Marquette guard Dominic James cleared to play

Posted to Tigers Tourney Tracker by Lenny Goldman at 12:32 a.m., March 22, 2009

The absolute worst nightmare of every Missouri basketball fan just came true. [Marquette's official athletic site] (http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/032209aaa.html) has confirmed the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's report that senior guard Dominic James has been cleared to play in Sunday's game.

James broke a bone in his left foot on Feb. 25 and was expected to finish his college career on the bench. Under a month later, he's apparently ready to shock the Missouri Tigers and make a go at the NCAA Tournament.

The possibility of James playing was not mentioned in either Marquette or Missouri's press conference today at the Taco Bell Arena. Many questions were answered about the role James currently plays. He was described as a coach and even a cheerleader, but not a threat on the court. According to the JSO's report, James practiced for 90 minutes on Saturday.

In retrospect, maybe the most interesting quote coming out of Saturday's press conference with Marquette coach Buzz Williams was when he was asked how James might help the Marquette guards deal with Missouri's pressure.

"Well, I think that he's helped us in a lot of different ways," Williams said. "Their pressure is unlike any other that we faced although it's somewhat comparable to Louisville...So as best he can, he'll help us as much as he can."

At the time, very few could have known that Williams meant James my provide some relief from the pressure on the court.

It remains unclear whether or not James will start and how many minutes he will play, but his presence alone could be the x-factor against Missouri. It's extremely unlikely that the Tigers put in any preparation for James.

Before James was injured, Marquette only had two conference losses. After he went down, the Golden Eagles dropped their final four regular season games.

So many questions come into place now. Was Marquette hiding his unexpected return? If it was public, would they have earned a higher seed? Whatever the case, none of that matters now as Missouri will tip off against No. 6 Marquette Sunday at 3:50 p.m.