Xavier Musketeers men's basketball

The Xavier Musketeers men's basketball team represents Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Big East Conference. They are one of two Big East programs to have never made a Final Four.[2] Xavier has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 27 times, 15 times in the last 17 years. On March 11, 2018, Xavier earned its first ever No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament and solidified their status as the best team in program history. [3]

Xavier Musketeers
2020–21 Xavier Musketeers men's basketball team
UniversityXavier University
Head coachTravis Steele (3rd season)
ConferenceBig East
LocationCincinnati, Ohio
ArenaCintas Center
(Capacity: 10,224)
ColorsNavy Blue, White, and Gray[1]
              
Uniforms
Home
Away
Alternate
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
2004, 2008, 2017
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
1990, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2017
NCAA Tournament Appearances
1961, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Conference Tournament Champions
1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2006
Conference Regular Season Champions
1981, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2018

Xavier won four Atlantic 10 Tournament Championships (1998, 2002, 2004 and 2006). Xavier has won or shared 17 regular season conference championships, while winning 9 conference tournament championships. In addition, they have won one Big East Conference regular season title in 2018.

Xavier has been listed among the top-20 most valuable college basketball teams.[4]

Xavier has won 17 of their last 25 meetings with Crosstown Shootout rival, the University of Cincinnati.

History

The first Xavier Basketball game on record was February 20, 1920 at the Fenwick Club in Cincinnati. Coached by Joe Meyer, the Musketeers compiled a 94–52 record during Meyer's's 13-year run as head coach from 1920 to 1933. The Musketeer's success continued under second head coach Clem Crowe. During Crowe's 10 years as Xavier head coach, Xavier compiled a record of 96–78. Crowe's 96 wins as a head coach rank fourth all-time among Xavier head coaches.[5]

Following the 1942–43 season, play was suspended for the following two seasons because of World War II. In 1945, the program resumed under the leadership of head coach Ed Burns. In his one season as head coach, Burns compiled a record of 3–16.

In 1946, Burns was replaced by Lew Hirt. Under Hirt, the Musketeers first postseason appearance was in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) during the 1948 NAIA National Basketball Tournament, the national tournament for small colleges. Xavier finished in 4th place, losing to Hamline University in the national third-place game, 58–59. 1948 was the only year Xavier appeared in the NAIA Tournament.[6]

In 1951, Hirt was replaced as head coach by Ned Wulk. Wulk guided the Musketeers to National Invitational Tournament appearances in 1956 and 1957. The 1956 appearance marked Xavier's first NIT win, an 84–80 victory over Saint Louis.[6]

After a loss to Bradley in the 1957 NIT, Wulk was replaced as head coach by Jim McCafferty. McCafferty led the Musketeers back to a third straight NIT in 1958. With wins over Niagara, Bradley, St. Bonaventure and Dayton, Xavier captured the NIT. That was the first postseason championship won by any Ohio Division I school.

In 1961, McCafferty led Xavier to their first appearance in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. On March 14, 1961, Xavier fell to Morehead State at the Kentucky State Fairgrounds in Louisville, Kentucky.

McCafferty was replaced as head coach in 1963. He would be followed by Don Ruberg (1963–67), George Krajack (1967–71), Dick Campbell (1971–73) and Tay Baker (1973–79).

In 1979, Xavier was one of the charter members of the Midwestern City Conference (nicknamed the MCC or Midwestern City 6, and now known as the Horizon League), which also included Butler, Evansville, Loyola (Chicago), Oklahoma City, and Oral Roberts. That year also marked the hiring of head coach Bob Staak, who compiled an 88–86 record during his six seasons as head coach, including a return to both the NCAA Tournament and NIT.

Pete Gillen era

1985 once again marked considerable change for the program. In addition to the hiring of head coach Pete Gillen, the Midwestern City Conference altered its name slightly to the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, adding more teams including Detroit, Notre Dame (excluding men's basketball and football), Saint Louis, Marquette and Dayton. The MCC is the predecessor to the present-day Horizon League. Xavier was a member of the MCC from 1979 to 1995 and won eight regular season and six conference tournament championships.

From 1985 to 1994, Gillen compiled a 202–75 record, including the program's first five wins in the NCAA Tournament. The Musketeers advanced to the NCAA Tournament in six of Gillen's nine years at the helm. In 1990, Xavier beat Kansas State and future Big East colleagues Georgetown to advance to the program's first Sweet Sixteen.

Skip Prosser era

Skip Prosser was hired in the spring of 1994 to replace departed head coach Pete Gillen. In his seven seasons as head coach, Prosser compiled a 148–65 record with four NCAA Tournament appearances. Prosser's 148 wins are third all-time at Xavier. During his time at Xavier, Prosser continued to build on the momentum Gillen had created. Early in his tenure, Prosser added recruits Gary Lumpkin, Darnell Williams, Lenny Brown and James Posey. Those four players provided the core of Prosser's success during his time at Xavier. After missing the NCAA Tournament in both 1999 and 2000, Xavier returned to the tournament in 2001. Following a loss to Notre Dame in the tournament's first round, Prosser accepted the position of head coach at Wake Forest.

