When was the last time we went undefeated in non-conference play?

[Silkk the Shaka]

The final four year we lost at Dayton and Notre Dame (and still managed to get at 3 seed).
The year after the final four we lost to Arizona and Wisconsin.
Diener's senior year we lost to Arizona.
The three amigos' freshman year we lost to Winthrop (at home!!!!!), at Nebraska, and at Wisconsin (got a 7 seed).
2006-2007 we lost to North Dakota St. (at home!!!!!) and Wisconsin (got an 8 seed sans Jerel).
2007-2008 we lost to Duke in Maui (got a 6 seed).
The three amigos' last hurrah we lost to Dayton at Hoffman Estates and Tennessee in Nashville (got a 6 seed due to DJames' injury).
2009-2010 we lost to Florida St. in Orlando, NC St. at home, and at Wisconsin (got a 6 seed).
Last year we lost to Duke and Gonzaga in KC, Wisconsin at home and at Vandy (11 seed).



Kenpom.com doesn't go back any further than 2003, so I honestly don't know when we last went undefeated in the non-conference portion of the schedule.  However, my main point is that we have suffered far worse losses in the non-con, and as far back as I have been paying attention we have never gone undefeated.  We lost a shorthanded road game to an amped up squad that had the interior talent to exploit our weaknesses.  Sh*t happens, and we're still in the driver's seat for an excellent season.

[tower912]

Considering when we joined a conference, I would be willing to bet the answer is 'never'.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Considering when we joined a conference, I would be willing to bet the answer is 'never'.

Good point.  Win these last two at home and a 12-1 non-conference record is surely nothing to sneeze at.

[The Maestro]

According to the Marquette Men's Basketball Record Book, we won all of our non-conference games at the beginning of the 1997-98 season, but lost to Boston College during the conference portion of the schedule. We were in Conference USA at the time.

[Silkk the Shaka]

According to the Marquette Men's Basketball Record Book, we won all of our non-conference games at the beginning of the 1997-98 season, but lost to Boston College during the conference portion of the schedule. We were in Conference USA at the time.

Good find! I would definitely count that as a non-conference opponent, like when we played Wake Forest in February of '03 or Florida Gulf Coast the 2nd to last game of the regular season in '08.  Were there any top quality squads in the beginning portion of the non-con that year?

[bilsu]

Considering when we joined a conference, I would be willing to bet the answer is 'never'.

1971 we were 27-0, when we lost to Ohio St in NCAA tournament. Breat Kentucky in consolation game. So does that year count?

[The Maestro]

Good find! I would definitely count that as a non-conference opponent, like when we played Wake Forest in February of '03 or Florida Gulf Coast the 2nd to last game of the regular season in '08.  Were there any top quality squads in the beginning portion of the non-con that year?

That season we beat Wisconsin in Madison in the opener and beat Notre Dame at home in the second game. Neither team was ranked when we played them.

[The Lens]

That season we beat Wisconsin in Madison in the opener and beat Notre Dame at home in the second game. Neither team was ranked when we played them.

ESPN had a Sunday night hoops show and they were showing off the Top 25.  We had just cracked I believe and Quinn Buckner (I believe) said, MU enters the Top 25 and undefeated, that won't last".  He was right, it didn't.  Injuries to Hutchins and Lovette derailed what looked like a NCAA season.  It insured Brian Wardle would never play in a NCAA tourney game.  '98 was the year of the infamous Wardle 3 at Louisville.

[spartan3186]

I'm going to take a quick minute to pimp the wiki here...

The schedule and results for EVERY season in Marquette basketball history is on the Wiki

http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/start

If you really want the answer, it will be there. That goes for almost every piece of Marquette basketball history. The wiki has settled many Marquette basketball related bar arguments.