| Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball | |||||||||||||||
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| University | Marquette University | ||||||||||||||
| First season | 1916–17; 109 years ago | ||||||||||||||
| All-time record | 1,731–1,058 (.621) | ||||||||||||||
| Athletic director | Bill Scholl | ||||||||||||||
| Head coach | Shaka Smart (5th season) | ||||||||||||||
| Conference | Big East | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | ||||||||||||||
| Arena | Fiserv Forum (capacity: 18,412) | ||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Golden Eagles | ||||||||||||||
| Colors | Blue and gold[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Uniforms | |||||||||||||||
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| NCAA tournament champions | |||||||||||||||
| 1977 | |||||||||||||||
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| Conference tournament champions | |||||||||||||||
| 1997, 2023 | |||||||||||||||
| Conference regular-season champions | |||||||||||||||
| 1994, 2003, 2013, 2023 | |||||||||||||||
TheMarquette Golden Eagles men's basketball team (formerly theMarquette Hilltoppers andMarquette Warriors) representsMarquette University inNCAADivision Icollege basketball and competes in theBig East Conference. The team plays its home games atFiserv Forum in downtownMilwaukee (also the home of theNBA'sMilwaukee Bucks).[2]
Marquette has made 37NCAA tournament appearances, most recently in 2025. The Golden Eagles appeared in the Final Four in 1974, 1977, and 2003, were the national runner-up in 1974 and have won 1national championship in 1977. Marquette initially joined a conference in 1989, winning 5 conference regular season championships and 2 conference tournament championships.
The Golden Eagles have had 3 national coaches of the year, 4 conference coaches of the year, 1national player of the year, 10consensus all-americans, 4 conference players of the year, and 16 all-conference first team selections. Marquette has also had 3Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and 4National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees. Additionally, 39 Marquette players have gone on to play in theNBA combining for 7NBA championships, 25NBA all-star selections, and 11all-NBA selections.
Al McGuire became the head coach in 1964 and brought the program to national prominence, earning anNIT Championship in1970 and aFinal Four appearance in1974 against the North Carolina State Wolfpack, where McGuire became the first coachejected from a championshipgame.[3][4][5][6] McGuire coached with assistants Hank Raymonds andRick Majerus, who each had their own stints as head of the program following his departure. In his final season as a collegiate head coach, McGuire led Marquette to its only NCAA basketball championship in1977.[7] Led byAlfred "Butch" Lee,Maurice "Bo" Ellis andJerome Whitehead, the team beatUNC Charlotte in the national semifinals after Whitehead received a full-court pass and subsequently made a last-second shot. Two days later, Marquette defeatedDean Smith'sNorth Carolina Tar Heels for the title. The team set a record with seven losses going into the NCAA tournament, the most losses up to that time for a team that would win the NCAA Championship.[7][8]
Tom Crean took over the program on March 30, 1999.[9] According to Crean, "Once Marquette became available, that's where my sights were. I had unbelievable respect for the tradition and the name. When I thought of Marquette, I thought of a true basketball school and to me that had a lot to do with it."[10] Crean immediately made a number of changes at Marquette, creating a new team image by increasing the significance of the team's media day and instituting a "Midnight Madness" event commonly held by schools on the night teams are allowed to begin practice.[11] Crean's first recruiting class was considered by experts to be among the top twenty in the country, Marquette's first in a long time.[12]
In his nine years with Marquette, Crean's teams earned five NCAA tournament bids, one more than the previous four Marquette coaches had in the 16 years prior to his arrival. During his tenure there Crean recruited, developed and coached a number of skilled players that made significant contributions in both the NCAA and NBA, includingDwyane Wade,Dominic James,Steve Novak,Wesley Matthews, andTravis Diener.
