Marquette Basketball: Key takeaways after November start

Marquette Basketball Takeaway No. 5: Areas to improve upon in December

The 7-1 start is nice but the Marquette Golden Eagles still have a lot of areas to improve. They will need to get those areas cleaned up quickly as the December slate of games is a brutal stretch.

Marquette has struggled shooting the three. The team is shooting 32.7% from deep range. This is an offense built on scoring points from beyond the arc. Needless to say, that number is bad, real bad.

The Golden Eagles like to get the free-throw line but the shooting there has not been good with a 70.6% make percentage.

Marquette has been sloppy with the ball lately as they have had 57 turnovers in the last three games. Turning the ball over at that rate is not going to get it done when playing the likes of Wisconsin, UCLA, and UConn this month.

The Golden Eagles want to get deflections and get transition buckets but their transition offense has not been stellar lately.

Marquette has not started games with the energy or offense needed if it wants to keep pace with some of the better teams that the Golden Eagles will face this December. There are no more cupcakes on the schedule from here on out. It is at Wisconsin, at Kansas State, home against UCLA, and Big East play the rest of the way.

The Golden Eagles press got picked apart very easily by St. Bonaventure. A veteran squad will be able to break a press, quick adjustments will be needed if the press is ineffective.

Finally, the team still looks like it is just adjusting to Shaka’s style of play. They are winning, but with still too many “needs improvement” moments.

In the end, however, you are what your record says you are as legendary coach Bill Parcells used to bring up. Right now that record says Marquette is a winner.