Busting Brackets
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Marquette Basketball: Breakdown of the Golden Eagles’ 2018-19 non-conference schedule

By Brian Foley

GREENVILLE, SC - MARCH 17: Head coach Steve Wojciechowski of the Marquette Golden Eagles reacts in the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 17, 2017 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
GREENVILLE, SC - MARCH 17: Head coach Steve Wojciechowski of the Marquette Golden Eagles reacts in the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 17, 2017 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 01: Juwan Morgan #13 of the Indiana Hoosiers drives to the basket against Deshawn Freeman #33 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the second half during the second round of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 1, 2018 in New York City (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 01: Juwan Morgan #13 of the Indiana Hoosiers drives to the basket against Deshawn Freeman #33 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the second half during the second round of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 1, 2018 in New York City (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

Nov. 14 at Indiana (Gavitt Games)

Last Year: 16-15 (9-9 Big Ten)
NCAA Tournament: No
2018-19 Projection: 23rd

The Hoosiers disappointed in Archie Miller’s first season in Bloomington, but they seem poised to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.

Leading scorer Juwan Morgan is back on campus, as is most of last year’s rotation. Indiana will also add a star-studded recruiting class to the mix, including five-star commit Romeo Langford and four more four-star prospects. Indiana ranked just 92nd in offense last season, so counting on five freshmen to move the Hoosiers towards a more efficient model is a big ask, but there is certainly enough talent there to net some offensive improvement.

Hoosiers poised for success in 2018-19. light. More

This is Marquette’s only road game before Big East play kicks off in January. MU and IU appear to be evenly matched on a neutral floor, but a rocking Assembly Hall could tip the scales in the Hoosiers’ favor. If the Golden Eagles can protect home turf during non-con season, a loss at Indiana does nothing to hurt them. But win this game, and Marquette is suddenly on the national radar heading to Brooklyn for the NIT Tip-Off.

Marquette is 2-7 against Indiana all-time, although the Golden Eagles did win the last matchup in 2001 in Tom Crean’s first season in Milwaukee. Crean, of course, stewarded Marquette to a Final Four in 2003, and ultimately jetted off to Indiana in 2008 before he was let go in 2017 after nine seasons. (Crean is entering his first season as the Georgia Bulldogs’ head coach, who ironically finished up a home-and-home with the Golden Eagles last year).

We are entering the fourth year of the Gavitt Games, and Marquette is still looking for its first win in the contest. MU lost its two previous games – both at home – by a combined 43 points to Iowa in 2015 and Purdue in 2017. Indiana is 1-1 in its Gavitt Games with a win over Creighton in 2015 and a loss at Seton Hall last season.

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