Creighton Bluejays: A
Noteworthy games: Hall of Fame Classic, versus Alabama*, versus Arizona*, versus Colorado State*
After four buy games to open the season, the Creighton Blue Jays better be sure it gets its ducks in a row because the only way to describe the remainder of its schedule is brutal.
Coming off the heels of a 23-win season, Nebraska heads to Omaha in the annual rivalry game. Creighton will then head to Las Vegas to participate in the much-anticipated Players Era Festival. They will face Oregon (2024 Round of 32 rematch), San Diego State (2023 Elite Eight rematch) and Texas A&M in four days. Yikes.
As part of the Big East-Big 12 Battle, Creighton will host a potential preseason No. 1 team, Kansas, followed by UNLV. To close its immensly-difficult non-conference schedule, the Blue Jays will travel to take on Alabama -- another potential preseason No. 1 team -- as part of a return game of a home-and-home series.
Realistically, Creighton may see up to five Q1 opportunities in this 11-game non-conference slate. Anything shy of an A grade would seem unfair to the quality of a non-conference schedule Greg McDermott has constructed.
Marquette Golden Eagles: A+
Noteworthy games: Maui Invitational, versus Notre Dame, at Wisconsin, versus Tennessee*, versus Texas A&M*
The Marquette Golden Eagles have one of the more challenging non-conference slates not only in the Big East but in college basketball entering the 2024-25 season. After a trio of home games -- including a matchup against George Mason in the Al McGuire Center -- Marquette will take on a pair of Ten foes as part of a home-and-home series between both teams: at Maryland and versus Purdue.
Shaka Smart’s group will then travel to the Bahamas to play Georgia in a single-game event in The Atlantis. After an intriguing home matchup versus Western Carolina, Marquette will close its challenging non-conference schedule with three headline-worthy games: at Iowa State (Big East-Big 12 Battle), versus Wisconsin (rivalry) and at Dayton (home-and-home).
Elite non-conference schedules tend to bode well for the selection committee. FAU -- widely considered on the bubble on Selection Sunday -- earned an eight-seed thanks to its top-40 NCSOS. San Diego State finished 5th in the Mountain West Conference, yet earned the highest seed in the conference with a five-seed. Thanks to Marquette’s strong NCSOS, things will shake out just fine in Milwaukee even if there are some initital question marks to start the season.