Want a bit of advice for your 2011 NCAA Tournament Bracket? In the No. 6 Xavier vs. No. 11 Marquette matchup, pick whichever team whose star you like better. Xavier's Tu Holloway is one of the nation's best guards, plays the sixth-most minutes of any player in the country, and leads a Musketeers offense that could make some noise in this March Madness bracket. Marquette's Jimmy Butler has a similar profile: he's an incredibly efficient scorer and the unquestioned star of the Golden Eagles lineup. This game will be the second-to-last Second Round truTV game 2011 NCAA Tournament schedule, and tips at 7:45 p.m. Friday from Cleveland. It will probably also be the best game of Friday night.
Xavier's Holloway is a waterbug — listed at six feet — who is also a spark plug. He shoots very well and draws tons of fouls (37th nationally in fouls drawn per 40 minutes), and also distributes very well to his big men down low, Jamel McLean and Kenny Frease. All three of those players have Offensive Ratings over 111, indicating that the Musketeers have a bit of firepower at their disposal. Defense is a less sunny story, though Frease is a seven-footer who can alter and erase shots, and Xavier's frequently got its opponents topped in the media guide measurables at tipoff.
Marquette has more than Butler, too. Though Butler's by far their best offensive player — his Offensive Rating is a marvelous 121.8, 57th nationally, and he's earned that by developing nearly equal capacities for shooting and driving — they rely more heavily on Darius Johnson-Odom outside, and give freshman big man Davante Gardner plenty of touches down low. The Golden Eagles' first unit takes care of the ball very well, and not just because of Jae Crowder's national best turnover rate, but backup guards Dwight Buycks and Junior Cadougan impress no one with their lax ball security.
Star Watch: Butler's one of just two seniors playing more than 20% of Marquette's minutes, and he's on the floor for more than 84% of the Golden Eagles' available minutes. He's also no sure thing at the NBA level, so a strong NCAA Tournament would really help his NBA Draft stock.
Prediction: In the Holloway-Butler duel everyone will be hoping for, Butler gets a late bucket to give Marquette a 78-76 upset.
More Reading: SB Nation's Anonymous Eagle has you covered for all things Marquette sports. Learn more about the Musketeers in our Princeton team preview for more on the Tigers.
Need help picking your bracket? Check out SB Nation's full 2011 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions, picking every game of March Madness, or our region by region breakdowns for the East Region, West Region, Southeast Region, and Southwest Region.
Did your team miss the 2011 NCAA Tournament? We have you covered: check out the 2011 NIT bracket.