Marquette women poised to take leap forward

At this time last year, the Marquette women's basketball team was an unknown commodity, with the Golden Eagles featuring the youngest roster in the country. With the 2016-'17 opener Friday, head coach Carolyn Kieger's squad won't be sneaking up on anyone.

That's because they exceeded expectations in 2015-'16 by winning 14 games and finishing the regular season with a .500 record in the Big East. The Golden Eagles also bring back all of their starters and letter winners, including Big East freshman of the year Allazia Blockton, and bolstered their depth and frontcourt in the off-season.

As a result, there are higher expectations both inside the Al McGuire Center and around the league. In the preseason Big East coaches' poll, Marquette occupied the No. 3 spot.

"I think we're hungry; I think we're ready for it," said Kieger, in her third year leading the program. "This is what we've been working toward. We like pressure; we have a lot of pressure players on our team that want the ball in their hands and want the spotlight, so I think this is a time that's really exciting for them."

Getting high praise and earning it are two different things, a fact that hasn't been lost on Kieger or her players.

Most of the team stayed on campus over the summer to continue to improve. They pushed each other in the weight room, battled in open gyms and tinkered with personal aspects of their games in order to build on the positive experience from last season, one that included a five-game Big East win streak — the program's longest since joining the conference.

"It's way more difficult because last year we were kind of relaxed," Blockton said. "No one really knew who we were, no one expected anything. Coming into the season with a bull's-eye on our back we definitely have ramped it up at practices ... because people expect a lot of things from us."

That extra time has paid dividends across the board, especially for the team's core of seven sophomores. Kieger relied on that group heavily last season — out of trust as well as necessity — and has seen them take a step forward in their focus and demeanor heading into this year with better discipline being the most obvious change.

"Last year we played really hard and they were working at their weaknesses, but this year there's a higher sense of urgency to do things right," she said. "There's an intolerance for mistakes that we didn't see last year."

Blockton, who set a Big East freshman record with 337 points in league play last season, spent the summer getting stronger and improving her defense.

"I just really worked on getting in position, conditioning so I can play 100% at all times for a long time, and I think it really paid off this summer," said Blockton, who has a goal of averaging a points-rebounds double-double this season. "I knew that if I improved myself on defense the rest of the team would follow. ...

"I feel like a more complete player than I did last year. Everyone's more hard-working. We didn't know what hard work was when we first walked through the door. I feel like everyone's willing to go the extra mile to really win this year."

As much as Marquette enters the season bearing a weight of expectations, the Golden Eagles aren't hardened veterans yet. They're working hard but still keeping things fun and loose.

Kieger has spent less time teaching and instilling her ideal culture and more time building upon a foundation that already existed. Everyone being on the same page has helped foster strong team chemistry, which has manifested itself in various ways, including a rap song produced by sophomores Amani Wilborn and Natisha Hiedeman for the team's intro video and an impromptu post-practice Wiffle-ball game.

That tone will change at least slightly as the season kicks into gear and the Golden Eagles pursue their goal of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. Marquette's path could be favorable this year as the team will host the Big East tournament in March.

And even though the Golden Eagles are expected to compete for the league title when the time comes, Kieger still believes her squad could still have some surprises in store.

"I think people expect that we're going to be better, but I don't think there's a team or coach out there that really understands how good we can possibly be," she said. "I think this team has the ability to be a top-25 team. ...

"We want to cut down nets in our own arena — we obviously host the Big East tournament — so every day we're working toward that."

AT A GLANCE

Coach: Carolyn Kieger (23-38, third season).

2015-'16 record: 14-16 overall, 9-9 Big East.

2015-'16 postseason: Lost, 93-86, to Seton Hall in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament.

Home court: Al McGuire Center. Tickets: (414) 288-4668.

SCHEDULE

Friday: Longwood, 7 p.m.; 15: St. Francis (Pa.), 7; 19: Arizona State, 2; 22: at Oregon State, 8; 25: vs. Santa Clara (Pacific Tournament, Stockton, Calif.), 6; 26: vs. Pacific (Pacific Tournament), 5:30.

Dec. 2: Western Illinois, 7; 6: UW-Green Bay, 7:30; 11: at Wisconsin, 1; 18: UW-Milwaukee, 3; 21: New Mexico, 11:30 a.m.; 28: at Villanova, 11 a.m.; 30: at Georgetown, 1.

Jan. 2: Creighton, 7:30; 4: Providence, 7; 8: at St. John's, 1; 10: at Seton Hall, 6; 13: Xavier, 7; 15: Butler, noon; 21: at DePaul, 7; 27: at Providence, 6; 29: at Creighton, 1:05.

Feb. 3: Seton Hall, 11:30 a.m.; 5: St. John's, 1; 10: at Butler, 6; 12: at Xavier, 1; 19: DePaul, 1; 24: Georgetown, 7; 26: Villanova, 2.

March 4-7: Big East tournament, Al McGuire Center.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Allazia Blockton (6-0 Soph. G): Blockton averaged 18.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game and shot 28.6% from three-point range as a freshman, earning Big East freshman of the year honors. She enters this season as a preseason all-Big East pick.

Natisha Hiedeman (5-8 Soph. G): Hiedeman joined Blockton as a preseason all-Big East selection after averaging 13.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.2 steals per game last season.

Amani Wilborn (5-9 Soph. G): Kieger has high hopes for Wilborn, who averaged 9.3 points and 3.8 assists per game last season, saying, "Amani Wilborn is playing fantastic right now. If she wasn't in the running for Big East most improved player I'd be shocked."