Enquirer wire services

Marquette (27-5)

Location: Milwaukee, Wis.

Enrollment: 10,616.

How the Golden Eagles got to New Orleans: Defeated No. 14 seed Holy Cross 72-68 in the first round; defeated No. 6 seed Missouri 101-92 (OT) in the second round; defeated No. 2 seed Pittsburgh 77-74 in the regional semifinal; defeated No. 1 seed Kentucky 83-69 in the Midwest Regional final.

Why they got there: After bowing out in the first round the last two seasons, coach Tom Crean introduced "Destination: New Orleans." He had all his players sign an enlarged photograph of the Louisiana Superdome, site of the Final Four. The photo traveled with the team all season. On the court, Marquette evolved into a dominant defensive unit and a versatile offensive team. Led by 6-foot-5 guard Dwyane Wade, shooters Travis Diener and Steve Novak, and 6-10 senior center Robert Jackson, the Golden Eagles can attack from every position.

NCAA Tournament history: Marquette ranks ninth all time in the nation with 23 NCAA Tournament appearances, but recent history has been difficult. This season's Sweet 16 appearance was its first since 1994 and its first Elite Eight appearance since 1977.

Last Final Four trip: In 1977, when the late Al McGuire led the then-Warriors to the school's only national championship with a 67-59 victory over North Carolina.

Coach: In his fourth season at Marquette, Crean won his second consecutive Conference USA Coach of the Year award after guiding the Golden Eagles to their first C-USA championship. He is 83-40 in his four seasons as coach. Crean spent four seasons as an assistant at Western Kentucky, one season at Pittsburgh and four seasons under Tom Izzo at Michigan State, where he got his start on Jud Heathcote's 1989-90 staff.

Star player: Wade. The 6-5 guard has amazing quickness to get to the basket from anywhere on the court. The Conference USA Player of the Year averages 21.6 points, the fourth-highest single-season average in Marquette history. He can take over games by himself, but he is also remarkably unselfish and puts a high premium on defense.

Role player: Novak. The 6-10 freshman is a pure jump shooter who provides a tremendous lift off the bench. In four NCAA Tournament games, he has hit 14 of 21 3-point attempts. Against Kentucky, he hit three consecutive 3-pointers late in the first half to stem a brief Wildcats run and put Marquette up by 19 at halftime.

Trivia time: The Eagles' rise to the college elite will include a move to the new $31 million Al McGuire Center as their new practice home next season.

Fun player facts: Wade is married to his junior-high sweetheart, Siovaughnn, and they have a young son, Zaire. ... Freshman guard Jared Sichting is the son of former NBA player/current NBA assistant Jerry Sichting. ... Diener has a brother who plays at Saint Louis (Drew) and a cousin (Drake) at DePaul. ... Crean's brother-in-law is former NFL quarterback Jim Harbaugh.