Preview: Xavier at Marquette in Big East Clash MILWAUKEE (Interstat) — Two Big East teams heading in opposite directions meet Wednesday night when the Xavier Musketeers visit the Marquette Golden Eagles at Bradley Center. Xavier (9-6) looks to rebound from a tough 86-77 road loss at DePaul last Saturday and solidify its position in the conference. The Musketeers have shown resilience, with a notable 80-77 win at Georgetown on Dec. 20, but have struggled against top-tier league competition, falling decisively to Connecticut and Creighton in recent weeks. Marquette (5-10) seeks to halt a five-game losing streak, most recently a 73-57 defeat at Connecticut. The Golden Eagles’ season has been marked by close calls, including overtime losses to Dayton and a one-point defeat to Oklahoma, but they have yet to secure a signature win. A key matchup will feature Xavier’s standout guard Tre Carroll against Marquette’s interior. Carroll is coming off a strong 17-point, 7-rebound, 4-assist performance against DePaul and has been a consistent offensive catalyst, including a 22-point outing in the win at Georgetown. For Marquette, forward Josh Clark will be relied upon to provide a spark. Clark logged 12 minutes with 6 points and 6 rebounds against UConn, representing one of his more active performances during the team’s skid. Xavier’s offense will likely run through Carroll and forward Filip Borovicanin, who recorded a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) in the DePaul game. Marquette will need significant contributions from center Ben Gold, who grabbed 11 rebounds against Connecticut, and scorer Royce Parham to challenge a Xavier defense that has been inconsistent. Historically, this series has been competitive, adding intrigue as both teams aim to establish momentum early in the conference schedule. For Xavier, it’s a chance to avoid a second straight road loss. For Marquette, it represents a critical opportunity to turn its season around in front of the home crowd. The game tips off at 9 p.m. EST Wednesday as part of the Big East conference slate.