#MUBB Faces Indiana Sunday In Waterkeeper Alliance Invitational

The Marquette University men's basketball team (2-0, 0-0 BIG EAST) hits the road for the first time this season when the squad travels to the United Center in Chicago for a neutral-site matchup with Indiana (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) in the Waterkeeper Alliance Invitational. ESPN features the national television broadcast, with Dave O'Brien (play-by-play) and Cory Alexander (analyst) calling the action. Following Sunday's outing, the Golden Eagles will open a season-long four-game homestand versus Little Rock on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. CT.

Series With Indiana Includes Postseason Action

The Golden Eagles and Hoosiers have met a total of just 10 times in their respective tradition-filled histories, but the limited matchups have included some memorable results.

Marquette has claimed a pair of wins against the Hoosiers, with the first victory coming in 1932 at home and the second a 50-49 decision at the Great Alaska Shootout in 2001-02.

Indiana ended a pair of Marquette postseason runs in the NCAA tournament during the peak of the Al McGuire era. The No. 6 Hoosiers downed No. 5 MU 75-69 in the second round of the tourney in Nashville, Tennessee in 1973 and three years later a top-ranked IU squad defeated No. 2 Marquette 65-56 in the regional championship in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Indiana claimed the national title and an undefeated record that season.

Ross Making A Name For Himself Early

While senior guard Chase Ross was a Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team selection, the 2025-26 campaign is providing his first opportunity to be the primary scoring threat for the Golden Eagles and he has proven up to the challenge through two games.

The Dallas native has been active at both ends of the court, contributing 19.0 points, 5.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. He is shooting 60.0 perent (12-of-20) from the field and 12-of-15 (80.0 percent) from the charity stripe.

Ross is on pace to join the program's 1,000-point club (759) and will finish among the program leaders in career steals.

Defense Holds Serve While Offense Warms Up

While Marquette's offensive attack has had a slow start in each of the first two games, the defense has been consistent from the opening tip.

The Golden Eagles have combined to hold UAlbany and Southern to just 35.9 percent shooting from the field overall and 10-of-47 (21.3 percent) from behind the 3-point line. Marquette has forced 36 turnovers, courtesy of 13.0 steals per game and turned those miscues into 16.0 points per contest.

Offensively, halftime adjustments against the zone-heavy defenses haven't been difficult to identify in the first two outings. In the opening 20 minutes of action, Marquette is shooting 35.9 percent from the floor and 25.7 percent from deep. Following intermission, however, the Golden Eagles are connecting on 56.3 percent of their opportunities from the floor and 40.0 percent from deep, allowing the squad to average 53.5 points per outing in the final 20 minutes of action.