With a 24 home game winning streak on the line Saturday afternoon against Notre Dame, Marquette head coach Buzz Williams, now in his fifth year, looks to improve his rather troubling senior day record. Before last year Buzz Williams was winless, 0-3, during the last home game of the season. Even with the likes of Jerel McNeal, Wes Matthews, Lazar Hayward, and Jimmy Butler, the Warriors could not win that last home game of the season. It wasn’t until last year’s raucous win over Georgetown with the help of DJO and Jae Crowder that MU was able to win on senior day.
In Williams first year, led by perhaps the greatest recruiting class in recent memory with James, Matthews, and McNeal, it was fitting to send off the three amigos with a win. Unfortunately things didn’t go as planned, as Syracuse pulled away late in the game ending up winning 86-79. Despite Jerel McNeal’s 25 points, the absence of Dominic James due to injury was too much to overcome and the three amigos ended their home careers on a somber note.
Fast forward one year and a double overtime loss to the hated rivals of Notre Dame will greet you. The 63-60 loss to the golden dommers was a result of senior star Lazar Hayward fouling out in the first overtime and in back to back years, on senior day, the Warriors were missing a key leader down the stretch. Buzz Williams was now 0-2 on senior days at Marquette.
When Cincinnati came to town in 2011, on paper it seemed like the Warriors and Buzz Williams could finally get that senior day win. However, with both teams needing a big win to help their tournament resume, the Bearcats pulled out a 67-60 victory at the Bradley Center. Senior leader Jimmy Butler scored a career high 30 points that day, but it wasn’t enough to give his team the victory. After the loss Buzz Williams along with most of the Marquette fans, were left wondering if the Warriors would end up earning a bid to the NCAA tournament.
Being winless on senior day was a major talking point for Buzz Williams during his pre game media availability before the senior day match-up vs. Georgetown. At 0-3 Williams really wanted to give the seniors on his team the end they deserve. In a completely sold out Bradley Center seniors Jae Crowder, 26 points 14 rebounds, and Darius Johnson-Odom, 17 points, were able to get off the snide and win the last home game of the season. Furthermore, the win over the Hoyas clinched the number 2 seed in the Big East Tournament which was the best ever finish for the Warriors. The team also finished the season with a perfect Big East conference home record.
Come Saturday, that undefeated home record is still intact. Buzz Williams 1-3 senior day record still remains as well. While the BMOBC will be filled to capacity on Saturday for senior day and National Marquette Day remember this. The Marquette Warriors once claimed an 81 game home winning streak from 1967-1973 which is the longest in school history and is tied for fifth longest in NCAA history. On Jan.13th, 1973 that streak was snapped when the Warriors lost 71-69. And who was it that ended the streak? None other than the Notre Dame Fighting Irish led by head coach Digger Phelps. Buzz Williams, the Marquette players, and the BMOBC crowd must be at its very best Saturday afternoon to make sure Notre Dame doesn’t end another Marquette home winning streak.