That was a nice win. Watching the game, it was like watching the Blue-White game. Marquette has a very similar style of play as Duke. They had great quickness, they didn’t have too much size, they played great defense, they could drain the three, and they could drive to the basket. I was prepared for a Duke loss and would have been okay with it, but Duke showed why they are ranked 10th in the country. I have to congratulate Marquette on a great tournament and I wish them a good season.
With that said, there’s no doubt that Kyle Singler was the player of the game and the MVP of the tournament, followed closely by DeMarcus Nelson. Singler and Nelson were the reason we won this game. They both are so multi-dimensional; it makes it hard for other teams to defend them. I was also encouraged by the play of Lance Thomas; he scored 10 points, had 5 rebounds, a block, and he stayed out of foul trouble. Greg Paulus had an efficient game. He had some nice passes, hit some big three’s, and just managed the game well. Brian Zoubek, while playing limited minutes, was very productive. He scored 4 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in 6 minutes, I wonder if he could be that productive in 20 minutes?
Overall, it was a great game and great tournament. The highlight of the whole tournament for me was seeing the smiles on the faces of Coach K, Johnny Dawkins, and the rest of the team. While we showed some vulnerability, we also showed we can be a great team. Everyone should enjoy this win and get ready for Eastern Kentucky on Sunday.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
