Men's College Basketball
Preview
Marquette vs Georgia
When: 11:00 AM ET, Saturday, November 23, 2024
Where: Imperial Arena, Nassau

A pair of unbeaten teams will square off in a neutral-site battle on Saturday morning as No. 15 Marquette meets Georgia in Nassau, Bahamas.

Marquette will make the journey for just the one game, while Georgia will take on No. 22 St. John's at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort on Sunday.

The Golden Eagles (5-0) are coming off their first marquee win of the season, 76-58 at home over No. 6 Purdue on Tuesday. After the Boilermakers tied the game at 12 with 12:31 left in the first half, Stevie Mitchell's layup gave Marquette a lead it never surrendered.

Mitchell scored a career-high 21 points, while Kam Jones became just the third Golden Eagle to ever record a triple-double, chipping in 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, as Marquette snapped Purdue's 39-game regular-season, non-conference winning streak -- the fourth-longest in NCAA history.

A rarity in this era of college sports, Jones and Mitchell are two seniors who have stuck with the program for four years. The duo will look to help Marquette to its first 6-0 start since 2011-12, when it began the year 10-0.

"(Jones) has worked his tail off," Marquette coach Shaka Smart said. "He's always had better ability as a playmaker than some might think, but his role was a little different when we had Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro, because those guys were such good passers. We still need him to score, but he also has the ball in his hands more, and we need him to create opportunities for other guys."

As for Mitchell, Smart said he helps to make the team run.

"I don't think until Stevie graduates and moves on will we fully feel what we have in him," the coach said. "I just encourage everyone to enjoy this year while we have him here. He's a combination of will, toughness, heart, and he's extremely smart."

Jones leads the team with averages 22.6 points and 6 assists per game, while Mitchell chips in 13.6 points per contest.

Standing in the way of Marquette's potential 6-0 start is a Georgia team that's seen little resistance to begin the year. The Bulldogs (5-0) have won their first five games by an average score of 87 to 66.6, most recently blowing out Alabama A&M at home Tuesday, 93-45.

Led in scoring by Asa Newell (16.8 points per game) and sophomore guard Silas Demary Jr. (14.6), the Bulldogs are off to their best start since beginning 7-0 in 2020-21.

Georgia's hot streak will be tested in the Bahamas, as coach Mike White's team will see its first big challenge on Saturday.

"Marquette will demand our attention and respect. It's a great program," White said. "Shaka has done a phenomenal job up there, and from what I've heard on the outside looking in, they've got a good culture and really good players. It'll be a high-level game and a good opportunity to see where we're at."

The two programs have met three times, most recently a 73-66 Georgia win in Milwaukee on Dec. 2, 2017.

--Field Level Media

Stats and Records
Team Comparison
  W/L Strk Home Away Neutral Day Night Conf
Marquette 5-0 W5 4-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 5-0 0-0
Georgia 5-0 W5 4-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 4-0 0-0
Last Meeting
Marquette Georgia
Date Away Home Pts Reb FG% Pts Reb FG%
12/2/17 UGA 73 MARQ 66 66 30 35.5 73 35 48.0
Player Stats
Previous Matchup
Points Player Total FG% FTM
Marquette M. Howard 29 50.0 3
Georgia Y. Maten 13 62.5 3
Rebounds Player Total Off Def
Marquette S. Hauser 9 2 7
Georgia R. Hammonds 8 2 6
Assists Player  
Marquette A. Rowsey 6
Georgia W. Jackson II 7
Season
Points Player Total FG% FTM
Marquette K. Jones 113 63.8 13
Georgia A. Newell 84 57.8 8
Rebounds Player Total Off Def
Marquette D. Joplin 33 6 27
Georgia R. Godfrey 39 14 25
Assists Player  
Marquette K. Jones 30
Georgia S. Demary Jr 19
Quickchart Matchup
blue bar Marquette Off vs  red bar Georgia Defense
blue bar 81.6 Points For
red bar 66.6 Points Against
blue bar 45.1 FG%
red bar 39.3 FG%
blue bar 31.6 Reb
red bar 22.2 Reb
red bar Georgia Off vs  blue bar Marquette Defense
red bar 87.0 Points For
blue bar 63.8 Points Against
red bar 49.3 FG%
blue bar 41.5 FG%
red bar 41.0 Reb
blue bar 31.8 Reb