College Basketball: Breaking down the Wisconsin-Marquette rivalry

NCAA Basketball has some great rivalries. The in-state battle between Wisconsin basketball and Marquette basketball is one of the best match-ups of every season.

The in-state rivalry between Marquette and Wisconsin has been tremendous over the past several years. A combination of programs with unique traditions makes for an insane match-up during every single non-conference season. Over the past few years, the programs have been home to some of the best players in college basketball. Future NBA All-Stars Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler, and Devin Harris all suited up in this rivalry over the past several years.

The bad blood between Wisconsin and Marquette fans runs throughout the state of Wisconsin. Anybody can be a Badgers football fan, but when it comes to basketball, one must choose a side. Are you a Badger or a Golden Eagle?

The two programs have combined to miss just seven NCAA Tournaments this century as well as making three appearances in the Final Four. Both teams have become extremely well-respected in their conferences (Big Ten and Big East) and are high-major programs.

With head coaches Greg Gard (Wisconsin) and Steve Wojciechowski (Marquette) now running their respective programs, the future continues to look bright in Wisconsin. On top of their coaching staff, the programs are bringing in high-level recruits from across the country and playing competitive basketball with the best programs.

Let’s take a look back at the history of this rivalry and what might be to come in the future for these two teams.