2012 NCAA Tournament: Why Marquette Will Cruise to the Final Four

Lots of people selected the lovable underdogs, Murray State, to pull the upset over Jae Crowder and Marquette.

Once again, Crowder and Co. proved the doubters wrong.

For the second straight game, Crowder easily recorded a double-double, powering Marquette past Murray State and into the Sweet 16. Since second-seeded Missouri was upset, the winner of Florida vs. Norfolk State will face Marquette in the Sweet 16. 

Marquette trailed 46-41 with 7:43 left, but the Golden Eagles turned it on near the end. Davante Gardner heated up, making layups and free throws, and his layup with 5:01 put Marquette up three.

Crowder also contributed, banking in a beautiful floater to cut Murray's lead to one and draining a three from the right wing to put Marquette up three. A Crowder free throw extended the lead to 55-48, and once Murray State got into fouling mode, Marquette sealed the 62-53 victory.

Even though the Golden Eagles shot just 38.2 percent, they were still able to fend off a strong Murray State team. Darius Johnson-Odom scored 17, but he shot terribly from downtown.

When Johnson-Odom is on top of his game, he's a dynamic guard who can drive, shoot and compliment Crowder very, very well. Those two can dominate a game when paired together.

In the Sweet 16, Marquette will either play a seventh- or a 15th-seeded team. Both are strong teams, as Florida has a dynamic duo of guards, but no team is as talented as Marquette. 

Marquette has played Norfolk State twice this season, winning both. In the first game, Crowder shut down Kyle O'Quinn, and he and Johnson-Odom dominated the Spartans, winning 99-68. In the second game, Crowder and the Eagles struggled, but held on for a close victory. 

Norfolk State has O'Quinn, who could create an interesting matchup with Crowder. Pendarvis Williams and Chris McEachin are good guards, but neither is as talented as Johnson-Odom. Norfolk State's defense isn't as strong as Marquette's, which held Murray State to 31.3 percent shooting.

The Spartans would create some matchup problems with Marquette, but the only reason they beat Missouri is because the Tigers have no size down low. Crowder and Jamil Wilson give Marquette that size, which should benefit the Golden Eagles greatly.

If Florida won, the Gators could give Marquette problems if they shot well, but Crowder would flat-out dominate down low. Either way, I see Marquette advancing to the Elite Eight, where they would likely play Michigan State.

It's pretty clear that Draymond Green carries the Spartans, and if Michigan State faced Marquette, it would be a great matchup between Green and Crowder. However, Michigan State has no one to match Johnson-Odom's ability, which would create problems for MSU.

I'd expect the Golden Eagles to cruise by Michigan State if this game happened.

If Marquette played Louisville, I'd expect Marquette to win as well. The teams split their two meetings this year, with Crowder struggling both times. However, Johnson-Odom has found success against the Cardinals.

Overall, I think Marquette is the strongest team left in their region. Both Johnson-Odom and Crowder will have opportunities to shine during the remainder of the tournament, and both can carry Marquette to the Final Four.

And both will carry Marquette to the Final Four.