Marquette Set For 33rd All-Time NCAA Trip

The Marquette University men's basketball team (24-9, 12-6 BIG EAST) opens play in the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship on Thursday, March 21 when the program faces Murray State (27-4, 16-2 OVC) in the first round from the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. TBS will feature the television broadcast, with Carter Blackburn (play-by-play), Debbie Antonelli (analyst) and John Schriffen (reporter) calling the action. The matchup will follow Florida State/Vermont, which begins at 1 p.m. CT.

Marquette Making 33rd NCAA Appearance

Marquette has earned a spot in the NCAA tournament field for the second time in three years, marking the program's 33rd appearance all-time.

The Golden Eagles are playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign, when they earned the No. 10 seed in the East Region and were defeated in the first round by eventual Final Four participant South Carolina, 93-73, in Greenville, S.C.

Marquette owns an overall record of 41-33 in the event, highlighted by 16 trips to the Sweet 16 and a trio of Final Four appearances (1974, 1977 and 2003), including the 1977 National Championship under legendary head coach Al McGuire.

MU Familiar With Murray State, XL Center

Marquette has faced Murray State on two occasions in program history, with both matchups coming in the NCAA tournament.

Most recently, MU downed the Racers 62-53 in the second round of the 2012 tourney in Louisville, Kentucky, en route to a Sweet 16 appearance under head coach Buzz Williams. Marquette also posted an 82-62 win in the opening game of the 1969 tournament in Carbondale, Illinois.

Marquette, which is 0-1 all-time as the No. 5 seed (L, 71-59 vs. Tulsa, 2002), made several trips to UConn when both teams were members of the BIG EAST Conference (2006-13) and has made multiple appearances in the Huskies' downtown area.

2018-19 Schedule Preps Marquette For Postseason

Marquette is prepped for the postseason and received a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament courtesy of its season-long body of work, both in non-conference and league play.

The Golden Eagles played a total of 12 games against seven programs (five single-digit seeds) selected to the NCAA field, including a trio of BIG EAST opponents (Villanova, St. John's and Seton Hall). Four of those games came in non-conference play, resulting in wins over Louisville, Buffalo, Wisconsin and Kansas State. MU collected 10 "quad 1" wins and posted an 8-6 road/neutral record.

Nine of the 10 teams in the BIG EAST Conference have been selected for postseason play in the NCAA tournament or National Invitation Tournament.

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