New arena wows Marquette men's basketball players, coaches

The Marquette men's basketball team got a glimpse into its future Thursday.

The Golden Eagles coaches and players toured their new digs at the Wisconsin Sports and Entertainment Center and they were suitably awed by the building that will be their home starting next season.

"It's magnificent, I don't know how else to explain it," MU sophomore Sam Hauser said. "It was better than what I expected, even looking at the draw-ups. 

"But from what they've explained, it's supposed to be the loudest, the best arena in the nation, NBA and college. So I'm really excited."

Hauser and his teammates were seeing the inside of the arena for the first time. 

The main draw, from an MU perspective, is a more expansive locker room than the one the team used at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Besides the locker area for the players, the new space includes a separate meeting room, an office for head coach Steve Wojciechowski and another area for his assistant coaches.

"We did have input into the locker room," Wojciechowski said. "The Bucks have been great partners to work with. One of the things we asked for with the new building is a better locker room space, a better home for our guys in this building. And they've been more than accommodating. 

"I think our locker room space is three times as big and many more times as nice. The locker room space, the coaches areas, all of those areas are top notch."

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As the building nears completion, Wojciechowski already is taking pride in his team's new home.

"I can remember when I first got to Milwaukee and got the job (in 2014) and (Bucks President) Peter Feigin and I were going to town halls and trying to convince them that a new arena was a good idea," Wojciechowski said. "From that inception to this point is pretty incredible." 

Wojciechowski also can use the new building as a selling point to recruits. 

"I think they've been in awe of it," he said. "You walk around and you see all the things it has to offer. It's going to be a great place to play college basketball. 

"One of the things I love about it is the intimacy. It feels like a basketball arena. And then it has all the new bells and whistles. Who doesn't like that?"

Hauser can see how the building can be a lure for a high school star.

"The place where you play, it does play a pretty decent role in where you want to go for school," he said. "I think with the new arena and how good it is, if I was recruit and they told me about this, I would be very interested." 

MU's first regular-season game at the arena will be against Maryland-Baltimore County on Nov. 6. The Golden Eagles also have scheduled marquee home games against Kansas State (Dec. 1) and Wisconsin (Dec. 8).

"Our non-conference schedule in our home slate is outstanding," Wojciechowski said. "We want to provide games and a product that people are going to want to fill this place for. We would hope that this new arena provides an incredible home-court advantage for our team."