March 19, 2019

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MILWAUKEE — As March Madness takes over the national conversation with the NCAA Tournaments for men’s and women’s basketball on the horizon, several members of the Marquette University faculty are available for coverage.

Please contact any of these experts directly or contact Kevin Conway, associate director of university communication, or Anne Broeker, communication specialist, to set up an interview. Kevin can be reached at kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu or at 414.288.4745 (office) or 414.202.9329 (mobile). Anne can be reached at anne.broeker@marquette.edu or at 414.288.7536.

Marquette will host an alcohol-free game-watching party for all students, faculty and staff during the men’s basketball team’s first-round game against Murray State, beginning at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 21.

The game-watching party will be held on the lower level of the AMU, and will feature free t-shirts, swags and snacks, courtesy of Marquette’s Summer Studies program.

Also, fans are encouraged to stop by the Al McGuire today at noon to cheer on the team as they depart for March Madness. 

Sports economy

Dr. Walter Melnik, an assistant professor of economics, can help quantify the economic impact of an extended post-season run by Marquette on the city, as well as the university. Melnik is available at walter.melnik@marquette.edu.

On-the-court physics

Melissa Vigil is a laboratory supervisor in the physics department. She can help break down the physics behind many of the exciting plays on the court from dunks to long-distance shots. Vigil is available at melissa.vigil@marquette.edu. 

Statistics and probability

Dr. Daniel Rowe is a professor of mathematics, statistics and computer science. An avid basketball fan, he is available to discuss the probability of game outcomes, as well as comebacks in games. Among his areas of research interest are statistical simulation and Bayesian statistics, which updates probability as more information becomes available. Rowe is available at daniel.rowe@marquette.edu.

Impact on the university

Brian Troyer is the dean of undergraduate admissions. He has direct knowledge of the impact a post-season appearance and extended run in the NCAA Tournament can have on an institution in terms of new student interest and applications. He has been at Marquette since 2016 while previously working at both UW-Milwaukee and Kentucky during national tournament appearances, including UK’s 2012 National Championship. Troyer is available at brian.troyer@marquette.edu.

Sports marketing and advertising

Dr. Jim Pokrywczynski, associate professor of strategic communication, has presented on and written papers discussing analytics in a sports/event marketing context and brand tracking on social media. Pokrywczynski can be reached at james.pokro@marquette.edu.

Sports medicine

Dr. Chris Simenz is a clinical professor and practicum coordinator in the College of Health Sciences and can discuss athletic training, sports injury and exercise science. He is also a certified strength and conditioning specialist. Simenz can be reached at christopher.simenz@marquette.edu. 

Sports law

Paul Anderson is a professor and the director of the National Sports Law Institute. His specialties include amateur athletics, sports business and sports ethics. Anderson is available at paul.anderson@marquette.edu.

Faith and basketball

Rev. John Laurance, S.J., is the team chaplain for the Marquette men’s basketball program. He is in his fourth season with the program and is qualified to speak on topics of faith in sports, the Jesuit mission and the roles of a team chaplain in college sports. Father Laurance is available at john.laurance@marquette.edu.

Historical context and materials

Amy Cooper Cary is the head of special collections and university archives at Raynor Memorial Libraries. She is an excellent resource for historical context and archive materials for both men’s and women’s basketball programs. That includes pictures and video from previous post-season runs. Cooper Cary can be reached at amy.cary@marquette.edu.

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About Kevin Conway

Kevin is the associate director for university communication in the Office of University Relations. Contact Kevin at (414) 288-4745 or kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu.