Marquette Basketball: Reviewing 2019-20 non-conference schedule
By Brian Foley
Nov. 28 – Dec. 1: Orlando Invitational
Field: Davidson, Fairfield, Harvard, Marquette, Maryland, Temple, Texas A&M, USC
The bracket for the Orlando Invitational is yet to be released, but with four high-major programs in the field – MU, UMD, TAMU, and USC – it seems to safe to assume those four will avoid each other for the first round of the tournament.
That doesn’t mean Marquette will avoid a first-round test though, as several of these mid-major schools are more than capable of winning this whole event. Here are the projected preseason rankings for all eight schools:
- Maryland: 9
- Harvard: 19
- Marquette: 27
- Texas A&M: 58
- Davidson: 59
- USC: 74
- Temple: 87
- Fairfield: 237
Ideally, the Golden Eagles would dodge Fairfield to kick off the event, but anyone else would be a legitimate test at a neutral site. Harvard, with a full season of upperclassmen stars Bryce Aiken and Seth Towns, is a potential second weekend team in the NCAA tournament and would likely be a Quadrant 1 matchup. Many Marquette fans are likely rooting for a meeting with Texas A&M and new head coach Buzz Williams, even though time apart and another program switch for Williams has softened some of the fan base’s vitriol towards its former sideline general.