Sports
By William Coffman, Opinions & Editorials Editor
Xavier men’s basketball remains firmly in the NCAA tournament bubble, with important wins against Seton Hall University and Butler University keeping the regular season alive.
Xavier bested Seton Hall 73-66 at the Prudential Center on Sunday thanks to a strong 22-point performance from junior guard Ryan Conwell. Xavier led 40-21 at half, but struggled against the Pirates’ press in the second half. Seton Hall managed to come within four points of the Musketeers before free throws sealed the win for Xavier.
The win last Tuesday against Butler at home was far more one-sided. The Musketeers were in control for the whole game, with two great 14-point showings from Conwell and senior forward Zach Freemantle contributing to the final score: 76-63 Xavier.
The Xavier men’s basketball team has been playing their best basketball of the year with standout games from junior guard Ryan Conwell helping the Musketeers secure their fourth win in a row.
Xavier’s 18-10 overall record and 10-7 record in Big East Conference play has kept them in contention for a bid to the March Madness tournament. For the last few weeks now, Xavier has been shifting in and out of the Next Four Out, First Four Out and Last Four In categories of bracket forecasts.
ESPN’s Bracketology by Joe Lunardi currently has Xavier as a team in the Next Four Out category. CBS’s Bracketology by Jerry Palm has Xavier as a First Four Out team. The differing opinions of the networks does indicate some positive signs for the Musketeers. They have captured the attention of the tournament jury, but that means they have to perform under a spotlight and have little room for error.
One of the things holding the Musketeers back from a clear tournament invite is their Quad 1 record of 1-9. With only one Quad 1 win, Xavier is under pressure to win in order to boost their tournament chances. The last time a Big East team with 21 wins was not invited to the tournament was Syracuse in 2007.
Another avenue to the NCAA tournament is the Big East Tournament which will tke place in New York from March 12 to 15. Winning the conference tournament would give Xavier an automatic bid. Looking at the tournament bracket, Xavier could very well earn a first-round bye. The Musketeers are currently fifth in the Big East, right behind University of Connecticut, a team that has struggled as of late.
A tournament win would not be easy. St. John’s University, coached by Rick Pitino, have beaten the Musketeers both times and will be the No. 1 seed in the tournament. St. Johns also has the added benefit of being at home at Madison Square Garden for the tournament, an atmosphere that proved tough for the Musketeers back in January.
Right behind St. John’s is Creighton University, the Musketeers’ toughest remaining regular season matchup who Xavier will welcome to Cintas on Saturday. A win against the Blue Jays would boost their NCAA tournament hopes significantly. The last team likely to pose a big danger to the Musketeers in the Big East is Marquette, a team Xavier beat on the road 59-57 but lost to at home after a controversial no call at the end of the game to give the Golden Eagles the 72-70 win.
An NCAA tournament bid is still very much possible for the Musketeers, but remains fragile. The last three remaining regular season matchups will be critical, and the Musketeers’ performance in the Big East Tournament will likely serve as a metric for what the team could look like in the NCAA tournament.
