Flash back to last year: Tom Crean called Pitt-Marquette a rivalry. I didn’t think it was last March and I really don’t think so right now either. Maybe he does it to pump up his players…who knows. What makes a rivalry? Location of the teams — sure it’s Big East, but Pittsburgh and Milwaukee aren’t too close. Great games in the past — we’ve surely had some, but not enough. Passionate fan bases — both teams have a solid following, but I don’t think there’s enough hate between the fans.

Next, a quote.

“My rule was I wouldn’t recruit a kid if he had grass in front of his house.
That’s not my world. My world was a cracked sidewalk.” —Al McGuire

Come on, you know that’s cool. It’s also the basis for the name of the best MU blog out there…Cracked Sidewalks.

They’re not letting Levance’s offseason problems go away.

Fields missed more time for the foot injury than he did for punching an off-duty police officer, allegedly grabbing for the officer’s weapon, and ultimately being tased in an incident outside a strip club last September.

The fans are going to give him a tough time on that tonight — it’s a guarantee. He’s said in the past though that he’s used to it now and it won’t bother him.

Cracked Sidewalks speaks highly of the great rebounding between Blair and Young. Physicality is the answer.

With Fields back in the mix, MU will need to hit the floor with the same toughness and energy we saw in Newark earlier in the week. Marquette summoned up the moxie and energy that was missing for much of the Big East season as they silenced the chippy Pirates. The Golden Eagles dominated the Pirates on the glass, held them to just 38% shooting, and had an impressive 13 assists on just 30 made field goals.

By the way the over/under on the number of times Dominic James hits the floor is being set at 5 ½. He flops to the floor like he’s been shot (Duke Blue Devil style). I’m taking the over.

I’m headed to North Allegheny HS before the MU game to watch Zeke Marshall (6′ 11″ center from McKeesport) tonight. Hopefully I’ll have some type of “scouting report” (notice the quotation marks) since he is a possible Pitt recruit.