No. 14/12 #MUBB Hosts Butler On National Marquette Day

The No. 14/12 Marquette University men's basketball team (18-5, 10-2 BIG EAST) wraps up its two-game homestand Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. CT against Butler (11-12, 3-9 BIG EAST) at Fiserv Forum on National Marquette Day. FS1 features the television broadcast, with Jeff Levering (play-by-play) and Brian Butch (analyst) calling the action. Following Saturday's outing, the Golden Eagles hit the road for a pair of matchups at UConn (Feb. 7) and Georgetown (Feb. 11).

Series With Butler Spans Program History

The all-time series dates back to the 1922-23 campaign and is led by Butler, 24-23.

MU claimed the first-ever meeting, 18-17, on Dec. 16, 1922, only to see the Bulldogs claim the next nine matchups. Marquette also collected a nine-game win streak between 1942 and 1990, with the last two contests during that run coming when both programs were members of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.

Following Marquette's move to the Great Midwest Conference in 1991-92, the two teams wouldn't meet until Butler beat the Golden Eagles at the buzzer in the opening game of the 2012 Maui Invitational. MU would return the favor in the 2013 NCAA tournament, downing the Bulldogs 74-72 in the closing seconds to earn a trip to the squad's third-straight Sweet 16.

The two teams split the season series in 2021-22, with each team winning on its respective home court. The Bulldogs were the opponent on last year's National Marquette Day, which resulted in a 64-56 win by Marquette on Feb. 26, 2022. Guard Darryl Morsell led the way with 16 points and Justin Lewis chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds.

National Marquette Day Celebrated Saturday

National Marquette Day is a tradition dating back to the 1960s that brings the Marquette nation united together in pride and spirit to honor the values of the University.

On Saturday afternoon, alumni will gather in Milwaukee and around the world at more than 40 locations representing multiple states from Hawaii to New York to celebrate Marquette and cheer on the men's basketball team. Events are also scheduled in London, Italy, Paris and Puerto Rico.

In its present form, National Marquette Day has been around since 1992. The celebration was preceded by Spirit Day, which dates back to the 1960s.