#MUBB To Face New Mexico In NCAA Tournament

Milwaukee – The No. 25/23 Marquette University men’s basketball team (23-10, 13-7 BIG EAST) has earned an at-large bid to the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and will face New Mexico in the first round on Friday, March 21 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Golden Eagles are the No. 7 seed in the South Region and will face the 10th-seeded Lobos. Tip time and television coverage will be announced later this evening. Marquette has faced New Mexico once before. The Lobos beat the Golden Eagles, 75-68, on December 21, 2013 at the MGM Grand Showcase benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Due to anticipated demand and limited ticket quantity, the Marquette ticket office does not foresee any availability to order tickets to the first and second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, no matter the site at which Marquette will be placed. Should conditions change, ticket availability will be communicated.

Marquette is making its 37th appearance in the NCAA tournament and is participating in in fourth-straight event for first time since 2012-13 (last of eight-straight trips).  The program, which claimed the national title in 1977 under legendary head coach Al McGuire, also owns 17 trips to the Sweet Sixteen (most recently in 2023-24) and has participated in the Final Four on three occasions (1974, 1977, 2003).

Marquette is also serving as the host institution for the first and second rounds (March 21 and 23) at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

2024-25 Season Highlights

• The Golden Eagles finished tied for fourth in the BIG EAST Conference and advanced to the conference semifinals for the third-straight year (three times total in first 16 years in league)
• Marquette has been ranked as high as fifth in the country and in the top-25 the entire season (50-straight weeks dating back to 2022-23, the fourth-longest active streak in the nation)
• Fourth-year head coach Shaka Smart is 98-40 at Marquette and has led the team to four-straight NCAA tournament appearances
• Marquette is one of just two teams (St. Mary’s College) to feature the same starting lineup all season
• Started BIG EAST season 9-1, best start since team was 9-1 in 2008-09
• Team won first five road games in conference play (since 1989-90) for first time in program history
• MU posted program’s 41^st season of 20-or-more wins and third straight
• Guard Kam Jones (Unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team) forward David Joplin (All-BIG EAST Third Team), guard Stevie Mitchell (BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year and forward Royce Parham (BIG EAST All-Freshman Team) were all honored by the league
• Guard Stevie Mitchell is one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Defensive POY and guard Kam Jones is a Second Team All-America selection by both the Sporting News and NABC

Program Postseason History

• 1977 NCAA Champions (defeated North Carolina 67-59 in Atlanta in Al McGuire’s last game)
• Program is making 37^th NCAA appearance, tied for ninth-highest total all-time (44-37 all-time record)
• 54th postseason appearance (37 NCAA, 16 NIT, 1 National Catholic Championship; top-10 among all Division I programs)
• Three trips to the Final Four (1974, 1977, 2003)
• 17 trips to the Sweet 16 (most recently 2023-24)
• One of just 20 schools to win both an NCAA and NIT Championship (1970)

Keep up with the Marquette men’s basketball program through social media by following on X (@MarquetteMBB) and Instagram (@marquette.basketball) and ‘liking’ on Facebook (/MarquetteMensBB). Fans interested in tickets can contact the Marquette Ticket Office online or at 414-288-GOMU (4668).

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.