Do you ever ignore something that previously happened in hopes that this time it will be different? Maybe, it’s a bar. Or a person you met of the same or opposite sex. Maybe, it’s a TV show or movie. Or a restaurant. Sometimes, that second time you’re pleasantly surprised and your opinion completely changes about that thing. Other times, you get mad at yourself thinking ‘It fucking sucked the first time, what made you think this time it would be different?’ This was my approach to the Seton Hall game on Saturday. Seton Hall dominated Marquette in their first meeting, and I believe things could be different at the Fiserv Forum. They were not. Rather, Seton Hall dominated Marquette from nearly the start of the game until almost the very end. It was a depressing realization that Marquette still has ways to go as a basketball program.

Player of the Game: Markus Howard – No one will tell Howard that he went out quietly at Marquette. Howard finished with 37 points on 12-of-20 shooting and he made six threes. Howard was one of two Marquette players in double-figures. No one could score besides the senior. In a way, this is a microcosm of what Howard has been to Marquette through the years. He always had to be the guy. And no one else was there to be his Robin. If one or two guys remotely played decently, Marquette might have had a shot.

Honorable Mention: Sandro Mamukelashvili – He is now as Mamu or Sandro, but he owned Marquette. The big man turned himself into a stretch four on Saturday with 26 points, nine rebounds. He made every three and only missed three shots all game. It seemed like whenever Seton Hall needed a basket to kill a run, Sandro found his way to the tin. He always seemed to be open for an easy bucket. That type of size with his skill is a bad combination for Marquette.

One Thing I Didn’t Like: Where was the defense? – Seton Hall took it to Marquette from the 3-point line, from the interior, it didn’t matter. Hall shot 7-for-11 from three in the first half. They finished making 50 percent of their threes including a kill shot by Myles Powell when Marquette started to creep back in. Marquette has been an average defense in conference play, but they looked like the worst one in the Big East. Golden Eagles could not get multiple stops in a row to come back. Hall did everything they wanted to offensively in this one.

Another Thing I Don’t Like: Will Marquette ever belong with the big boys? – I wrestled with this question a bit. This version of Marquette has a ceiling. And it’s Creighton and Seton Hall level of play. They don’t seem to have enough to play in that range. Against any remotely good team, Marquette looked meek. Can that change in the coming weeks? I’m unsure, but it appears that the Golden Eagles are headed for another first-round exit.

Next up: Marquette will head to Chicago to play DePaul on Tuesday night. This is usually a home game for Marquette with the amount of Chicago residents that are Marquette alums. DePaul did not have Paul Reed on Saturday due to a hip pointer and only scored 42 points. DePaul is always pesky, and it would be behooved Marquette not to trip over their feet.

Charlie.