MILWAUKEE -- Marquette has a small margin for error if it is going to compete for a postseason berth in Steve Wojciechowski's first year as head coach.
While the future of the program appears to be promising with a top-five nationally ranked recruiting class coming in the summer, coaching changes always leave immediate shortcomings.
Marquette could have been hit a lot harder as far as player departures are concerned after Buzz Williams left for Virginia Tech, but the 2014-15 Golden Eagles still face depth and size issues.
Until Indiana transfer Luke Fischer is eligible Dec. 14, Marquette will have just nine players available with only one (6-foot-7 forward Steve Taylor Jr.) standing over 6-6.
Starters Davante Gardner, Chris Otule and Jamil Wilson graduated, while 7-0 center commit Satchel Pierce followed Williams to Virginia Tech and 6-8 forward commit Malek Harris enrolled at Kansas State.
"We're an undersized team," Wojciechowski said. "That can affect you in a number of different areas. When you are playing against teams with great size at multiple positions, post defense can prove to be challenging. On the backboard, rebounding will be a real challenge for us.
"We're going to have to do it collectively. We're going to have to figure out ways to guard outstanding post guys collectively. We're going to have to figure out how to rebound as a team. It is not going to fall on one guy's shoulders. It is going to fall on all of our shoulders."
One of the ways Wojciechowski hopes to combat the lack of size on the roster is by turning up the pressure defensively. The Golden Eagles are expected to run a full-court press and hope to negate opponent's post touches by blurring passing lanes with their ball pressure on the perimeter in the half court.
Marquette has a bevy of options at guard, so Wojciechowski can demand high pressure defensively despite having just four players on the bench at the beginning of the season.
It wasn't a real meaningful sample because of the giant talent discrepancy between the two teams, but Marquette used its full-court pressure to force NCAA Division III Wisconsin Lutheran into 33 turnovers during an exhibition game Nov. 8.
"I think it is a way for us to disrupt other teams, but I also think it is a strength of ours," Wojciechowski said. "Derrick Wilson, Matt Carlino and Duane Wilson can really put pressure on the ball. To be able to do that and be disruptive to another team's offense is something we have to try to do. The more they are thinking about our ball pressure out top, maybe that's less they are thinking about pounding it inside against us."
When teams do get the ball into the post against Marquette, the Golden Eagles will be relying on Taylor Jr. and 6-6 senior forward Juan Anderson to hold their own. Freshman Sandy Cohen also stands at 6-6 but is nowhere near strong enough to guard bigger players.
At 240 pounds, 6-4 sophomore Deonte Burton will also be counted on to at least rebound inside. Wojciechowski stressed how much better of a defensive rebounding team Marquette must become following the Wisconsin Lutheran exhibition game.
"It has to be more of a collaborate effort," Burton said. "The bigs can't be the only ones getting rebounds. All five players are going to have to get their noses dirty and rebound."
Tennessee-Martin, Marquette's opponent in the season opener Friday, has six players on its roster 6-7 or taller, including 7-2 freshman center Nick Detlev. While the Golden Eagles should be able to navigate through most of their non-conference schedule without Fischer, a challenge looms in game two against Ohio State, while Marquette could face Michigan State and Kansas in the Orlando Classic.
The final game Fischer must sit out may be Marquette's biggest challenge in the post, as Wisconsin senior Frank Kaminsky is one of the best big men in the country and Nigel Hayes and Sam Dekker will create mismatches.
Taylor Jr., a former top-100 recruit who has battled injuries and has seldom played over his first two years with the Golden Eagles, could be Marquette's most important player in 2014-15, especially in the early going.
If he can't stay out of foul trouble or has reoccurring injury issues, Marquette could be in trouble.
"Steve can rebound, step out and shoot the three and post up," Marquette redshirt freshman guard Duane Wilson said. "He's a big body. Once he gets in top condition, Steve is going to be hard to stop. I think he can be the best big in the Big East."
Basketball is a game dictated on matchups and mismatches, and Marquette feels it can create problems of its own for opponents with an extremely athletic and quick lineup.
"Everybody that sees us as undersized always looks at the defensive end," Anderson said. "People have to guard us as well. That will work to our advantage."
For the past four years, Gardner has given Marquette a true post player who could catch the ball with his back to the basket and go to work. Even when Fischer becomes eligible, the Golden Eagles don't have that kind of player on the current roster.
Fischer has the ability to post up, but he has a versatile offensive game for a 7-footer and can stretch the defense with his jump shot. While he will likely be called upon immediately when eligible because of his size, Fischer is just as unproven as nearly everybody else on Marquette's roster.
Ranked No. 34 in the class of 2014 by ESPN.com, Fischer played in just 13 games at Indiana before transferring to Marquette last January.
"We have to figure out ways to score in the paint," Wojciechowski said. "We don't have the back-down, traditional post player like some of the other teams we'll play. Hopefully our defense will create some paint opportunities on offense. If we're able to get in there off relocation passes, whether off of drives or off post feeds, we'll get better shots."
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