Marquette Basketball

Early Wednesday morning, Louisville became the seventh Big East school to announce it was leaving the conference.

The walls continue to cave in around the remaining Big East teams, and I wouldn't be surprised if schools like Connecticut and Cincinnati ditch the conference soon. Cincinnati was rumored to be the next team going to the ACC, and UConn will always generate interest because of its storied basketball program.

It's gotten to the point where it is hard to keep track of who is staying and going in the Big East, which is now resembling a Monday morning at Grand Central Station. Here is a brief breakdown of who is leaving the Big East and who is joining the Big East by 2014.

Who's leaving: West Virginia (already in the Big 12), Louisville, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, TCU (yes, it was expected to join the Big East and then bailed) and Rutgers.

Who's left: Marquette, Georgetown, Villanova, Seton Hall, DePaul, St. John's, Connecticut, South Florida, Cincinnati and Providence.

Who's joining: Boise State (football only), San Diego State (football only), East Carolina (football only), Tulane, Central Florida, Southern Methodist, Houston, Memphis and Navy.

Sure, the Big East is adding some decent football programs, but out of that list only Memphis strikes me as a threat in basketball. Southern Methodist could be a contender with Larry Brown at the helm, but none of these programs are adequate replacements for what the conference has lost.

Schools like Marquette, Georgetown and Villanova are the programs in the most trouble. A weaker Big East will draw recruits away, and a lack of a football program makes it much harder for them to move to another conference.

I have formulated two plans that could get Marquette out of the Big East and into a more competitive and stable conference.

My first plan is for Marquette to team up with Cincinnati and go to the Big Ten as a non-football school.

I'll admit, this plan is a bit of a long shot, but it is a possibility. If I were Marquette's athletic director Larry Williams, I would be on the phone right now trying to convince Cincinnati to move to the Big Ten.

Cincinnati and Marquette both have very good basketball programs that are getting better. They have both competed consistently in the Big East and are coming off of excellent seasons.

Cincinnati's football program is solid—the Bearcats are 8-3 this season and have gone to a bowl game in four of the last five seasons. The Big Ten would gladly accept them into the conference, and they could produce a rivalry with Ohio State and former Big East competitor Rutgers.

Here's where my plan gets interesting.

I know, Marquette does not have a football program, and the Big Ten would never allow a non-football school into the elite conference. But if Boise State can come to the Big East as a football-only school, why can't Marquette go to the Big Ten as a basketball-only school?

This would make the Big Ten uneven with 15 football teams and 16 basketball teams. Obviously, there is a need for a solid football program to fill the void created by Marquette.

Why not invite Northern Illinois as a football-only school?

Spit out your coffee, drop your jaw, scream "that's insane" at your monitor. But NIU is one of the most underrated football programs in the nation. Since 2008, the Huskies have gone 46-20 with two bowl victories and a 2-5 record against the Big Ten. Four of the five losses were by seven points or less.

If Northern Illinois were to join the Big Ten along with Cincinnati and Marquette, it would give the Big Ten two emerging and competitive programs in both basketball and football.

My second plan is for Marquette to join the Atlantic 10 conference along with another Big East or other respectable program.

This plan is very possible.

The Atlantic 10 is a growing basketball conference, and Marquette fits in perfectly. The A-10 has added two NCAA tournament Cinderellas in Butler and Virginia Commonwealth, and teams like Xavier, Saint Louis, Temple and Richmond have had recent success.

Marquette would be another great addition to an improving conference. If the Atlantic 10 could find another reputable program, possibly Georgetown or Villanova, to make it an even 18 teams, this plan could be executed.

It isn't as flashy of a move as going to the Big Ten, but it is an excellent fit for both Marquette and the conference and is a more practical idea.

Marquette's basketball program is becoming nationally prominent. All momentum would be lost if it were to stick around in the Big East. The conference is only getting worse, and a move to the Atlantic 10 would be beneficial for Marquette and every member of the A-10.

With the recent announcement of Notre Dame bolting for the ACC, the Big East will have to deal with another blow to what used to be the nation's top basketball conference. By 2014 the Big East will be without Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. West Virginia already joined its new conference, the Big 12, at the start of this football season.

The Big East is not crumbling because of basketball, but because schools want to play football in the power conferences. These schools not only want better competition, but also want to go where the dollars are calling.

Notre Dame isn't even joining the Big East for football. It left primarily because of money, but the Irish also abandoned ship because they can sense the demise of the conference. It isn't certain that schools like Connecticut, Louisville and Cincinnati will stick around, and with the Irish leaving, it could spur some more departures from the conference.

This is why Marquette needs to get out as fast as they can.

Let's face it—the Big East is trying very hard to salvage what is left of their conference, but the additions of Houston, Southern Methodist, Central Florida and Memphis simply don't replace what is already gone. 

