'Our team is ready:' Marquette Golden Eagles head to CT to face Murray State in NCAA Tourney

MILWAUKEE -- The Marquette University men's basketball team on Tuesday, March 19 departed for Hartford, Connecticut ahead of their NCAA Tournament matchup.

Marquette, the No. 5 seed, faces No. 12 Murray State Thursday, March 21.

The Golden Eagles felt some love before leaving for Connecticut, as students, fans, cheerleaders and the pep band wished them well at the Al McGuire Center.

Brendan Bailey

With the stakes raised, players said they felt prepared and confident heading into the NCAA Tournament.

"All the regular season games and everything has prepared us for this tournament, and there's the best competition from the country, from each conference, and we have been preparing for different scenarios and different players and teams, so our team is ready," said Brendan Bailey, forward.

"I mean, obviously, the intensity ramps up a little bit, but practice is the same. We got to have a good

Sam Hauser

day every day, prepare the right way and get better to set yourself up for success," said Sam Hauser, guard/forward.

Tip-off was set for 3:30 p.m. Thursday in Connecticut.

Meanwhile, in Madison, the University of Wisconsin Badgers left Tuesday for San Jose, California.

The No. 5 Badgers face No. 12 Oregon Friday, March 22.

Tip-off was set for 3:30 p.m. in California.