Can New Mexico Pull Off the Upset Against Marquette?
Marquette and New Mexico will face off this Friday at 6:25 p.m. CDT on TBS. This is an exciting first-round matchup between two of the best point guards in the country, Donovan Dent and Kam Jones. Marquette is the current favorite, but this will likely come down to the wire. New Mexico is a 10-seed, and Marquette is a seven-seed. Here is a breakdown of one of the more exciting matchups in the first round of this year's tournament.
Marquette had a disappointing end to last year's season, but it looked promising as they brought back multiple starters. With Tyler Kolek entering the draft, the Golden Eagles needed someone to step up, and Kam Jones did just that. Shaka Smart’s team can play with just about anyone in the country, but they primarily depend on Jones' offensive prowess. They struggle from three, shooting 32.5%, and lack depth. With that said, their starting five is experienced and have the second-highest turnover margin in the country, which translates to wins in March. As good as Kam Jones has been this year, New Mexico point guard Donovan Dent has arguably been better, averaging 20.6 points per game and shooting 49.7%. Shaka Smart primarily plays a smaller lineup, while Richard Pitino has a plethora of size on his team. This size would bode well for them, but it could also lead to a lack of offense if they aren’t able to attack Marquette's aggressive wings. Three-point shooting and free throw shooting have been issues for New Mexico this year, and this could be a concern if this game goes to the wire. These teams share similar struggles and often rely on elite guard play to generate offense.
Marquette looked like one of the best teams in the country early in the season but slowly faltered during Big East play due to guard inconsistencies. New Mexico center Nelly Junior Joseph could be the deciding factor in this game due to his size compared to Marquette's frontcourt. It could also come down to which point guard has the better game, as March is the time to get the ball into your star players' hands. Either way, this matchup will prove exciting as we may not have seen the full potential of either of these teams.
