Washington

Out of the watered down Pac-10 comes Marquette's first foe, the Huskies of Washington.

Washington is an offensive minded-team that plays very little defense. They're 13th in the nation in scoring and 216th on defenensive scoring. For a team that scores alot, they don't make many 3's (258th) or shoot them particularly well (226th). They're okay at defending the 3 - Marquette's weapon of choice (71st in 3pt. FG% defense).

To compound their struggles on defense, the Huskies should send Marquette to the line an awful lot. They commit a ton of fouls (318th). So, attack the rim Jimmy and Lazar! They help themselves on the boards (45th). They're about average protecting the ball (103rd) and sharing it (88th). If Marquette stays stingy protecting the ball like they have, that should help slow down the Husky tempo.

Marquette will have to keep up with diminuative 5' 8" guard, sophomore Isaiah Thomas and senior forward Quincy Pondexter who can score and board.

I think Villanova is the closest Big East comparison. Washington's best win came at home in December over Texas A&M otherwise the rest of the resume is dotted with Pac-10 wins.

If they can control tempo and be productive from outside the arc, Marquette should win but it's far from a certainty and no lock. For what it's worth, Marquette is 28 in KenPom and Washington is 29. Looks like another pepto game.