UConn vs Marquette Preview: National Marquette Day 2025
February 1st, 2025. An insignificant date for the rest of the nation, but for those who call Marquette home, it means so much more. This year’s National Marquette Day is headlined with a Saturday night date against the back-to-back National Champion UConn Huskies.
As National Marquette Day is rung in with students and alumni alike celebrating on campus and beyond, Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies will be rolling into town with a simple goal: to ruin a party. The Huskies hope to exit Fiserv Forum on Saturday night to a reception of bleak looks and scornful faces of those who just had their party shut down. A win over the 9th-ranked Golden Eagles may be exactly what Hurley needs to revitalize his once championship-quality squad.
Kam Jones chases after ball in UConn matchup 2024
(Photo via Marquette Athletics)
Heading into their matchup with Marquette, the Huskies have an underwhelming 15-6 record and are barely in the AP Top 25, placing in at 25th. Realistically, Connecticut’s issues have not been on the offensive side of the ball. Their 122.1 offensive efficiency ranks 11th in the nation, along with their 10th-ranked 56.9 effective FG%. Accompanied by their efficient play, keystones like Alex Karaban, Hassan Diara, and Solo Ball have kept the Huskies afloat. The defensive side of the ball, on the other hand, has been the main issue down the stretch for UConn. Their 125th-ranked defensive efficiency and 333rd-ranked opponent 3pt% have been a major detriment to this year’s Husky squad. For context, Dan Hurley’s 2024 National Championship-winning UConn roster had the nation's 4th-best defensive efficiency and was ranked 37th in opponent 3pt%. Losing the likes of Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, and Cam Spenser has proved more difficult than Hurley and Co. may have expected.
The Huskies season has been everything but easy sledding thus far. Besides head coach Dan Hurley's very public fiery blowups at referees and players alike, the Huskies have had bigger problems. Big East losses to Villanova, Creighton, and Xavier have all melted away the once impenetrable Connecticut armor. Arguably, though, close call wins versus DePaul and Butler have equal claim to the red flags that handicap Hurley’s 2025 squad. Still, the Huskies have been without former 5-star recruit and second leading scorer Liam McNeeley, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury during this Big East slump. The freshman seemed to be the heartbeat for this UConn squad, offering 13.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, and over 30 minutes played per game. "Liam empowered the whole group, but he's been gone now coming up on five weeks; if he doesn't play this weekend," Hurley told the Connecticut Post. "Removing one person's personality, like Liam, I don't want to put too much on the kid because he's still a freshman player. But his absence has been catastrophic from a basketball standpoint.” McNeeley remains a “game day decision” for Saturday night. Even after everything UConn has gone through, they are still the reigning back-to-back national champs who have been without one of their key contributors. Even at a low rank or low seed, Hurley’s Huskies are still something to fear.
Freshman Forward Liam McNeeley (Image via Jessica Hill/AP Photo)
As for the Golden Eagles, it has been a beyond ideal season thus far. For a team that lost their two best players to the NBA, Marquette’s seniors and juniors have stepped up and more. Senior guard Kam Jones’ impact has been nationally noted. He has positioned himself to be the consensus 3rd place finisher for the John Wooden NCAA Men’s National Player of the Year Award and was able to secure the program’s third-ever triple double in an early season matchup with Purdue. Kam is the leader of a top 10 Marquette program, and in a storybook season that has him averaging 18.9 points and 6.3 assists on 49.5% shooting, the Memphis native now has serious first-round NBA Draft buzz. Stevie Michell and David Joplin have both played as fantastic Robins to Jones’ Batman. Averaging 12.1 ppg and 14.6 ppg, respectively, they have continuously brought the intensity that coach Shaka Smart demands. Paired with great seasons from Chase Ross and Ben Gold, the Golden Eagles’ starting lineup has been one of the best in the nation. Still, Marquette’s depth will be the main question as their Big East campaign continues. Look for key performances from the likes of Royce Parham, Zaide Lowry, and Tre Norman as March nears.
Senior Kam Jones before matchup versus Villanova (1/24/25)
(Photo via Marquette Athletics)
Shaka Smart’s 2025 Golden Eagles live by taking away the ball on defense and taking care of the ball on offense. Marquette holds the nation’s lowest turnover rate (12.9%) and excels at forcing turnovers at a 23.1% clip that is good for 6th in all of D-1 basketball. Marquee wins over the likes of Purdue, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Creighton have all come through the means of defensive intensity. Shaka Smart preaches it, and the Golden Eagles’ 3rd-ranked steal% and 13th-ranked defensive efficiency are Smart’s philosophy materialized.
With the Golden Eagle faithful ringing out ahoya, intensity will be at near all-time highs. Expect Shaka Smart’s squad to look for a hot start that speeds up UConn’s slow-paced offense that ranks 334th in the nation. This includes Stevie Mitchell and Chase Ross leading the way with the defensive intensity that this year’s Marquette squad has become known for. A fast, effective, and efficient start, paired with early offensive prowess from Kam Jones and David Joplin, will be a recipe for Saturday success. As for UConn, they will look to manufacture high-quality looks for scorers like Alex Karaban and Solo Ball while running their offense at their own pace.
David Joplin, Stevie Mitchell, and Ben Gold embrace during matchup with Villanova (1/24/25)
(Photo via Marquette Athletics)
As for the larger college basketball scale, enjoy a fantastic day that includes Duke vs. North Carolina, classic SEC matchups, and of course, a beautiful National Marquette Day date with Big East rival Huskies.
