MILWAUKEE — Fans got an early glimpse of this year's Marquette Men's Basketball team Saturday afternoon with the annual Blue and Gold Scrimmage.
The Blue Team led by as much as double digits in the second half, but the Gold Team rallied late for a 67-61 victory.
"It was a great feeling in there to be around people that crave Marquette basketball," Marquette head coach Shaka Smart said.
Senior forward Oso Ighodaro led the Blue Team with 15 points and eight rebounds, while sophomore guard Chase Ross led all scorers with 17.
"[Ross] has really taken a jump as a player," Smart added. "It's great to see his confidence. You've heard me say this before, Chase Ross is a dude... He was all over the place on the defense end, got some big rebounds, and he was a presence out there for his team that contributed to them winning."
With four starters returning from last year’s 29-win season, including Big East Player of the year Tyler Kolek, depth is one of the biggest strengths this season for Marquette.
“I think just developing different lineups is a huge key for us over the next several week even after we start our first game because there are a lot of different options, a lot of different lineups we could play," Smart explained.
Following last year's No. 9 ranking in the Big East preseason polls, many wouldn't have predicted Marquette would enter the 2023-24 season at the defending conference champions.
The forecast looks a lot different this year, which is why managing lofty expectations is a major key this season.
“We proved last year that rankings don't really mean anything," Oso Ighodaro stated. "Just because we may be picked high this year, that doesn't guarantee us any wins, any stops, any buckets on the court… It doesn't mean anything.”
Marquette is holding its final open practice Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. CT inside Fiserv Forum.
The Golden Eagles tip off its regular season Nov. 6 at home against Northern Illinois.
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