Over his final seven seasons at Marquette, Crean compiled an aggregate record of 160–68 (.702). The 2002–03 season was one of the best in Marquette history. The team made a Final Four appearance for the first time since winning the NCAA Championship in 1977. Crean has referred to the team's run as "one of the greatest four or five days of my life."[13]
Later that year, Marquette accepted an offer to leave Conference USA for theBig East Conference after the 2004–2005 season. Big East commissionerMike Tranghese cited his friendship with Crean as contributing to the invitation, saying, "That, to me, was one of the great appeals, to get Tommy as well as Marquette into the league."[14]
When Crean was asked why he left Marquette, Crean replied, "It's Indiana. It's Indiana, and that is the bottom line."[15]
After Crean departed for the head job at Indiana,Buzz Williams was hired as the new head coach for the2008–09 season, leading Marquette to a 25–10 record in and a second round loss to theMissouri Tigers in the2009 NCAA tournament.[16] He coached Marquette to a 22–12 record in the2009–10 season, which ended with a close loss to the 11th-seededWashington Huskies in the First Round of the2010 NCAA tournament.
During the2010–11 campaign, Williams led the Golden Eagles back to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since2003. His team went 22–15 including a 9–9Big East Conference record. They lost in the quarterfinals of the2011 Big East men's basketball tournament toLouisville. Marquette received an at-large bid in the2011 NCAA tournament. There they defeatedXavier in the second round (formerly the First Round) andSyracuse in the Third Round to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. In the Sweet Sixteen, they were defeated by No. 7-ranked and No. 2-seededNorth Carolina.
Wiliams'2012 team returned to theNCAA tournament after finishing second in theBig East regular season, finishing 14–4 in conference play. As a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, they defeatedBYU andMurray State to advance to their second straight Sweet Sixteen. There, they lost to No. 7-seededFlorida.
After winning a share of theBig East Men's regular season championship,Marquette received an at-large bid in the2013 NCAA tournament as a No. 3 seed. There, they earned come-from-behind victories overDavidson in the Second Round andButler in the Third Round. In the Sweet Sixteen, the school's third straight under Williams, they defeated ACC regular season and conference championMiami to earn a trip to Williams's first Elite Eight, where they lost toSyracuse.
The2013–14 season was Williams' worst at Marquette, finishing 17–15 with a loss toXavier in theBig East tournament.
On April 1, 2014,Steve Wojciechowski was hired as the new Marquette head basketball coach, replacingBuzz Williams, who left forVirginia Tech.[17]
Before the2014-15 season, Marquette lost several players, includingJamil Wilson andDavante Gardner. The team struggled mightily, finishing 13-19 overall and 4-14 in conference play, tying for last in the conference standings. After beatingSeton Hall in the first round of theBig East Tournament, Marquette lost toVillanova in the quarterfinals. Marquette failed to qualify for any postseason tournament.
The2015-16 campaign was highlighted byHenry Ellenson, a five-star recruit fromRice Lake, Wisconsin. Ellenson won the 2016 Big East Rookie of the Year award, and was named first-team All-Big East in his lone season in the NCAA. Besides Ellenson,Luke Fischer and Haanif Cheatham also played significant roles. The Golden Eagles finished the year 20-13, with an 8-10 record in the Big East, placing 7th in the conference. Marquette's season would come to an end after losing toXavier in the quarterfinals of the2016 Big East Tournament.[18]
After losing Ellenson to the NBA, Marquette reloaded with 3 four-star recruits joining the2016-17 team,Markus Howard,Sam Hauser, and Brendan Bailey.[19] Despite being picked to finish seventh in the Big East,[20] Marquette finished the season tied for 3rd in the Big East, going 19–13 with a 10–8 record in the Big East. After losing toSeton Hall in the quarterfinals of the2017 Big East Tournament, Marquette earned a 10 seed in the2017 NCAA Tournament, their first appearance since 2013, but lost to eventual final four participantsSouth Carolina.[21]
After losingLuke Fischer, JaJuan Johnson, and Haanif Cheatham, Marquette added four-star recruits Jamal Cain and Ike Eke, and three-star recruits Theo John and Greg Elliott for the2017-18 season. The team failed to match the success of the previous season, finishing 21-14 with a 9–9 record in the Big East, tying for 6th in the conference. The team was headlined by Markus Howard, Sam Hauser, andAndrew Rowsey, with the three combining for 55 PPG during the season.[22] After beatingDePaul in the first round of the2018 Big East Tournament, Marquette lost to eventual NCAA championVillanova in the quarterfinals. Marquette qualified as a 2 seed for the2018 NIT, beatingHarvard andOregon before losing to 4 seedPenn State in the quarterfinals.[23]
