MILWAUKEE — Marquette University is playing in its 17th Sweet 16 in team history when it takes the floor Friday evening against North Carolina State University. Here is some updated information as the campus celebrates more March Madness.
- Team send-off: Wednesday, March 27. Fans are welcome to send the team off from the Al McGuire Center, 770 N. 12th St., beginning at 2:30 p.m. The team is expected to leave at 2:40 p.m.
- Good Friday, indeed. Marquette’s Sweet 16 game takes place Friday, March 29, at 6:09 p.m. Friday is also Good Friday, meaning the university is closed. There will be no official watch parties on campus, but the game will be shown in student common spaces that remain open and operational.
- Sweet 16 merchandise. The Marquette Spirit Shop, located in Alumni Memorial Union, received its first shipment of Sweet 16 merchandise Tuesday. Sales have been brisk. The Spirit Shop is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the week.
Media interested in visiting campus should contact Kevin Conway, associate director of university communication, at kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu, to coordinate coverage.
Marquette faculty and staff experts are also available. Below is a list of previously shared experts with one timely addition.
March Madness experts
New this week: In a build up to Friday night’s game, look back at the excitement of last weekend. David Joplin sealed Marquette’s win over Colorado in the NCAA Tournament second round with two free throws with seven seconds remaining in regulation. Dr. William Cullinan, dean of the College of Health Sciences, can discuss implications from neuroscience on successful free-throw shooting. Some of the factors he points out are motor styles, “muscle memory,” priming and the effects of stress/anxiety on shooting success. He can be reached at william.cullinan@marquette.
Additional experts:
- Impact on a university: Brian Troyer is the dean of undergraduate admissions. He has direct knowledge of the impact a post-season appearance and surprise extended run in the NCAA Tournament can have on an institution in terms of new student interest and applications. He has been at Marquette since 2016; he previously worked at UW-Milwaukee and Kentucky during national tournament appearances, including UK’s 2012 National Championship. Troyer is available at brian.troyer@marquette.edu.
- NILs and sports marketing: Dr. Jim Pokrywczynski, associate professor of strategic communication, has presented on and written papers discussing analytics in a sports/event marketing context and brand tracking on social media. Pokrywczyski can discuss added NIL opportunities and brand value from surprise winners and standout players in the opening rounds of the tournaments, as well as the media darlings of the Sweet 16. He can be reached at james.pokro@marquette.edu.
- Sports medicine, injuries: Dr. Chris Geiser is a clinical associate professor and program director of athletic training in the College of Health Sciences. He can discuss athletic training, sports injury and exercise science topics, including dealing with injuries and keeping healthy during a critical time. Geiser can be reached at christopher.geiser@marquette.
edu. - On-the-court physics: Dr. Andrew Kunz is chair and professor of physics. He can help break down the physics behind many of the exciting plays on the court, from dunks to long-distance shots. Kunz is available at andrew.kunz@marquette.edu.
- Historical context and materials: Katie Blank is the university and digital archivist at Raynor Library. She is an excellent resource for historical context and archival materials for Marquette men’s and women’s basketball programs. That includes pictures and video from previous post-season runs. Blank can be reached at katherine.blank@marquette.edu.
