Wisconsin Badgers
Marquette
Five Things to Know: Badgers set for I-94 battle
December 04, 2025 | Men's Basketball
UW and Marquette set for 132nd meeting
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin men’s basketball team renews one of college basketball's most storied rivalries, facing Marquette for the 132nd on Saturday. Tipoff at the Kohl Center is set for 1 p.m. CT. The game is sold out, but tickets are available through SeatGeek.
Fans that can’t make it to the Kohl Center can watch the action on FS1, or listen to the Badger Radio Network as Matt Lepay and Brian Butch have the call.
LAST TIME OUT
The Badgers (6-2, 1-0 B1G) won their Big Ten conference opener over Northwestern 85-73 on Wednesday at the Kohl Center. The Badgers committed just seven turnovers in the contest, and had zero giveaways in the first half.
With the win, the Badgers improved to 8-3 in conference openers under Greg Gard, winning seven of their last eight openers.
Junior John Blackwell notched his first double-double of the season – and third of his career – with a game-high 26 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Nick Boyd dropped 20 points for the fifth time this season, aiding the Badgers to an undefeated record in those five contests. Nolan Winter had 12 points for Bucky, while Austin Rapp posted 13 off the bench.
BATTLING OVER I-94
Separated by just 79 miles, Wisconsin and Marquette (5-4, 0-0 Big East) are set for the 132nd meeting between the two programs in a series that began in 1917. The Badgers own a 71-60 advantage in the series, making Marquette UW's most played non-conference foe. Wisconsin has won three of the last four meetings, and each of the last three in Madison. Gard in 5-4 against the Golden Eagles in his tenure, averaging 76.1 points in those contests.
Marquette comes into the meeting at 5-4 on the 2025-26 campaign. Three losses have come to major conference opponents (Oklahoma, Indiana and Maryland), while the fourth was at the hand of A-10 contender Dayton. Senior Chase Ross leads Marquette in scoring at 20.3 points per game. He had 12 points against the Badgers in last year's contest.
RE(A)D(Y) TO DEBUT
In partnership with Under Armour, Wisconsin will debut the new alternate “By the Players” uniforms for the 2025-26 campaign. This marks the sixth edition of the “By the Players” uniforms, allowing players on the team to work in collaboration with Under Armour during the design process. John Blackwell and Nolan Winter were especially key in this year’s design.
SEEING TRIPLE
Wisconsin’s offense has made a concentrated effort on the perimeter this season, ranking second among high-major teams in three-point rate. The Badgers are averaging 11.0 three-pointers made per game, which ranks second in the Big Ten and 22nd nationally. They’ve made double-digit triples in five games this season, winning all five contests.
Blackwell has led the team from beyond the arc, hitting at a 23-55 clip (41.8%). Nick Boyd and Austin Rapp are second on the team with 15 three-pointers apiece.
The 51st Badger to record 1000 career points pic.twitter.com/BE8mUYsqEr
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) December 4, 2025
AT THE MILLENIUM
Blackwell and senior Andrew Rohde each secured their 1,000th career-points on Wednesday. Blackwell becomes the 51st player in program history to reach the mark in their Badger tenure. Rohde accumulated the bulk of his scoring in his lone season with St. Thomas, before being a consistent contributor for two years at Virginia.
BONUS TALES
Wisconsin - Marquette is no shy of storylines, stemming directly from their first-ever meeting in 1917. The Badgers took the initial showdown, 15-14, on a controversial free throw from All-American William Chandler in the final seconds. MU unsuccessfully protested the corresponding foul that occurred after time expired. Ironically, Chandler would later serve as the head coach of Marquette from 1930-1951, posting a 193-198 record in Milwaukee.
