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Marquette at Creighton: Same starting lineup as last game

OMAHA, NE – The Marquette men’s basketball team will try to avoid a 0-2 hole in the Big East when it plays Creighton (6-5, 1-0) on Dec. 20 at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

MU lost to Georgetown78-69, in the Big East opener on Dec. 17 at Fiserv Forum. The last time the Golden Eagles (5-7) lost their first two conference games was the 2021-22 season when they started 0-3 in Shaka Smart’s first season as head coach.

Follow along for live updates from the game:

More: Marquette’s Shaka Smart has tried many lineups. What’s working and what’s not?

Same starting lineup as last game for Shaka Smart

Shaka Smart has opted for the same starting lineup as the Big East opener vs. Georgetown: Nigel James Jr., Adrien Stevens, Chase Ross, Royce Parham and Caedin Hamilton.

Parham replaced Ben Gold in the starting frontcourt vs. Georgetown.

Zaide Lowery does not make trip for Marquette

MU announced that junior guard Zaide Lowery did not make the trip to Omaha for personal reasons.

Lowery started the first nine games of the season, then lost his spot to freshman Adrien Stevens. He came off the bench against Wisconsin and Purdue, then didn’t play at all vs. Georgetown.

“It’s a coach’s decision,” Smart said after the game. “We’re continuing to try to evaluate and figure out what the best lineups are and what guys we need to have in the game.

“From the standpoint, first and foremost, of who truly wants to pour into the other four guys with him out on the floor and be all in on Marquette. So that goes into who we play.”

Marquette probable starters

Guards: Nigel James Jr., Adrien Stevens, Chase Ross

Forwards: Caedin Hamilton, Royce Parham

Marquette vs Creighton prediction

Creighton’s home arena is a tough place to play for any team, much less a struggling one like the Golden Eagles. The Bluejays are coming off a hot-shooting, 98-57 destruction at Xavier. With so many shooters, Creighton will stress MU’s defense, and the Golden Eagles don’t have much offense to hang. This one could be over quickly.

Predicted score: Creighton 83, Marquette 61

What channel is Marquette vs Creighton on? TV, livestream

Stream: You can stream the game on Peacock, which requires a subscription. It’s also available on the NBC Sports Network for YouTube TV subscribers.
Announcers: John Fanta (play-by-play), Nick Bahe (analysis) and Jordan Cornette (analysis) will call the action.