them a chance. 

By reaching the above win total, Marquette would likely finish in the top four of the Big East, which will likely get three to five teams into the NCAA Tournament. This would also give Marquette some quality wins, ideally over the likes of Villanova, Creighton and Xavier, among others.

Williams can continue to use a starting five of Derrick Wilson, Jake Thomas, Jamil Wilson, Davante Gardner and Chris Otule. However, Dawson, Taylor Jr. and Mayo could be late game options on the offensive end, while Juan Anderson will be utilized as a late-game defensive stopper. Deonte Burton and JaJuan Johnson's minutes could remain limited, as Williams has favored his upperclassmen to freshmen in most scenarios throughout the season.

It had been since Nov. 29 since the Marquette Golden Eagles left an arena as the winner.

Marquette had two straight losses to San Diego State at the Honda Center in the championship of the Wooden Legacy Classic and a road loss to in-state rival Wisconsin. The Golden Eagles returned to the Bradley Center for the first time since before Thanksgiving and thumped the IUPUI Jaguars by an 86-50 tally.

The Golden Eagles got off to a rare fast start thanks to an 18-2 run in the first seven-and-a-half minutes of the game. Marquette had a 58.6 shooting percentage and five three-point field goals in the first half against the Jaguars' 2-3 zone. Juan Anderson jolted the strong first half with 11 points including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc.

"I want to be one of those guys who can help my team in whatever they need," Anderson said. "That's pretty much my goal is to do the little things and be the ultimate glue-guy. I want people to look at me and say 'He's a great teammate.'"

Anderson said he believes today's victory and the beginning of winter break will be the launching point for the rest of the season as conference play approaches.

"I think it's the start of something big," Anderson said of Saturday's victory. "I think these next few weeks are pretty big for us, in terms of things we need to work on and tighten up for conference play."

Marquette's head coach, Buzz Williams, said he thinks Anderson's production comes from his hard work and dedication.

"When God made him, I think he put super juice in his heart," Williams said. "I think he's a really good kid who understands the value of work. He understands how hard you have to work to have a chance. True confidence can only come from your work and I think he's working."

In a season that has been defined by offensive struggles and poor perimeter shooting, the Golden Eagles seemed to have everything fall for them on Saturday. Marquette picked up where they left off in the first half, making 71 percent of their shots and finishing the day with a shooting percentage just under 65 percent, including 66.7 percent from the three-point line.

"I think you make shots when you deserve to make shots and the only way that you earn the right to make shots is when you're playing for your teammate and you're playing for your team," Williams said.

Marquette had seven players score at least six points and five players in double figures. Davante Gardner led the way with 20 points and his eighth double-double. Jamil Wilson chimed in with 16 and freshmen Jajuan Johnson and Deonte Burton each scored 10 points.

Playing only two games in the two weeks following the Wooden Legacy appeared to be beneficial for Marquette, as the offensive fluidity and ball movement was extremely efficient. Marquette had 28 assists on 37 baskets, with Jamil Wilson leading the way with six dimes and Derrick Wilson and Anderson each with five. The Golden Eagles also pounded the Jaguars on the glass, out-rebounding IUPUI by a 46-23 margin.

"I'm thankful for whatever that assist-to-basket percentage is," Williams said. "I don't think the ball ever got stuck. I think we were making next play for the next person, for the next pass, for the next possession and those are good things."

Marquette's scoring came from all different facets of the game: 44 points were scored in the paint, 20 in transition, 18 from beyond the arc and six from the free-throw line.

"We took the right percentage of field goal attempts from three," Williams said. "We made 37 baskets and only attempted nine threes."

Although Marquette played with more fluidity on offense, it did result in some sloppy play. The Golden Eagles turned the ball over 16 times Saturday, with each Marquette player except Dylan Flood registering at least one turnover.

Marquette's next game over its academic hiatus will be against Ball State on Tuesday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Williams said he expects his team to develop vastly over the break.

"There has been marked improvement during the month they're out of school," Williams said. "I think school is stressful if you're trying to do right and trying to earn a diploma. This is the longest period of time our kids don't have to go to school. We all need to improve."

All quotes were obtained by Matt Barbato at the postgame press conference.