The2018-19 campaign saw the team's first season in theFiserv Forum, leaving theBradley Center, their home since 1988. The season would end up being the best season of Wojciechowski's tenure at Marquette. Although the team lost Andrew Rowsey, Marquette signedJoey Hauser, the younger brother ofSam. The team finished 24-10 with a 12–6 record in the Big East, placing 2nd in the conference. The team saw a remarkable season for Markus Howard, who averaged 25 PPG.[24] Sam and Joey Hauser played supporting roles, along with Theo John andSacar Anim. In February, Marquette ranked as high as 10 in the AP poll but lost 5 of their last 9 games of the regular season, including losing dropping 4 straight to close out the regular season. Marquette beatSt. John's in the quarterfinals of the2019 Big East Tournament, but lost toSeton Hall in the semifinals, by a score of 79-81.[25] Marquette was picked as a 5 seed in the2019 NCAA Tournament, where they matched up againstMurray State, led by eventual second overall pick in the2019 NBA draft,Ja Morant. Murray State dominated the entire game, upsetting Marquette 83-64.[26]
Despite high expectations for the2019-20 season,[27] the Hauser brothers would transfer out of the program in the offseason, hurting Marquette's chances to make it back to the NCAA tournament. Wojciechowski was able to successfully recruitSymir Torrence and Dexter Akanno, but the hole left by the Hausers was too great. While Markus Howard averaged 27.8 PPG for the season, becoming Marquette's all-time leading scorer in the process, the team finished with an 18-12 overall record, and an 8-10 record in the Big East, their worst Big East record since 2016. The team was slated to playSeton Hall in the2020 Big East Tournament, but the tournament - and the entire season - was halted due to theoutbreak of COVID-19.
The2020-21 season was another disappointment for Marquette. With the departure of Markus Howard, the team struggled, going 13-14 overall, and 8-11 in the Big East. finishing 9th in the Big East. The incoming recruiting class looked promising however, withDawson Garcia andJustin Lewis making an impact. Garcia stated all 27 games and averaged 13 points and 6.6 rebounds for the season,[28] and Lewis averaging 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game off the bench.[28]
On March 19, 2021, it was announced that Marquette had fired Wojciechowski after seven seasons.[29]
On March 26, 2021,Marquette University hiredShaka Smart to replace Wojciechowski as the Golden Eagles head coach.[30]
As Smart assumed control of the program, many players transferred out, including the promisingDawson Garcia, Theo John,Symir Torrence, Jamal Cain, and Koby McEwen. Additionally,D. J. Carton declared for thedraft. Smart was able to land four key transfers to aid the team for the2021-22 season: sophomoresOlivier-Maxence Prosper fromClemson andTyler Kolek fromGeorge Mason, along with graduate transfersDarryl Morsell fromMaryland and Kur Kuath fromOklahoma. Smart was also able to obtain two four-star recruits from the class of 2021: Emarion Ellis and David Joplin, and three-star Keeyan Itejere, adding to the four-star and three-star that Wojciechowski recruited: Stevie Mitchell and Kam Jones.
Marquette finished the season with a surprising 19-13 record, including an 11-8 record in the Big East, tying for 5th in the conference. The team was ranked as high as 18 before a late-season skid saw the team lose 5 of their last 9 regular season games. They facedCreighton in the2022 Big East Tournament, but lost 74-63.[31] The team was selected as a 9 seed in the2022 NCAA Tournament, but lost to 8 seedNorth Carolina in the round of 64, 95-63.[32]
Marquette was projected to finish 9th in the Big East for the2022-23 season,[33] but surprised many with their best season in a decade. The team finished with a 29-7 record and won the Big East Regular Season andTournament Titles, their first Big East Tournament win in program history. Marquette was selected as a 2 seed in the2023 NCAA Tournament, beating 15 seed Vermont before losing to 7 seed Michigan State.
Marquette came into the2023-24 season with lofty expectations, despite losingOlivier-Maxence Prosper to theNBA. The team never fell below 17th in the AP Poll and finished 3rd in the Big East, with a 27-9 record. In the2024 Big East Tournament, Marquette beatVillanova in the quarterfinal andProvidence in the semifinal before losing toUConn in the final. They were again selected as a 2 seed in the2024 NCAA Tournament, defeating 15 seedWestern Kentucky and 10 seedColorado en route to their first Sweet Sixteen berth since 2013 before losing to 11 seedNC State, 67-58.
