10 Copyright (c) 2013 Yahoo!, Inc. All rights reserved. en-us 126 15 http://ca.sports.yahoo.com http://l.yimg.com/a/i/ca/sports/ui/ysp_ca_logo_rss.gif Latest news and information about the Marquette Golden Eagles. http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/teams/maf ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,59cda46a-7322-310a-9fa3-a0812a432ebb-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=14b41cmmu/*http%3A//rivals.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger-college-basketball-blog/winners-losers-now-nba-draft-early-entry-deadline-161122940.html The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NBA draft came and went on Sunday. Here's a look at which programs benefited from the return of some high-profile players and which suffered some unexpected losses: EARLY-ENTRY DEADLINE WINNERS: 1. Michigan State: Freshman guard Gary Harris likely would have been a first-round pick had he opted to enter the NBA draft. Junior forward Adreian Payne had a chance to parlay his strong finish this past season into being selected in the first round as well. Both opted to return to school for one more year instead, all but ensuring Michigan State will start next season in the top three in the polls along with Louisville and Kentucky. Every key player besides Derrick Nix from this past year's Sweet 16 team returns for the Spartans, with point guard Keith Appling, wing Denzel Valentine and forward Branden Dawson likely to join Payne and Harris in a formidable starting lineup. 2. Oklahoma State: Of all the top college players who opted to return to school this spring, Marcus Smart's decision was the most surprising. The dynamic freshman had a chance to be selected in the top five in this year's draft, but he came back to Oklahoma State in hopes of paving the way for a special season next year. With Smart, Markel Brown and Le'Bryan Nash all returning from a team that won 24 games and finished 13-5 in the Big 12, the Cowboys belong in the preseason top 10. They're also a big threat to end Kansas' Big 12 title streak, especially with the Jayhawks losing their entire starting five. 3. Creighton: Doug McDermott's decision to return for his senior year prevents the Bluejays from entering the Big East in rebuilding mode. Had McDermott left, Creighton would have lost its three leading scorers off a team that won 28 games and captured the Missouri Valley title last season. Graduating seniors Gregory Echenique and Grant Gibbs will still be missed, but the Bluejays will have an All-American candidate to build around. Pair the high-scoring McDermott with sweet-shooting Ethan Wragge, steady Jahenns Manigat and dynamic Austin Chatman, and that's a nucleus capable of competing with Georgetown, Marquette and Villanova in the new-look Big East. Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:11:22 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,9ecc2bed-6967-3bf7-b666-42e4d99423de-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=14p7nv6oe/*http%3A//rivals.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger-college-basketball-blog/vander-blue-entering-draft-hurts-marquette-chances-being-192620741--ncaab.html Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:26:20 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,7a5d2fc1-6fb0-3af8-98b5-57096abe6461-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=12plllivu/*http%3A//ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/marquettes-blue-enter-nba-draft-162101233--ncaab.html Marquette guard Vander Blue has opted to forgo his senior season to enter the NBA. Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:21:01 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,580d4cd9-eaa9-3d09-b786-18136afb00f3-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=14m8sn18d/*http%3A//rivals.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger-college-basketball-blog/10-funniest-moments-2012-13-college-basketball-season-181008875--ncaab.html The Dagger continues its season-in-review series this week with a look back at the funniest moments of the 2012-13 college basketball season. Let us know which ones we missed  via Twitter or in the comments below. 1. The appearance of Bradley Center bat: One of the most memorable moments of Marquette’s season wasn’t a clutch shot or a key defensive stop. It was an appearance from a rogue bat that disrupted play during the second half of a Big East game against Providence. The bat divebombed the Bradley Center floor several times, sending players, coaches and referees scrambling for cover. Marquette officials tried to catch the bat for two days without any luck, finally forcing him out of hiding by blasting AC/DC’s Thunderstruck via the PA system. Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:10:08 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,6ae18ad3-573f-3b15-a6c5-7b59443e6722-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=14h7v8gb2/*http%3A//rivals.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger-college-basketball-blog/way-too-early-look-college-basketball-best-teams-084159671--ncaab.html All the confetti on the floor at the Georgia Dome hadn't even been picked up yet Monday night when speculation about next year's college basketball season began. Will Kentucky go from the NIT to preseason No. 1? Can Louisville defend its title? How good can Arizona and Marquette be? It's too early to answer most of those questions since some top recruits haven't chosen a school, transfer season is only beginning and we don't know which NBA draft prospects are staying in school and which will leave. Nonetheless, based on my best guesses for who's staying and who's going, here's a look at a very early top 10 for the 2013-14 season, along with 15 others worth watching. 