The environment around a Saturday showdown with Houston can't even compare to a Tuesday evening game against Pittsburgh. Fans will not buy season tickets to go to home games against these teams. They aren't big time programs, and they never will be.

The biggest reason why Marquette should leave the Big East is because they are developing into a very good program. Buzz Williams has led the team to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances, and the team came in second in the conference last season.

Marquette has shown that they can play with the big time programs. Since joining the Big East in 2005, the Golden Eagles have gone .500 or better in conference play every season, winning 10 or more conference games in each season except the 2010-2011 season.

Not only is this program legitimate, but it is gaining momentum and is on the brink of excellence.

But where could Marquette go to if it were to leave? The ACC will have 15 teams once Notre Dame joins in 2014. The Big 12 and PAC 12 are a possibilities, but don't make sense geographically. The SEC, meanwhile, wouldn't accept a non-football team.

This leaves one possibility—the Big Ten.

But wouldn't adding another team to the Big Ten make it an odd numbered conference? Yes, and that would be a problem. My solution is to add not just Marquette, but to bring DePaul into the mix.

Excluding the teams coming into the conference in 2013, Marquette and DePaul are the two farthest west teams in the conference. Geographically it makes sense and could enhance some Midwest rivalries for both schools. The Marquette-Wisconsin game can be played twice a season, and DePaul could have a Chicago rivalry with Northwestern.

I know the Big Ten is an all-football conference, but adding DePaul and Marquette would work because they are both non-football schools. They could play well in basketball and not hurt the quality of the football. 

With Marquette and DePaul, the Big Ten could become the toughest and deepest conference in the nation.

Marquette is trying to stay loyal to the Big East, but it's time to throw loyalty out the window. Nobody has been loyal in this process, and although the elimination of some great programs makes it an easier road to a Big East title, that isn't what the players, coaches and fans want.

They want to play the best and the Big East is no longer the best.

This will be the last season of elite basketball in the Big East. The future of the conference is still uncertain and it wouldn't surprise me if more dominoes were to fall. Marquette has succeeded in every season since it joined the conference and is more than qualified to play and have the same success in the Big Ten.

Basketball season is the only season at Marquette University, and the players, coaches, fans and alumni deserve better than the lackluster competition of the dismantled Big East.

On Friday, it was released (via Chris Jenkins and NBC Sports) that Marquette basketball assistant coach Scott Monarch was dismissed from his position and head coach Buzz Williams will miss the first Big East conference game this season after the school discovered that Monarch had committed a recruiting violation.

Marquette hired an outside law firm to investigate after Monarch had provided a recruit transportation. When school officials addressed the findings with the assistant coach, Monarch was "untruthful" (via USA Today) to them on several occasions. The sanctions were self-imposed by Marquette, and the school also reported their findings to the NCAA.

According to Jeff Goodman, one source told CBS Sports, "If Monarch had been truthful, he'd almost certainly still have a job. These were minor things."

It appears that head coach Buzz Williams was unaware of the violation. He said in a statement (via the Columbia Daily Tribune) yesterday:

When I was allowed to review the report earlier this week, I was deeply saddened to learn of an error in judgment of one of my assistants and closest friends. I take personal responsibility for what happens in this program and realize we must be role models to both our team and the entire university. Our commitment has always been and will always be to operate this program at the highest level of integrity in the Marquette and Jesuit tradition.

Athletic director Larry Williams (via Matt Trebby of The Marquette Tribune) also released a statement to the media on the situation:

This situation reinforces the need to be focused not only on our rich competitive history but most importantly on the core values that underpin this very unique program—among the elite in the nation. It was our obligation to take strong decisive steps as we took this matter extremely seriously. The NCAA has made the role of institutions quite clear in its proposed legislative changes to the penalty structure.

Monarch, who has worked with Buzz Williams for many year, was the Golden Eagles recruiting coordinator. There has been no indication on weather the situation will hurt any player commitments at this time.

Marquette is still set for a strong 2012-2013 season. With three seniors, several quality juniors and talented freshman power forward Steve Taylor on the roster, the Golden Eagles have everything they need for another quality season.

Last Friday, Kendrick Nunn announced his final five schools he is considering: Illinois, Marquette, Memphis, Ohio State and UCLA (via RealGM.com).

On Tuesday, the guard from Chicago, Ill. said where he will make his official visits, according to ChicagoHoops.com.

Nunn will visit Buzz Williams and Marquette last on his recruiting tour on Oct. 12-14. He will also visit Illinois Sept. 14-16, Memphis Sept. 21-23, UCLA Sept. 28-30 and Ohio State Oct. 5-7.

