NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Xavier was on the cusp of its first-ever Final Four last season as a No. 11 seed, and Chris Mack's squad hopes it can finally break through that glass ceiling after securing a No. 1 seed for the first time in school history in 2017-18.
The Musketeers begin what they hope is another deep run with a first-round matchup Friday in the West Region against 16th-seeded Texas Southern in Nashville, Tenn.
Recommended Videos
TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, TBS
Xavier upset three single-digit seeds last year before watching its season end against national championship runner-up Gonzaga in the Elite Eight, marking the third time it fell one game short of the Final Four.
This season's edition of the Musketeers, who are two victories shy of matching a school record, posted 10- and nine-game winning streaks en route to capturing the Big East regular-season title, halting Villanova's four-year run atop the conference.
Xavier enters the tournament with a bit of a sour taste in its mouth, however, as it surrendered a 17-point, second-half lead in an overtime loss to Providence in the conference tournament semifinals last Friday. The Tigers notched their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory with Wednesday's 64-46 win over North Carolina Central in First Four action.
ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHERN (16-19)
The Tigers faced six NCAA Tournament teams prior to beginning Southwestern Athletic Conference action, and 5-7 sophomore Demontrae Jefferson (23.4 points) averaged 23.8 points in the four such games he played, reaching the 20-point mark each time. Trayvon Reed (9.7 points, 8.8 rebounds) - a 7-2 junior who leads the SWAC in blocks per game (3.1) and field-goal percentage (68.4) - went 4-for-4 from the floor and swatted six shots Wednesday to contribute to the Eagles' 30.4-percent showing from the field. Second-leading scorer Donte Clark (18.6 points) is averaging 22.7 points over his last six outings and is among the national leaders in free throws made (208, seventh) and attempted (270, fourth).
ABOUT XAVIER (28-5)
Three-time All-Big East selection Trevon Bluiett (team-high marks of 19.5 points and 5.7 rebounds) went 2-for-14 from the field against the Friars but stands second on the school's all-time scoring list (2,227), and his 315 career 3-pointers are a program record. Fellow senior guard J.P. Macura (12.2 points) has reached double figures only once in the last four games, but his 1,445 career points rank 20th in school history. Despite not playing more than 24 minutes in any of the last 21 games, senior forward Kerem Kanter (10.4 points, 4.5 boards) has scored at least 10 points in every contest over that span in which he played more than 12 minutes.
TIP-INS
1. The winner will face either Missouri or Florida State in the second round.
2. Xavier has reached at least the Sweet 16 six times in the last 10 NCAA Tournaments, including two of the previous three.
3. Bluiett, who has hit 31 of his last 32 free-throw attempts, is one of only 13 players in Big East history to be named to the All-Big East first team three times.
PREDICTION: Xavier 91, Texas Southern 72