The NCAA tournament's top two scorers facing off makes Murray State-Marquette a must-watch
They may not be household programs, but the No. 12 seed Murray State Racers and No. 5 seed Marquette Golden Eagles will face off in perhaps the most exciting, high-powered first-round matchup of the NCAA tournament.
The two highest scorers in the tournament, Ja Morant and Markus Howard, are liable to put on a show to remember on March 21.
Morant is having a historic season by almost any measure. With 24.6 points, 10 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game on 50.3 percent shooting, Morant has lit up the Ohio Valley Conference with complete production. No other Division I player has ever averaged 20 and 10 before.
But beyond the massive numbers, Morant has become a national sensation because of the power and passion with which he plays. Morant is like the second coming of Russell Westbrook with his raw athleticism, vicious dunks and reckless abandon.
Morant has been so impressive that he’s rocketed from under-scouted South Carolina high schooler to lottery lock and possible No. 2 overall draft pick.
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On the other side, Howard is a much different scorer with a beautiful shooting stroke. His 25 points per game is sixth-highest in the nation but tops among tournament players, while his 3.5 three-pointers per game is second among tournament players, trailing only Wofford’s Fletcher Magee.
Howard takes nearly as many shots from three (8.6) as he does inside the arc (8.8), which is good considering he’s making 40.2 percent of his triples. He can score in bunches as well with 10 games of at least 30 points, three games of at least 45 points and a season-high 53 against Creighton in January.
Another thing that could turn this matchup into a high-scoring affair is the fact that neither team is particularly strong on defense. According to Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted defensive efficiency, Marquette ranks 29th among the 68 tournament teams, while Murray State ranks 47th.
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