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The Davidson Wildcats, the owners of the nation's longest winning streak, may have met their match as they prepare for a showdown against Marquette in Lexington, Kentucky.
Davidson Wildcats
Credentials: Bob McKillop's squad has won 16 straight games and breezed through the Southern Conference going 17-1 in the regular season and cruising through the conference tournament in Asheville. It will be the second trip to the "Big Dance" in a row for the Wildcats, after being bounced in the second round by Louisville a year ago. Davidson played against some big teams this year, including New Mexico, Duke, and Gonzaga, so don't expect the Wildcats to be scare of the Golden Eagles.
Talent: The veteran combo of De'Mon Brooks and Jake Cohen have carried McKillop's squad this year. The duo has combined for over 28 points per game at this point both rebound well also. The Wildcats also have three guards that can spread the floor and are shooting over 35 percent from behind the arch, they are Nik Cochran (48.5%), Chriz Czerapowicz (39.3%), and Tyler Kalinoski (37%).
Credentials: What more is there to say about Buzz Williams squad? The Golden Eagles remain one of the nation's most consistent programs after finishing the year ranked fifteenth overall and with a 23-8 record. Going into the Big East tournament, Marquette had won six of seven games including wins against Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Notre Dame. The Golden Eagles have seen it all this year from the Big East to national powers like Florida and Butler.
Talent: Obviously Marquette sports a lot more talent than their opposition Thursday. It all starts with guard Vander Blue who finished the year averaging over 14 points per game. Inside, Davante Gardner leads the way with over 11 points and 5 rebounds per game. Marquette may lack stars, but Buzz Williams gets his talented group to play hard and play together.
Bottom Line: It's all about the three ball in this one. If Davidson can get going from beyond the arch then they can give Marquette all kinds of trouble. If the Wildcats can't then the Golden Eagles may breeze through this one. Marquette should also own the boards in this one, so look for a good number of one and outs for Davidson. This game is sure to be a good one.
Marquette 73, Davidson 66