Some say he’s Russell Westbrook 2.0, and others consider him the next best player not named Zion Williamson in this year’s upcoming draft.
However, all Ja Morant of Murray State – whom Marquette will face in the NCAA Tournament’s first round at 3 p.m. Thursday on ESPN Milwaukee – has been this season is the best all-around guard in college basketball.
March Madness is where the stars are born. After leading Murray St. to a 27-4 record while averaging 24.6 points per game and 10.0 assists per game, Ja looks to use this tournament as a platform to show that the hype surrounding his name is real.
The Golden Eagles had one other NCAA tournament appearance under Coach Wojciechowski back in 2017; unfortunately, it resulted in a first-round exit against South Carolina. This Marquette team doesn’t have much experience past the first round, and they’ve seemed to struggle in big games this year.
Barring a tournament turnaround, Marquette has peaked as a top 10 team this season. Their recent struggles have seen them lose five out of their last six games, which is why this 5-12 matchup is as intriguing as they come.
Marquette has had issues with talented guards this season, and Morant will be by far the most talented one they’ve faced all year. If they struggle with him, they could find themselves looking at another first round exit.
Here are five rules Marquette must put in place for Ja Morant:
Rule No. 1- Get physical
Not sure if Marquette is capable of getting physical, but it would behoove them do so in this game. Marquette is not a team that puts fear in their opponents. If they let Ja leave this game unscathed, the outcome probably won’t turn out in their favor.
Rule No. 2- Make Ja work
Markus Howard will need to be in attack mode out of the gates. If he comes out passive, that allows Ja to be able to coast on the defensive end and exert most of his energy on offense.
Rule No. 3- Give him different looks
Great players will adjust if they figure out how an opponent wants to play them. Test his IQ by giving him different looks on both sides of the court.
Rule No. 4- Don’t be so quick to play off of him
Shooting may not be one of his strengths, but his passing ability is. He averaged ten assists this season, so playing off of him will do nothing but open up the passing lanes for an elite playmaker. The last thing you want him doing getting everyone else involved in the game.
Rule No. 5- Believe the hype
Please don’t come into this game underestimating Murray State and their leader. Prepare for this matchup as if the hype IS real; focus and attention to detail is going to be crucial for Marquette in this matchup.
If Marquette can successfully abide by these rules, they should have no problem coming out on top.
Either way, this will be one of the more interesting matchups in the field of 64.