Nov. 28, 2009

Orlando, Fla. -

The Marquette University men’s basketball team will play for a regular-season tournament title for the sixth-straight year when the team faces Florida State Sunday night in the championship matchup of the 2009 Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla.

Golden Eagles On The Fly

• Marquette’s 83.5 points per game ranks 22nd in the nation through 11/27
• MU’s win over No. 15 Michigan was the first over a top-25 opponent since defeating No. 25 Georgetown on Jan. 31, 2009 (had lost seven in a row).
• Lazar Hayward is now 18th on the school’s all-time scoring list (1,361)
• MU is 2-1 all-time against Florida State, but the two teams haven’t met since 1980-81 and that game was played in Tampa at the Sun Dome.
• Marquette’s 6-0 start is the best since the 2006-07 squad claimed eight-straight wins to begin the campaign.
• Sophomore center Chris Otule underwent successful foot surgery (Jones fracture) on Friday morning and he is expected to miss remainder of year.
• Friday’s matchup with Michigan featured the team’s fifth-different starting lineup in six games. MU used just two in all of 2008-09.

Defense Has Been Key To Old Spice Success
While Marquette’s offensive production continues to rank it among the nation’s top-25 programs thus far in 2009-10, the squad’s defense has been the difference in the Old Spice Classic.

Xavier and Michigan have combined to shoot just 40.3 percent from the field overall and 21.6 percent from behind the 3-point line. The shooting struggles have also carried over to the free throw line, where the Musketeers and Wolverines knocked down just 62.9 percent of their chances.

MU has forced 29 turnovers in the two games and ranks 18th in the nation in turnover differential (6.3).

Marquette Hoping To Continue Tourney Success
MU has claimed three tournament titles since 2004-05 and advanced to the final game in two other events. Two of the wins have come in overtime and at one point the Golden Eagles had claimed 12-straight victories in those annual events.

The Golden Eagles are 17-2 overall since 2004-05 in multi-team regular season events, including a trio of championships at the BCA Classic (2005), Great Alaska Shootout (2006) and CBE Classic (2007).

MU also appeared in the championship contest of the EA Sports Maui Invite (2008) and Chicago Invitational (2009)

Buycks, Johnson-Odom Making Impact
Marquette’s pair of junior college guards, Dwight Buycks and Darius Johnson-Odom, have made an immediate impact at the offensive end. The duo is combining to contribute 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. The pair is shooting 40-of-88 (45.5 percent) from the field and 47.2 percent (17-of-36) from behind the 3-point line.