1. KENTUCKY Key losses: G Julius Mays (graduating), G Ryan Harrow (transferring), C Nerlens Noel (projected to enter NBA draft), G Archie Goodwin (entering NBA draft) Key returners: F Alex Poythress, C Willie Cauley-Stein, F Kyle Wiltjer Notable newcomers: F Julius Randle, G Andrew Harrison, G Aaron Harrison, F James Young, C Dakari Johnson, F Marcus Lee Why they're too high: If the 2011-12 Wildcats proved it was possible to win a championship with a freshman-heavy roster, then the 2012-13 version also showed talent won't translate into victories if the chemistry, work ethic and willingness to sacrifice isn't also there. Next season's Kentucky team has all the talent needed to contend for a championship, but they'll have to jell in a way this season's team never did. Why they're too low: Well, Kentucky can't start the season any higher than preseason No. 1, but its roster can get deeper and better if No. 1 overall recruit Andrew Wiggins selects the Wildcats over Florida State, Kansas and North Carolina. That would give the Wildcats the No. 1 player at every position in the Class of 2013 to go with a couple other key recruits and three talented returners. Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:41:59 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,799215a9-3c39-3dc2-94f5-1a635d25a537-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=14kj854o1/*http%3A//ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaab--orange-s-michael-carter-williams-says-foe-must-play--perfect-game--to-beat-syracuse-s-zone-030743116.html The 'Cuse is headed to Jim Boeheim's fourth Final Four after suffocating Marquette for the East Region crown. Sat, 30 Mar 2013 20:07:42 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,da49d23f-9046-3f41-a9db-a2790bbaf58e-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=12ve59mdi/*http%3A//ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/fair-follows-anthonys-footsteps-leads-003023577--ncaab.html WASHINGTON -- Syracuse junior forward C.J. Fair said he first began to follow college basketball about 10 years ago and remembers watching Carmelo Anthony, who also grew up in Baltimore, help lead the Orange to the NCAA title in 2003. Sat, 30 Mar 2013 17:30:31 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,ad1a65a9-a7d6-3ce2-adbd-669dee0bc704-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=12tkkoe25/*http%3A//ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/syracuse-final-four-beats-marquette-224132928--ncaab.html WASHINGTON (AP) -- When played to perfection, there's nothing quite like Syracuse's aggressive, half-court 2-3 zone defense. Sat, 30 Mar 2013 17:24:29 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,123181c4-b635-3547-9bc6-e031648d3a13-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=12i9fq29f/*http%3A//ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/syracuse-55-marquette-39-230014659--ncaab.html WASHINGTON -- Syracuse junior forward C.J. Fair will try to keep the Baltimore magic going with a trip to the Final Four. Sat, 30 Mar 2013 16:00:14 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,e9780d46-7336-3a08-87f9-4d99c4d840d8-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=14ns50tg3/*http%3A//rivals.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger-college-basketball-blog/syracuse-smothers-big-east-rival-marquette-reach-fifth-224312290--ncaab.html One of the key questions so far in the NCAA tournament has been whether any team can outscore No. 1 overall seed Louisville. It's time to consider if anyone will solve the Syracuse zone. The Orange frustrated fellow Big East member Marquette, a team that is accustomed to Jim Boeheim's famous defense, throughout their Elite Eight battle today. The Golden Eagles never looked comfortable on the offensive end and it was reflected on the scoreboard throughout Syracuse's 55-39 victory. In a season in which Boeheim won his 900th game, the Orange are returning to the Final Four as East Region champions. They were a No. 4 seed and didn't get any breaks along the way, beating No. 1 seed Indiana and No. 3 seed Marquette to earn their first trip to the national semifinals since winning it all in 2003 with Carmelo Anthony and Co. [Gallery: Famous March Madness fans ] Sat, 30 Mar 2013 15:43:12 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,d0ab2554-17e8-3a4b-9088-d29a6812e121-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=14madsd0u/*http%3A//rivals.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger-college-basketball-blog/president-obama-expected-see-different-kind-game-east-213822301--ncaab.html Sat, 30 Mar 2013 14:38:22 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,21a6e62f-af79-30da-941e-d5af6b9625aa-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=14g97o4bn/*http%3A//rivals.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger-college-basketball-blog/did-shane-larkin-hint-leaving-miami-early-enter-225922576--ncaab.html Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:59:22 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,07047682-76ce-3865-bf83-c3e282fe3566-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=12t5fu8m7/*http%3A//ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/marquette-syracuse-hold-another-big-205119960--ncaab.html WASHINGTON (AP) -- With the Big East As We Know It coming to an end, Marquette coach Buzz Williams no doubt figured he'd seen the last of Syracuse's zone for a while. Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:05:53 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,5f750cde-f3e2-3c70-8c4a-a112cc539a09-l:1 While Georgetown's championship team of 1984 was recognized at halftime, with John Thompson, Jr. (here) and Reggie Williams being acknowledged at halftime, two other BIG EAST teams represented for the league during these NCAA Sweet 16 games. Fri, 29 Mar 2013 07:50:00 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,555058c1-8ede-3a56-9ad9-24fb371d986d-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=12nflnl0c/*http%3A//ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/marquette-dismisses-no-2-seed-025036489--ncaab.html WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Marquette is playing well. More important, the Golden Eagles are playing with a chip on their shoulders. Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:44:06 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,b6ebca93-99ad-3f6d-97bf-9a465a4d29b5-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=12l7m3sb4/*http%3A//ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/marquette-marches-71-61-win-012738334--ncaab.html WASHINGTON (AP) -- After sweating through a pair of edge-of-your-seat comebacks, Marquette's first Sweet 16 victory in a decade was as straight and smooth as the 15-foot step-back jumper that Vander Blue nailed at the end of the first half. Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:14:49 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,71b04c7a-2b5d-3f69-914e-4d88eac72b6d-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=13qfmts6n/*http%3A//rivals.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger-college-basketball-blog/syracuse-smothers-indiana-040308543--ncaab.html Basketball is a very tough game if you can't score. Or pass. Or rebound. Or even hold onto the ball. Syracuse showed up in the Sweet 16 ready to scrap. Indiana apparently thought it had been scheduled for Friday night. The result? A 61-50 whitewashing ... or, more properly, Orange crushing. This one started ugly and never really got any prettier. Indiana had absolutely no answers for Syracuse's zone on the offensive end, turning over the ball 10 times in the first 10 minutes and 12 times overall in the first half. The other end of the court was no prettier; the Hoosier defense had no answers for Michael Carter Williams, who had 24 points on 9-of-19 shooting, and at one point Syracuse had opened up an 18-point first-half lead. Thanks to strong play to end the first half and start the second, Indiana closed to within six, but could get no closer. Battling Syracuse this night was like playing in waist-deep maple syrup; nothing happened quickly or smoothly. No Indiana player could drive to the basket or go up for a rebound without running hard into three or four Orange jerseys. Victor Oladipo paced the Hoosiers with 16 points, but even he couldn't muscle his way through the Syracuse defense with any consistency. Indiana shot a woeful 34 percent from the field, and a ghastly 3-15 rate from three-point range was a key reason for their inability to close the gap. Tom Crean finally threw in the candy-striped towel with 30 seconds left, bringing in seniors to close out the year. Until this game, Indiana was 11-1 when seeded #1 in the tournament. But in this year of parity, nothing is guaranteed, and Indiana simply couldn't hang with Syracuse's battering pressure over every square inch of the court. Syracuse now goes on to face Marquette on Saturday afternoon, looking to avenge an earlier loss this season to the Golden Eagles. Now, with a trip to the Final Four on the line, Syracuse is — for the moment, anyway — looking as tough defensively as any team in the country. Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:03:08 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,1e2a39f6-ab96-37a1-8dcf-14feb7eada6b-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=12j71lqgp/*http%3A//ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/marquette-71-miami-fla-61-013029318--ncaab.html WASHINGTON -- Junior reserve Jamil Wilson had 16 points and Vander Blue and Davante Gardner added 14 as No. 3 seed Marquette, with four players in double figures, beat No. 2 seed Miami 71-61 on Thursday in the East Region semifinals at the Verizon Center. Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:30:29 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,24207cdd-7dc7-3e62-9be7-113195dcbde0-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=14lr0pfvs/*http%3A//rivals.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger-college-basketball-blog/marquette-punches-first-elite-eight-ticket-romp-over-012536701--ncaab.html Marquette needed every moment to defeat Davidson and Butler by a total of three points in the tourney's opening two rounds. The school's Sweet 16 triumph, however, didn't feature any element of procrastination. Using an unrelenting attack from the start, Marquette cashed 2013's first Elite Eight ticket with a 71-61 East Region win over Miami at the Verizon Center in Washington on Thursday night. The victory via steamrolling gives Marquette its seventh Elite Eight appearance in school history and first since reaching the Final Four in 2003. The basketball world now waits to see if the Golden Eagles will need to go through its old coach to reach Atlanta. Tom Crean's Indiana team was set to play Syracuse 30 minutes after the end of the Marquette-Miami game. Marquette's scoring was led by Jamil Wilson (16 points, 8 rebounds), Vander Blue (14 points) and Davante Gardner (14). It was Wilson (above, right) who hit a 3-pointer with 9:08 left in the first half to give Marquette its first double-digit lead of the tournament. The third-seeded Golden Eagles were consistent from the floor from start to finish, shooting 27-of-50 (54 percent) on the night. Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:25:36 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,743486a2-de5c-32cc-9cfd-6447ac0ca8af-l:1 http://ca.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/ncaab/SIG=1341nee7l/*http%3A//ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/homecoming-larranaga-miami-faces-marquette-211039869--ncaab.html WASHINGTON (AP) -- Jim Larranaga smiled and raised both hands to acknowledge the fans in green - those from both Miami and George Mason - as he walked onto the court where he become part of a national sensation seven years ago. Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:05:43 PDT ncaab urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,805c8af6-e86e-343a-928d-9c8aa8eb9173-l:1 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:11:22 PDT