Jae Crowder Carries Marquette to 61-60 Win over West Virginia

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, February 24, 2012

Marquette head coach Buzz Williams is serious about basketball and about team rules. So serious, that he benched three starters for violating those rules for the first half of Marquette's road trip to hungry west Virginia.

Riding the pine for the first twenty minutes were Darius Johnson-Odom, the team’s leading scorer, team assists leader Junior Cadougan and sophomore guard Vander Blue. The loss of three starters left a bit of a void in the Golden Eagles' lineup, but then again, they still had Mr. Do-it-all, Jae Crowder on the floor.

Crowder played all 40 minutes of the game and led all scorers with 26 points, but that still didn't prevent the undermanned Golden Eagles from falling behind by as many as 15 points and heading into intermission down 32-21.

With their full complement of players back for the second half - lessons learned - Marquette surged to a lead late in the second half and held on for the 61-60 win, a final heave by Mountaineer Darryl "Truck" Bryant missing everything as time expired.

Crowder was 9-for-17 with a pair of treys, and had his usual assortment of stats, with four rebounds, two steals a couple of blocked shots and an assist.

10th-ranked Marquette improved to 24-5, and 13-3 in the Big East, good for sole possession of second place in the conference behind 15-1 Syracuse and just 1/2 game ahead of Notre Dame, at 12-3. With just two games left on the regular season schedule - against Cincinnati and Georgetown - the Golden Eagles are close to assuring themselves of a first and second round bye in the upcoming Big East tournament, should they finish the season in the top four.

NOTABLE: Harvard rallied from a 10-point deficit to avenge their only Ivy League loss of the season, whipping Princeton, 67-64 to take a commanding two-game lead in the conference at 10-1, over second place Penn (8-2), who just happen to be visiting the Crimson for a Saturday night tilt. Harvard can clinch the conference title on their home court win a win and assure themselves of a spot in the NCAA tournament. After Penn, the Crimson finish up the regular season on the road, at Columbia and Cornell. Harvard is 24-3 on the season.

Marquette Stays Tied for Second in Big East Behind Jae Crowder's 27 Points vs. Rutgers

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 22, 2012

If there's any college player who might earn the title of "Mr. Do-it-all," the moniker would probably apply best to Marquette's Jae Crowder.

The 6'6" senior forward - who redshirted his first two years for the Golden Eagles - has been as versatile a player as there is in all of college hoops. Crowder has averaged 17.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists this season, has nine double-doubles and can shoot the three or drive to the hole.

Crowder has stepped up his game even more recently, as Marquette has strung together four straight wins and 11 of their last 12, scoring 23 against Cincinnati, 29 against Connecticut and 27 Wednesday night in Marquette's 82-65 home win over Rutgers, adding seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocked shots in one of the finest all-around performances of this college hoops season.

Marquette (23-5), currently tied for second place in the Big East with Notre Dame, at 12-3, has not lost a conference game at home this season, and their only home loss was a 74-57 setback to Vanderbilt on December 29. Both the Golden Eagles and Fighting Irish are chasing #2 Syracuse in the conference. The Orange improved to 15-1 and 28-1 overall with their 56-48 home win over South Florida, while Notre Dame was also on their home hardwood, blasting West Virginia, 71-44.

Marquette's Big East losses have been to Syracuse, Georgetown and Notre Dame, all on the road. With just three games remaining on their regular season schedule - at Cincinnati, at West Virginia and home vs. Georgetown - the Golden Eagles are in a good spot heading into tournament time, looking like a sure bet for a first round bye in the conference tourney, possibly earning a double bye if they can finish in the top four.

Crowder's 29 Lifts Golden Eagles over West Virginia

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, January 1, 2011

Kicking into the new year, most of the important action was within the Big East, where #5 Syracuse improved to 15-0 on the strength of a 70-58 home win over #15 Notre Dame and #9 Georgetown cemented their #9 ranking with an 86-75 throttling of DePaul. The Hoyas are 12-2.

The best performance of the night came out of a game between two overlooked teams that will likely vie for the 8th or 9th Big East spot in the NCAA tournament come March. Marquette held serve at home with a 79-74 win over pesky West Virginia, getting a game-high 29 points from junior forward Jae Crowder.

Crowder put on quite the shooting clinic, hitting 12 of 14 shots from the field, including 2-of-4 on three-pointers, helping the Golden Eagles improve to a respectable 10-4. He also hit the boards hard for 8 rebounds, handed out 5 assists and made 4 steals in 39 minutes, the most he's played all season. His 29 points was a career high for the 6'6" native of Georgia.