Marquette holds reunion for 1993-94 Sweet 16 team

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) --  At halftime of Marquette's game with Xavier, the program honored the 1993-94 men's basketball team that made the Sweet 16.

The Marquette Warriors, at the time, finished 24-9 (10-2) winning it's first Great Midwest Conference title. Marquette defeated Southwestern Louisiana and Kentucky to make the Sweet 16, before falling to National Runner-Up Duke.

The squad broke a drought for the program of having a deeper tournament run. It was the first Sweet 16 trip since 1978-79. Coach Kevin O'Neil was named Coach of the Year.

Racine native Jim McIlvaine was named the conference player of the year and named to the All-Great Midwest First Team. Milwaukee native Damon Key and Tony Miller made the conference second team.

"I love these guys, man, they were my teammates, we went through it together. Everything, the low times and the high times," said Key. "We trusted the process. It got better each year and we put Marquette back on the map."

Key and McIlvaine were seniors on that team and the season prior helped Marquette reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1982-83.

"It gave Marquette a breath of life and it was nice to see that happen and even though we didn't go as far as we feel we could have or should have in the tournament, we came a long way from freshman year," said McIlvaine. "Just to be able to put that together in such a condensed timeframe I think was the difference that helped get that program right on track."

The team featured seven 1,000-point scorers and the programs' respective career leaders in block (McIlvaine) and assists (Miller).