Year two of the Shaka Smart Era at Marquette kicks off Nov. 7.
The Golden Eagles released their non-conference schedule Thursday with the season opening against Radford at Fiserv Forum. The Highlanders are coming off an early first round exit in the Big South Championship after going 11-18 overall last season.
For the first time since its 2018 NIT Quarterfinals loss to Penn State, Marquette will play a game inside the Al McGuire Center when hosting Central Michigan Nov. 10 due to Jurassic World Live Tour taking place at Fiserv Forum. The matchup with the Chippewas will be a student-only game and will not be included in the season-ticket package per the release.
It’s the first regular season game that Marquette will play inside the Al since its 83-49 win over Alabama A&M Dec. 19, 2014. Luke Fischer scored 22 points on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting from the field to give the Golden Eagles the victory.
Marquette will face Purdue as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games between the BIG EAST and Big Ten. The teams haven’t met since Nov. 13, 2019 when Kobe McEwen’s game-high 23 points helped the Golden Eagles overcome an 18-point deficit against the Boilermakers.
The Golden Eagles’ annual battle with in-state rival Wisconsin will be Dec. 3 at Fiserv Forum. Second half woes from Marquette and a strong 70.4% from the field in the second half alone handed the Badgers its 69th victory in the all-time series last year.
Other high-profile games come at home against Baylor Nov. 29 and at Notre Dame Dec. 11.
Baylor is coming off a second round exit in last season’s NCAA Tournament to North Carolina. It is the first time the two teams will meet since the 1999-2000 season when the Bear’s 72-68 overtime win over the Golden Eagles in Waco, Texas. The Bears are returning two of its three leading scorers from last season, Adam Flager and L.J. Cryer.
Marquette and Notre Dame will begin a home-and-home series Dec. 11. The series was originally scheduled to begin at Fiserv Forum but will now start in South Bend, Indiana with the return game in Milwaukee scheduled for the 2023-24 season.
The longtime rivals haven’t met since the 2013 BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden. The Irish won that game, 73-65, with now Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton shooting 6-for-10 from beyond the arc. During that 2012-13 season, Marquette finished 26-9 overall with an undefeated 16-0 record at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Notre Dame, who left the BIG EAST to join the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2014, leads the all-time series 81-37.
The Golden Eagles will also play two games in the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off, beginning with Mississippi State Nov. 21.
The non-conference schedule also includes home games against Long Island University (Nov. 17), Chicago State (Nov. 26) and NC Central (Dec. 6).
The 20-game BIG EAST schedule is expected to be released sometime in the month of September.
This story was written by John Leuzzi. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JohnLeuzziMU.