Marquette makes its regular-season debut in Fiserv Forum tonight against UMBC, and the school "thought long and hard about what team to schedule" for the game, according to Ben Steele of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. Marquette Deputy AD Mike Broeker "had exchanged emails with UMBC in January" as the latter school was "casting about for a game in Wisconsin as a reward" for senior UMBC F Joe Sherburne, a Wisconsin native. UMBC in March then "shook the college basketball world by beating Virginia ... to become the first 16th-seeded team to topple a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament." Broeker said, "As soon as that happened in March, I reached right back out to them. One, to congratulate them. And then, two, to say ‘Hey, here is the situation. We’d love to have you open our building.'” An agreement "came together quickly and was finalized in April." UMBC coach Ryan Odom said, “Years past, probably UMBC wouldn’t have been a school that they would say ‘Well, let’s open up an arena with UMBC.' But now it makes it a little more sense. I think it will be a good thing for both of us” (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 11/6).
CAROLINA FEELING: In Spartanburg, Todd Shanesy notes Wofford opens its season against North Carolina at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium tonight, and Wofford coach Mike Young said the city is "beside itself about the Tar Heels coming to town." Young: "It will be an awesome day. It’s incredible. It will be a heck of an event." Tickets for the game "never even went on sale to the general public" as they "were scooped up by faculty and staff, Terrier Club members and season ticket holders, some buying a season’s worth just to make sure they could see this game" (Spartanburg HERALD-JOURNAL, 11/6).