Marquette has appeared in theNCAA tournament 37 times. Their combined record is 44–38. They were National Champions in 1977.[34]
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
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| 1955 | Round of 24 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | Miami (OH) Kentucky Iowa | W 90–79 W 79–71 L 81–86 | |
| 1959 | Round of 23 Sweet Sixteen Regional 3rd Place | Bowling Green Michigan State Kentucky | W 89–71 L 69–74 L 69–98 | |
| 1961 | Round of 24 | Houston | L 61–77 | |
| 1968 | Round of 23 Sweet Sixteen Regional 3rd Place | Bowling Green Kentucky East Tennessee State | W 72–71 L 89–107 W 69–57 | |
| 1969 | Round of 25 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | Murray State Kentucky Purdue | W 82–62 W 81–74 L 73–75OT | |
| 1971 | Round of 25 Sweet Sixteen Regional 3rd Place | Miami (OH) Ohio State Kentucky | W 62–47 L 59–60 W 91–74 | |
| 1972 | Round of 25 Sweet Sixteen Regional 3rd Place | Ohio Kentucky Minnesota | W 73–49 L 69–85 L 72–77 | |
| 1973 | Round of 25 Sweet Sixteen Regional 3rd Place | Miami (OH) Indiana Austin Peay | W 77–62 L 69–75 W 88–73 | |
| 1974 | Round of 25 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | Ohio Vanderbilt Michigan Kansas NC State | W 85–59 W 69–61 W 72–70 W 64–51 L 64–76 | |
| 1975 | Round of 32 | Kentucky | L 54–76 | |
| 1976 | Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | Western Kentucky Western Michigan Indiana | W 79–60 W 62–57 L 56–65 | |
| 1977 | Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | Cincinnati Kansas State Wake Forest Charlotte North Carolina | W 66–51 W 67–66 W 82–68 W 51–49 W 67–59 | |
| 1978 | Round of 32 | Miami (OH) | L 81–84OT | |
| 1979 | 3 | Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen | 6 Pacific 2 DePaul | W 73–48 L 56–62 |
| 1980 | 9 | Round of 48 | 8 Villanova | L 59–77 |
| 1982 | 7 | Round of 48 Second Round | 10 Evansville 2 Missouri | W 67–62 L 69–73 |
| 1983 | 9 | Round of 48 | 8 Tennessee | L 56–57 |
| 1993 | 12 | First Round | 5 Oklahoma State | L 62–74 |
| 1994 | 6 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | 11 Southwestern Louisiana 3 Kentucky 2 Duke | W 81–59 W 75–63 L 49–59 |
| 1996 | 4 | First Round Second Round | 13 Monmouth 12 Arkansas | W 68–44 L 56–65 |
| 1997 | 7 | First Round | 10 Providence | L 59–81 |
| 2002 | 5 | First Round | 12 Tulsa | L 69–71 |
| 2003 | 3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | 14 Holy Cross 6 Missouri 2 Pittsburgh 1 Kentucky 2 Kansas | W 72–68 W 101–92OT W 77–74 W 83–69 L 61–94 |
| 2006 | 7 | First Round | 10 Alabama | L 85–90 |
| 2007 | 8 | First Round | 9 Michigan State | L 49–61 |
| 2008 | 6 | First Round Second Round | 11 Kentucky 3 Stanford | W 74–66 L 81–82OT |
| 2009 | 6 | First Round Second Round | 11 Utah State 3 Missouri | W 58–57 L 79–83 |
| 2010 | 6 | First Round | 11 Washington | L 78–80 |
| 2011 | 11 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | 6 Xavier 3 Syracuse 2 North Carolina | W 66–55 W 66–62 L 63–81 |
| 2012 | 3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | 14 BYU 6 Murray State 7 Florida | W 88–68 W 62–53 L 58–68 |
| 2013 | 3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | 14 Davidson 6 Butler 2 Miami (FL) 4 Syracuse | W 59–58 W 74–72 W 71–61 L 39–55 |
| 2017 | 10 | First Round | 7 South Carolina | L 73–93 |
| 2019 | 5 | First Round | 12 Murray State | L 64–83 |
| 2022 | 9 | First Round | 8 North Carolina | L 63–95 |
| 2023 | 2 | First Round Second Round | 15 Vermont 7 Michigan State | W 78–61 L 60–69 |
| 2024 | 2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | 15 Western Kentucky 10 Colorado 11 NC State | W 87–69 W 81–77 L 58–67 |
| 2025 | 7 | First Round | 10 New Mexico | L 66–75 |
