Marquette Golden Eagles got off to a rough start on Tuesday night. They started slow out of the gates. Maybe that was expected after the hard-fought game on Saturday afternoon. Golden Eagles woke up from their slumber and started to lay the smackdown on St. John’s Red Storm. Marquette gets their third straight victory and pushes their way to the top of the Big East standings. Golden Eagles continue to play solid basketball after starting the conference season with three losses in their first four games.

Player of the Game: Markus Howard – This is another big game for Markus Howard. He had 32 points with six rebounds and four assists. I’m in love with Howard’s floater game this season. It is one of my favorite developments in watching him this season. To me, it shows growth and makes him such a better player. With an undersized St. John’s team, Howard could get to the lane whenever he wanted.

Honorable Mention: Sacar Anim – I mentioned this before in these recaps, but Marquette has a rotating door of second bananas to Howard. On Tuesday night, it was Sacar Anim. He scored 21 points. Anim made four threes and also made five of six free throws which can sometimes be a struggle for the Marquette wing. Some might think he shot too many threes last night as Anim missed seven threes. But as someone who is a Bucks fan, I have no problem. The let it fly mentality works out in the long run.

One Thing to Know: I have a man-crush on Jayce Johnson – When Ed Morrow decided to leave the team, I mentioned how Marquette’s bench rotation looked better and tighter. One of the developments has been Jayce Johnson playing more and showing off his rebound prowess. Johnson pulled down nine boards in this one with four offensive. To give Howard and company another opportunity on offense is huge. He has become a key cog for Marquette on both sides of the ball.

Next up: Marquette heads on the road for a very tough game against Butler on Friday night. A few things are working against the Golden Eagles. For starters, Butler lost three straight games and desperately need a win. Last year, Golden Eagles finally won at Hinkle after not winning there since Butler’s Big East arrival, but it has been a tough place to win.

Charlie.