It's a quiet early May Wednesday—until college basketball insider Jon Rothstein drops a scheduling bombshell on Twitter. And yes, it involves Marquette men's hoops.
According to Rothstein, the Golden Eagles are set to host the New Hampshire Wildcats as part of their non-conference slate for the 2026-27 season. While no specific date has been announced, you can bet this one lands somewhere in November or December. Let's just say it's unlikely to be the crown jewel of Marquette's non-conference schedule.
Marquette holds a perfect 2-0 all-time record against New Hampshire, with both meetings coming in the last 15 years. The first was a nail-biting 58-53 win in November 2013, where the Golden Eagles squandered a 14-point second-half lead before hanging on. The second came in November 2021—just the second game of the Shaka Smart era—and was another tense affair. Marquette never led by more than nine, trailed 62-59 with five minutes left, and needed an 8-0 run and clutch free throws from Justin Lewis to escape with a 75-70 victory.
Fans might be forgiven for hoping for a more comfortable margin this time around. The 2021 game ended with New Hampshire within one point in the final 30 seconds. A six-point win would be a welcome improvement.
What can we expect from the Wildcats in 2026? Head coach Nathan Davis is still at the helm, but the program has struggled mightily, posting single-digit win totals in each of the last two seasons and finishing below #340 in KenPom rankings both years. BartTorvik's early 2027 projections don't paint a prettier picture: New Hampshire is currently slotted at #306, projected as the sixth-best team in the nine-team America East Conference. The roster is thin—just nine players listed—though they do return two starters, plus Tyler Bike, who started the final 14 games of last season.
For Marquette fans, this is the kind of buy-game matchup that fills the schedule but doesn't exactly light up the calendar. Still, after two close calls, the Golden Eagles will be looking to make a statement and put this one away early.