Marquette has appeared in theNational Invitation Tournament 16 times. Their combined record is 23–15. In 1970, Marquette was ranked 8th and received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The NCAA slotted Marquette into the Midwest regional rather than the closer Mideast regional. Al McGuire was so displeased about this that Marquette actually turned down the NCAA bid and chose to instead play in the NIT, which they won. Marquette is the only university to spurn an NCAA tournament invite. The NCAA later instituted a rule which forbade an NCAA Division I men's basketball team from spurning an NCAA bid for an NIT bid. An antitrust case by the NIT ensued over this issue, and the NCAA settled out of court.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Round of 12 | Seton Hall | L 78–96 | |
| 1963 | Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place | Saint Louis Providence Villanova | W 84–49 L 64–70 W 66–58 | |
| 1967 | Round of 14 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | Tulsa Providence Marshall Southern Illinois | W 64–60 W 81–80OT W 83–78 L 56–71 | |
| 1970 | Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | Massachusetts Utah LSU St. John's | W 62–55 W 83–63 W 101–79 W 65–53 | |
| 1981 | Round of 32 | Syracuse | L 81–88 | |
| 1984 | Round of 32 Round of 16 | Iowa State Michigan | W 73–53 L 70–83 | |
| 1985 | Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals | Bradley Cincinnati Indiana | W 77–64 W 56–54 L 82–942OT | |
| 1986 | Round of 32 Round of 16 | Drake SW Missouri State | W 79–59 L 69–83 | |
| 1987 | Round of 32 | Nebraska | L 76–78 | |
| 1990 | Round of 32 | Penn State | L 54–57 | |
| 1995 | Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | Auburn St. Bonaventure South Florida Penn State Virginia Tech | W 68–61 W 70–61 W 67–60OT W 87–79 L 64–65OT | |
| 1998 | Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals | Creighton Auburn Minnesota | W 80–68 W 75–60 L 71–73 | |
| 2000 | Round of 32 | Xavier | L 63–67 | |
| 2004 | Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals | Toledo Boise State Iowa State | W 87–72 W 66–53 L 69–77 | |
| 2005 | Round of 32 | Western Michigan | L 40–54 | |
| 2018 | 2 | Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals | 7 Harvard 3 Oregon 4 Penn State | W 67–60 W 101–92 L 80–85 |
Marquette appeared in the last National Catholic Invitational Tournament in 1952 and won the NCIT championship.[35]
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
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| 1952 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | Iona St. Francis Brooklyn Saint Francis (PA) | W 66–59 W 79–57 W 76–64 |
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Consensus All-America First Team
Consensus All-America Second Team
Big East Conference Men's Basketball Sixth Man of the Year Award
All-Midwestern Collegiate Conference First Team
All-Great Midwest Conference First Team
All-Conference USA First Team
All-Big East Conference First Team
| Marquette Golden Eagles retired numbers | ||||
| No. | Player | Position | Career | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Markus Howard | SG | 2016–2020 | |
| 3 | Dwyane Wade | SG | 2001–2003 | |
| 14 | Dean Meminger | PG | 1968–1971 | |
| 15 | Butch Lee | PG | 1974–1978 | |
| 20 | Maurice Lucas | PF | 1972–1974 | |
| 22 | Jim Chones | C | 1970–1972 | |
| Jerel McNeal | PG | 2005–2009 | ||
| 24 | George Thompson | PG | 1966–1969 | |
| 31 | Bo Ellis | PF | 1973–1977 | |
| Doc Rivers | PG | 1980–1983 | ||
| 38 | Bob Weingart | Trainer[rn 1] | 1946–1984 | |
| 43 | Earl Tatum | SG / SF | 1972–1976 | |
| 44 | Don Kojis | SF | 1958–1961 | |
| 77 | Al McGuire | Coach[rn 2] | 1964–1977 | |
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame
Lists are accurate through the 2019–20 season.[34]
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