Marquette vs Xavier: BIG EAST Tournament Showdown

0:00On March 9th, Marquette University's men's basketball team earned the 7th seed in the 2026 B.I.G. tournament and will take on. 10th seeded Xavier in the first round. The game tips off at 5.30 pm. Central time on Wednesday, March 11th and Madison Square Garden, with coverage on Peacock and NBCSN. The winner moves on to face 2nd seeded Yukon in the quarter finals Thursday evening. This match up marks the third time in four seasons these two teams have met in the tournament. Peacock holds a strong all-time edge at 62 wins to 29 and split their regular season series this year, each winning at home. The Golden Eagles just wrapped up the regular season with a big road win over 4th ranked Yukon on Saturday. Fans are buzzing about standout guards, Nigel James Jr. and Chase Ross, who picked up all conference honors from the league's head coaches. James Jr. made the third team, an all-freshman squad, after strong scoring and playmaking numbers, while Ross landed on the all-defensive team, leading the bigot EAST and steals

1:01per game. The team also hit a milestone by reaching 1,000 deflections for the season, topping the conference average at 32.3 per game. Marquette leads the league and steals two, which has fueled their defensive identity all year. With a string of top 10 victories over the past seven seasons, including that latest Yukon upset, the Golden Eagles head into the tournament, energized, and ready to make another deep run.