Central Arkansas @ Marquette preview

Marquette looks for a fifth straight victory before entering Big East play when it hosts non-conference foe Central Arkansas on Saturday. The Golden Eagles have had eight days off since beating North Dakota State in their last contest, while the Bears come in having won two straight, topping Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last Saturday.

Central Arkansas has gone 2-0 since head coach Russ Pennell took an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons, with associate head coach Anthony Boone taking over the team as the interim head coach. The Bears have a trio of double-figure scorers this season, led by Eddy Kayouloud with 16.3 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game, while Rylan Bergersen adds 14.3 points. Marquette has a pretty good scorer of its own in guard Markus Howard, who is scoring 25.9 points per game, ranking second in the nation. Coach Steve Wojciechowski's squad is also tough on the defensive end, leading the Big East by holding opponents to just 38.1 percent shooting from the floor.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1.

ABOUT CENTRAL ARKANSAS (3-9): It's uncertain when Pennell may come back from his leave of absence, though he and the school have both emphasized that he has not been let go. Pennell has been with the Bears since the 2014-15 season, compiling a 49-108 record heading into this season with one postseason appearance (CBI in 2017-18). School officials are giving him time and are fine with having Boone run the show for now, especially if the team can continue its success it has had under the interim coach.

ABOUT MARQUETTE (9-2): Howard gets most of the headlines for Marquette, but senior forward Sacar Anim has been getting hot lately as well, scoring in double figures in his last five games for the first time in his career. Over that span, Anim is averaging 17 points per game while shooting 52.4 percent from the field, including 56.5 percent from 3-point range. On the season, Anim is second on the team with 12.6 points per game, but the Golden Eagles will need him to continue his improved production as they head into Big East play.

TIP-INS

1. Marquette G Koby McEwen leads the Big East in free-throw percentage, connecting on 93.5 percent of his attempts this season.

2. The Golden Eagles are pacing the Big East and rank third in the country in 3-point percentage, hitting 41.9 percent from beyond the arc.

3. Howard hit five 3-pointers against North Dakota State to tie Steve Novak for the top spot on Marquette's all-time list for career 3-pointers with 354.

PREDICTION: Marquette 74, Central Arkansas 59