Wisconsin vs. Marquette: 2019-20 key storylines for I-94 rivalry
Wisconsin and Marquette are meeting for the 81st time since the 1949-50 season. The Golden Eagles are 5-4 in the last nine meetings and if recent history is any indication, this game will determine who finishes better at season’s end.
The Marquette Golden Eagles and Wisconsin Badgers will meet up Sunday afternoon for the 81st time. That’s the second most meetings against any other school for Marquette just behind DePaul with 115. Wisconsin has had nine of the longest active Big Ten members all with over 100 meetings and then it’s Marquette at 10th most. Marquette leads the series 43-37.
This is known as the I-94 series. From the home of the Wisconsin Badgers, the Kohl Center to the Fiserv Forum (Bradley Center until 2018) is roughly 78 miles and most of it is on just one highway. Marquette is one of the premier Catholic schools in the state of Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin at Madison is a liberal arts school that is part of the UW-System.
People in the state tend to flock to Wisconsin because they have both a football and basketball team. Marquette draws supporters outside of alumni who are fans of former players. When you ask the majority of people that aren’t alumni why they like Marquette, usually the number one answer is Dwyane Wade. For fans born after 1980 that is. Because older fans of Marquette will point to one of the greatest coaches of all-time, Al McGuire.
Everyone’s favorite player whether they side with Wisconsin or Marquette is Wade. He isn’t even from Wisconsin, but the impact he made at Marquette will never be forgotten. Wade only played two seasons, but during that time he earned himself Conference USA Player of the Year, an All-American honor and a trip to the final four. Then he was a top-five pick in the NBA draft, the Miami Heat became everyone’s second favorite team and Wade is now a future Hall of Famer.
McGuire is who everyone pulled for from the mid-1960s until the late ’70s. He went from winning only eight games in his first season to taking Marquette to two Championships and winning one. McGuire had Marquette in the Tournament seven straight years until he called it quits after winning the 1977 National Championship.
Wisconsin likes to pride themselves on being connected to the UW-System with their ties to Division III basketball. Dick Bennett started things in 1995. He was previously a head coach for UW-Stevens Point. In five full seasons, he took them to three NCAA Tournaments, including a final four. He stepped down three games into his sixth season where Brad Soderberg, a former player for Bennett at UWSP took over.
Bo Ryan was hired a year later who was a very successful coach at UW-Platteville. Between Bennett, Soderberg and Ryan, the Badgers made 17 straight NCAA Tournaments, three final fours and a National Championship appearance. The heir to Bo Ryan when he stepped down in 2015 was Greg Gard who had been his assistant dating back to his time at Platteville. Wisconsin and Marquette have some strong tradition in the state and it’s going to be a fun one on Sunday.