Is Marquette too small to win big?

Marquette’s loss to Louisville on Big Monday is attributable to more than just the Cardinals’ obvious advantage in size and power inside, but the Golden Eagles’ lopsided losses to Connecticut and now twice to Louisville magnify doubt about whether a team that plays so small can truly be great. In this article, I will examine the smallest good teams in college basketball and what traits those teams may or may not have that allow them to overcome their lack of size. I’m also going to spend some time comparing Marquette to recent excellent small teams, including gold standard for the mighty mites that won big — the 1996-97 national champion Arizona Wildcats.

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