Wisconsin basketball and Marquette will go head-to-head this weekend in the annual in-state rivalry game between these two schools.
Matchup: Marquette Golden Eagles (6-3) at Wisconsin Badgers (4-6)
Tip Time: 12:00 p.m. ET on Dec. 9
TV Schedule: Fox Sports 1
Location: Kohl Center in Madison, WI.
In one of the best in-state rivalry matchups of the year, Wisconsin and Marquette will face off this weekend in what is a huge game for both teams. Obviously, there is plenty of emotion that goes into this game because of the hatred between the two fanbases but there is also plenty on the line in terms of potential NCAA Tournament resumes for later in the year.
As of right now, both teams look to be on the outside looking in. For Wisconsin, they are currently in the midst of a down year. The Badgers graduated four starters from last year and have struggled to get things going. Although four of their six losses have come against top-25 teams this season, they also have had disappointing outings against Ohio State and Temple. In addition, their only quality win so far this year has come on the road against Penn State.
On the other end of this game, Marquette is off to an average start as well. The Golden Eagles do have one of the best backcourts in the entire nation but their defense is incredibly inconsistent. Despite the fact that Marquette is performing well on the offense end, they are allowing their opponents to shoot nearly 50% from the field for the season.
In this rivalry game, here are a couple of key matchups to watch that could end up being the difference.