The Leader

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Over the last few years, the success of the UW-Milwaukee men's basketball team has been very positive for the entire university. The UWM name is now more recognizable and the school is glowing with pride.

With the emergence of UWM, the state of Wisconsin now has a stronger college basketball following than ever. Every season UWM plays the Wisconsin Badgers, which is always an exciting game to watch. This game is great for both of these state schools, especially UWM. It is usually the toughest game on the Panthers schedule and proves where UWM stands in relation to its big brother, UW-Madison.

The big question that UWM has been wondering about for the last few years is: How come we don't see Marquette on our schedule? A school that is an eight-minute bus ride away. Sure, Marquette can say that playing us would be a lose-lose situation, but they might want to call Alabama, Boston College or Oklahoma and get their thoughts.

The fact that UWM has proved that it can "play with the big boys" is reason that other teams should want to play us as a challenge, not as an easy victory that might hurt their strength-of-schedule.

UWM has the potential to become a very strong mid-major team. A perfect example of a potent mid-major is Gonzaga, who has proved time and time again that a small school with a successful basketball program can really garnish some national attention.

There is no doubt that over the next few years UWM may struggle after losing seven seniors this year, five of which were starters. But regardless, UWM has its name on the map and is making a name for itself as a perennial powerhouse in the Horizon League and a threat in the NCAA tournament. Along with a shiny new Pavilion at the Klotsche Center, UWM's basketball program has more potential than ever.

Last year Marquette played teams such as San Francisco, Oakland, Lewis and South Dakota State. Surely UWM is on the same level, if not stronger than these teams. So what is the big holdup?

Money is said to be part of the issue of these teams playing each other. Reports have stated that Marquette would want either 5-1 or 4-1 of the money received from the contest. A solution to the problem would be that the Bradley Center be divided in half with UWM on one side and Marquette on the other. Then the proceeds are split 50-50. The game would surely be sold out and generate a friendly neighborhood rivalry between the two campuses. Or a Wisconsin college basketball weekend could be set up where UWM, Madison, Marquette and UW-Green Bay could play a few games in a short tournament at the Bradley Center or the Kohl Center in Madison.

There is no doubt that Marquette has a great basketball program with a storied past, but to play UWM every year in a sold out Bradley Center would be great for the city of Milwaukee.

Marquette frequently plays UWM in other sports on campus, so why is men's basketball any different?

Recently, UWM has gotten a great deal more attention than it's had in the past, and hopefully that trend will continue. The potential for a great basketball rivalry of state school versus private school here in Milwaukee is exciting.

Does Marquette think we wouldn't present a challenge or would be too big of underdogs? We'll never know until we see them on our schedule.

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