Marquette will need a big game from Lazar Hayward to beat No. 15 Michigan

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Lazar Hayward felt like it was a graduation day of sorts. Last year ended. The players he felt closest to were gone.

At Marquette, it was the end of an era with four-year starters Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews graduating, it left Hayward with a bunch of guys who hadn’t played much before.

“It’s like I lost my brothers,” Hayward said. “I’m the younger brother and my older brothers went off to college. So it was a little different for me but they did a great job of helping me out and telling me what things I would have to do to get my young guys going.”

Hayward, the only returning starter from last year’s Marquette team that plays No. 15 Michigan at noon Friday in the semifinals of the Old Spice Classic, had to become a leader.

In some ways, it was by default.

This year is the first season that the Golden Eagles are comprised mostly of players recruited by second-year coach Buzz Williams instead of former coach Tom Crean, who left for Indiana.

And Hayward is, by far, the guy with the most experience and the most talent. He led Marquette (5-0) on Thursday in its 71-61 win over Xavier with 27 points and three rebounds on his birthday.

“He’s difficult,” Xavier coach Chris Mack said. “That’s why he’s, in many publications, a Big East Player of the Year candidate.”

While his on-court game is similar to the senior’s past three years, it is everything else that has been a change with the most talented trio in recent Marquette history gone.

“It was different,” Hayward said. “Took a little bit of getting used to because I was so used to messing around with those guys before practices, before games. They were very good teammates, very good leaders, very good examples for me.

“It was kind of an easy transition when you have great players like that to lead your team and it’s not too hard with a coach like Coach Buzz and players like Dominic, Jerel and Wes. It’s kind of an easy transition.”

On the court was easier than off, and it is there where Marquette will need a big game from Hayward if it wants to defeat Michigan.

The Wolverines (3-0) are typically harder to prepare for on their second day because of the quick turnaround and the multiple things they try to do both on offense and defense.

That sort of transition has long been a staple of John Beilein’s programs.

“I know that they ran 25 set plays today and that they ran four different defenses,” Williams said. “So in the next 24 hours, in the next 18 hours, we better figure it out.”

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.