No. 11/10 #MUBB Hosts No. 16/16 Xavier Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT

The No. 11/10 Marquette University men's basketball team (20-6, 12-3 BIG EAST) returns to Fiserv Forum on Wednesday, Feb. 15 to host No. 16/16 Xavier (19-6, 11-3 BIG EAST) at 6 p.m. CT. CBS Sports Network features the television broadcast, with Carter Blackburn (play-by-play), Pete Gillen (analyst) and Evan Blackburn (reporter) calling the action. Following Wednesday's action, the Golden Eagles travel to No. 18/19 Creighton on Feb. 21.

Marquette Facing Xavier For 83rd Time

Marquette and Xavier will meet for the 83rd time on Wednesday night, continuing a series that spans nearly half of the program's 105-year history.

The Golden Eagles own a 55-27 overall lead in matchups that date back to the 1958-59 campaign. MU dominated the pairings during the Al McGuire and Hank Raymonds era, at one point claiming 26-straight victories between 1969 and 1983.

The Musketeers held off Marquette 80-76 at the Cintas Center on Jan. 15 to claim the first meeting this season. Guard Tyler Kolek led five scorers in double figures with 25 points in a game that featured 10 lead changes.

BIG EAST Honors The Black Fives

In keeping with the BIG EAST Conference's commitment to BE the Change by leading, educating and inspiring others, the Conference is proud to celebrate Black History month by renewing its partnership with the Black Fives Foundation, a nonprofit public charity whose mission is to research, preserve, showcase, teach and honor the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball.

Beginning on Feb. 7, the BIG EAST Conference hosts 22 basketball games honoring the Black athletes, coaches and communities who played a critical part in America's basketball history. Men's and women's basketball teams will be wearing shooting shirts with the Black Fives mantra "Make History Now." Coaches will wear "Make History Now" pins and fans will be educated through videos and other game time promotions on the relevance and importance of the Black Fives.

Marquette will represent the Milwaukee Colored Panthers and Xavier the Cincinnati Lion Tamers.

MU Exceeding Preseason Expectations

Picked to finish ninth in the preseason coaches poll and without a player on the all-conference roster, MU (12-3) is currently in sole possession of first place ahead of Xavier (11-3) and is the league's top-ranked squad in the Associated Press poll.

No. 11 Marquette, off to its best league start since 2018-19 (12-3), is one of five BIG EAST programs (Xavier - 16, Creighton - 19, UConn - 20, Providence - 24) in the latest rankings. MU has already surpassed last year's total of four road victories (6), the most recent coming Feb. 11 at Georgetown.

Marquette's last regular-season league title came in 2012-13 (shared with Louisville and Georgetown) and the team also claimed the Great Midwest Conference championship in 1993-94 and the Conference USA crown in 2002-03.