Marquette Preview Capsule
By The Associated Press=
Marquette
Last season: 19-13, lost to South Carolina in first round of NCAA Tournament.
Nickname: Golden Eagles.
Coach: Steve Wojciechowski.
Conference: Big East.
Who's gone: Team will miss post presence and leadership of C Luke Fischer (10.9 points, 5.9 rebounds). Second-leading scorer and fellow senior starter Jajuan Johnson (12.0 points) is gone too, along with G Katin Reinhardt, who scored 10.8 points off the bench. G Duane Wilson (4.8 points) transferred to Texas A&M.
Who's back: Gs Markus Howard (13.2 points) and Andrew Rowsey (11.6 points) might be one of the best shooting backcourts in the country from the 3-point line. Howard led the nation in 3-point shooting (54 percent) as a freshman. F Sam Hauser (8.8 points, 5.0 rebounds) showed impressive poise as a freshman. F Haanif Cheatham (8.7 points) is a full go again following a preseason shoulder injury. C Matt Heldt (2.3 points, 2.9 rebounds) must step up with Fischer gone.
Who's new: Marquette adds four freshmen, including three forwards at least 6-foot-7 or taller. Six-eleven C Harry Froling, a transfer from SMU, is eligible in mid-December, while sophomore swingman Sacar Anim returns after redshirting last year. Wojciechowski will eventually have more length on defense after playing much of last season with four guards surrounding Fischer.
The Skinny: A former point guard, Wojciechowski is looking for Howard to become a more all-around player, which should be important since defenses won't sleep on his 3-point prowess. Establishing a post presence to complement the shooters will be important. A return to NCAAs may depend on whether the added length helps tighten the defense.
---
For more AP college basketball coverage: http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-Top25
