Expect the Kohl Center to be alive when Wisconsin’s two basketball powers meet for the 120th time this weekend.
Marquette (5-3 overall) will travel the short distance along I-94 to face undefeated rival No. 8 Wisconsin (9-0) Saturday afternoon at 1:15 p.m. The rivalry game is nothing new to many of the UW players who grew up in Wisconsin.
“There’s a little bit of an incentive behind it because you grow up cheering for one team and you want to see one team knock off the other,” sophomore forward Sam Dekker said. “Growing up I always was a Wisconsin fan, so I always wanted to see Wisconsin beat Marquette and now I have a chance to suit up for the Badgers.”
This game marks Wisconsin’s first home game since beating Oral Roberts Nov. 23.
UW is looking to win the first game against the Golden Eagles since the 2010-’11 season, after falling to MU the past two seasons.
Last season Marquette posted a 60-50 victory, using the home-court advantage and fan energy to their advantage. The Badgers, backed by a traditionally electric Grateful Red fan base, will look to turn the tables this year.
“They took it to us physically and mentally. Their environment got to us, I think, and we were very soft,” Dekker said. “We don’t want to feel that again this year. We have to play strong and hopefully use the home crowd behind us.”
Marquette will be without recent graduates Junior Cadougan and Vander Blue, the two leading scorers for the Golden Eagles last year.
Their void will have to be filled by senior forward Davante Gardner, who currently leads Marquette in scoring, averaging 14 points and seven rebounds per game.
Gardner tallied 10 points in 26 minutes against the Badgers last season, and junior forward Frank Kaminsky will most likely have the collosal undertaking of guarding him this weekend.
“Obviously, everyone from the state of Wisconsin knows about the Wisconsin-Marquette rivalry and it’s gonna be a fun atmosphere to play in,” Kaminsky said.
Marquette came into the season ranked higher than Wisconsin, but has since fallen from the rankings after losing games to Ohio State, Arizona State and San Diego State.
Despite Wisconsin’s ranking, the game is traditionally a battle, decided by less than 10 points in each of the past seven meetings.
“You know they’re gonna bring their ‘A’ game. They’re a tough team. They defend really well. They’re fast. They’re strong. They’re athletic,” redshirt junior guard Josh Gasser said. “If you don’t match their intensity and match their physicality, stuff like last year will happen.”