Kendrick's dad Melvin Nunn told ESPN about why Marquette made the list of five:

Kendrick loves the way Buzz coaches and gives attention to his players. I think he fell in love with Marquette the game we attended. He likes the way Buzz coaches. They're in a great place to continue to win. Coming from a winning program like Simeon, you want to keep that going.

At 6'1", Nunn is considered a combo guard because he lacks the dribbling skills it takes to be a good point guard. He is rated as a 4-star prospect and ranked as the 37th-best player in the 2013 class by Rivals.

Scout.com says of the athletic guard:

One of the better shooting guards in the country, Nunn is a lefty with a great looking outside shot. He is also very tough and takes as much pride in his defense as he does in his offense. Now he is a bit on the short side to be a shooting guard, but his athleticism and length do make up for that.

Nunn committed to Texas A&M in August of 2011; he later decommitted a month-and-a-half later after feeling he had committed too early.

With the end of the Marquette Golden Eagles' 2012 NCAA basketball season in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, senior leaders Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom turned their attention to the NBA draft that will commence on Thursday, June 28th.

According to NBAdraft.net, Johnson-Odom is projected to be picked 41st overall by the Portland Trailblazers in the second round of this year's draft. Crowder, on the other hand, did not crack the top 60 and is said to be a likely free agent signing after all things are said and done. According to Johnson-Odom's player profile on NBAdraft.net, "If he impresses in workouts and a team believes his catch-and-shoot ability, he could land in the second round," while Crowder's player profile said, "[he] should garner plenty of looks in the 2nd round."

Both players can be extremely dangerous behind the arc, have very high basketball IQ and are incredibly hard workers. Johnson-Odom's step-back jumper, impressive 6'6" wingspan and solid defensive ability should help him transition from a stellar college career to a solid contributor off the bench in the NBA. Crowder works harder than pretty much any player I have ever seen in college basketball, and while he lacks lateral quickness on the defensive side of the ball, he'll use his speed to score on taller opponents and his strength to power his way past smaller defenders.

Still, I believe both players bring their own special quality to this draft that NBA scouts seem to overlook or not talk about. Johnson-Odom may be undersized for a shooting guard, but speed kills in almost every sport and Johnson-Odom will do just that with his own quickness once he gets to the next level. This guy is a rocket on the court, and not just on the open floor, but in tight spaces around the basket. His quick feet have led to countless points inside for the Golden Eagles, regardless of his height. His speed occasionally causes him to lose control of the ball when running up the floor, but his ability to change direction in seconds is what makes him so difficult to guard.

Johnson-Odom is a very efficient player who rarely takes bad shots and can pass well even when running at full speed. He can also go from full speed to a dead stop before shooting or finding an open teammate for an easy basket. His ability to create offense off the dribble is another dangerous weapon that the shooting guard has developed thanks to his quickness.

According to DraftExpress.com, Johnson-Odom's "0.93 points per shot off the dribble represents a solid improvement off the 0.688 number he posted last year, and he looks significantly more comfortable with pull up and step back jumpers, which he didn't consistently show earlier in his career."

Crowder's talent that many seem to overlook is his ability to create matchup problems that gave opposing coaches fits in college. The talent level is obviously much higher in the NBA, but that doesn't mean Crowder's strong frame and sound fundamentals will not cause matchup problems for opposing teams. It is no secret that Crowder is a less than stellar ball-handler, but he is so talented without the ball, that he can be a very valuable addition to a team looking to add an effective passer who is not turnover prone, possesses solid speed and post skills down low.

In their evaluation of Crowder, DraftExpress.com called him, "extremely intelligent operating off the ball, having a knack for moving to the right spot to catch and finish in a simple and effective manner, despite rarely playing above the rim." He is undersized for both a small forward and power forward, but I can see him being used as a No.2 or No.3 swingman if he improves his ball-handling skills. Last year's Big East Player of the Year has the speed to beat opponents off the dribble and the strength to fight for tough baskets.

If either player is selected in this year's draft, it will be the third year in a row that a Golden Eagle has been taken in the NBA draft. Lazar Hayward was selected 30th overall in the 2010 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves on the same day. Jimmy Butler was selected 30th overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2011 NBA draft.

Johnson-Odom and Crowder both had stellar senior seasons for Marquette with both players being named first team All Big East. Johnson-Odom averaged 18.3 points per game, 2.7 assists per game and 3.5 rebounds per game last year. Crowder averaged 17.5 points per game, 2.1 assists per game, 8.4 rebounds per game and an impressive 2.5 steals per game last year.

Look for both players' names to be called in the middle to later second round of the draft with Crowder being picked before Johnson-Odom. I see Crowder going 43rd overall to the Atlanta Hawks while Johnson-Odom goes either 48th overall to the New York Knicks or to the Denver Nuggets with the 50th pick.