COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Golden Eagles are dancing in March for the second straight season under Marquette head coach Shaka Smart.
Sixth-ranked Marquette, the No. 2 seed in the NCAA East Regional, takes on No. 15 seed Vermont at 1:45 p.m. CST Friday at Nationwide Arena.
Here are five things to look out for in Friday’s First-Round matchup:
Defense Wins Games
As it has been since his days at VCU, Smart has instilled a lethal defensive identity into his teams. This year’s Marquette squad is no exception to that.
In their three Big East Tournament contests, the Golden Eagles held their opponents to 36% shooting from the floor and 29% from beyond the arc.