#MUBB Faces Xavier In BIG EAST Quarterfinals Thursday Afternoon

The Marquette University men's basketball team (22-9, 13-7 BIG EAST) opens play at the 2025 BIG EAST Tournament presented by Jeep when the squad faces Xavier (21-10, 13-7 BIG EAST) at 1:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, March 13 in Madison Square Garden in the quarterfinals. Peacock features the broadcast, with Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Donny Marshall (analyst) and John Fanta (reporter) calling the action. The winner of the matchup between the fourth-seeded Muskteteers and fifth-seeded Golden Eagles advances to the semifinals to face No. 1 seed St. John's at 5:30 p.m. CT on Friday, March 14.

Marquette Facing Xavier For 89th Time

Marquette and Xavier will meet for the 89th time on Thursday afternoon, continuing a series that spans nearly half of the program's 108-year history.

The Golden Eagles own a 60-28 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 two teams split the home-and-home series in 2024-25, with each team winning on the road. The Golden Eagles claimed a 72-70 win at Cintas Center on Dec. 21, 2024 and led by as many as 15 points in the second half. Guard Kam Jones led four MU players in double figures with 20 points and added eight assists.

The Musketeers snapped Marquette's five-game winning streak in the series with a 59-57 win on Jan. 18, 2025 at Fiserv Forum. MU trailed by 11 points at the intermission, closed the gap to one possession in the final minute, but Xavier was able to hang on for the win. Forward David Joplin led the way for Marquette with 18 points and six rebounds.

Marquette Set For 19th BIG EAST Tournament

Marquette is set for its 19th BIG EAST Conference Tournament (20th season overall - no league tourney in 2020) and makes a trip to at least the quarterfinals for the 18th time.

The Golden Eagles are 17-17 all-time in the BIG EAST Tournament and 29-32 in postseason events since joining a league in 1989-90.

MU has made a total of five trips to the BIG EAST semifinals, including title-game appearances in each of the last two seasons and a run to the championship in 2022-23. The Golden Eagles defeated St. John's, UConn and Xavier en route to the program's first BIG EAST tourney crown (claimed the regular-season title).

Prior to 2022-23, Marquette's lone league tournament title came in 1996-97 when the team won four games in four days at the Conference USA Championship   in St. Louis.