Thad Matta era

Thad Matta left alma mater Butler to replace Skip Prosser as Xavier's head coach in 2001. Hired with only one year of head coaching experience, Matta inherited a talented core of players in David West, Lionel Chalmers, and Romain Sato. During his three years at the helm, Matta compiled a record of 78–23, with three straight NCAA Tournament appearances and Xavier's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Matta won two Atlantic 10 regular-season championships in his first two years behind the play of National Player of the Year David West. Following Matta's second year, West was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NBA draft by the New Orleans Hornets. With West's departure, seniors Lionel Chalmers, Romain Sato and Anthony Myles became the team's cornerstone for the 2003–04 season. After a 10–9 start, Xavier closed the season by winning 16 of its last 18 games. "The Run", as it became known, left Xavier 3 points shy of making the program's first NCAA Final Four appearance.

Sean Miller era

The summer following Xavier's first Elite Eight appearance, Matta was offered and accepted the position of head men's basketball coach at Ohio State. Xavier Athletic Director, Dawn Rogers, quickly promoted Xavier Associate Head Coach Sean Miller.[7] From 2004 to 2009, Miller compiled a record of 120–47. Advancing to the NCAA Tournament in four of his five seasons as head coach, Miller led the Musketeers to another Elite Eight appearance in 2008 and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2009. During Miller's tenure as head coach, Xavier continued to shed the "mid-major" label and separate itself as one of the country's premier college basketball programs.[8] Miller's NCAA Tournament success, aggressive non-conference scheduling and national recruiting allowed Xavier to be recognized with the likes of Memphis and Gonzaga as one of the premier "non-BCS" basketball programs.[9] After turning away interest from many programs, Sean Miller left Xavier to become the head basketball coach at Arizona.

Chris Mack era

On April 15, 2009, Xavier's Athletic Director named Xavier Assistant Coach Chris Mack as the 17th head basketball coach in the program's history.[10] A Cincinnati native and Xavier graduate, Mack compiled a record of 26–9 in his first year as head coach. Behind the play of 2010 NBA draft pick Jordan Crawford, Xavier advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen for a third straight season. Chris Mack, the 2009–10 Basketball Times Rookie Coach of the Year,[11] was the first Xavier head coach to lead the Musketeers to the Sweet Sixteen in his first season at the helm. With a 14–2 record in Atlantic 10 play, Xavier also won a share of their fourth straight conference championship.

Finishing with a 24–8 overall record including a 15–1 record in the A-10, Mack lead the Musketeers to a fifth consecutive A-10 title and another NCAA Tournament berth in 2010–11.

In a 2011–12 season filled with highs and lows. The early season was marred by the Crosstown Shootout brawl in their yearly rivalry game against Cincinnati. The Musketeers had reached as high as #8 in the AP Poll before numerous suspensions from the Crosstown Shootout brawl lead to the team losing 5 of their next 6 games. Xavier rebounded from this ugly incident and reached Mack's second Sweet Sixteen.

In 2013, Xavier joined the newly reconstituted Big East Conference following Big East conference realignment. Xavier became one of the new members of the new 10-team Big East with the "Catholic 7" (DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's, and Villanova) plus Butler and Creighton. Xavier finished their first season in the Big East with a record of 21–13, 10–8 to finish Big East play in a tie for third place. They received a bid to the NCAA Tournament, but lost in the First Round (First Four).

The 2014–15 season also saw a return to the Sweet Sixteen for the Musketeers. From 2008 to 2015, Xavier made five Sweet Sixteens, tied for third in the nation over that span behind only Louisville and Michigan State. The 2015–16 team finished second in the Big East to Villanova, Xavier's highest finish in the Big East, and advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.[12]

In 2017, Mack led Xavier to a 24–14 season and got the 11th seed in the West and advanced to the Elite Eight by defeating 6th seed Maryland, 3rd seed Florida State, and 2nd seed Arizona. In the Elite Eight they lost to Gonzaga.

Mack's 215 wins concluding the 2017–18 season placed him first in all-time wins in Xavier history.

Travis Steele era

On March 27, 2018, Mack was named the head coach at the University of Louisville.[13] Four days after Mack left Xavier for Louisville, longtime Xavier assistant coach Travis Steele was named head coach of the Musketeers.[14]

Season-by-season results
Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Harry Gilligan (Independent) (1919–1920)
1919–20 Harry Gilligan 0–1
Harry Gilligan: 0–1(.000)
Joe Meyer (Independent) (1920–1933)
1920–21 Joe Meyer 1–2
1921–22 Joe Meyer 2–4
1922–23 Joe Meyer 2–0
1923–24 Joe Meyer 12–4
1924–25 Joe Meyer 6–7
1925–26 Joe Meyer 10–8
1926–27 Joe Meyer 11–3
1927–28 Joe Meyer 8–1
1928–29 Joe Meyer 9–6
1929–30 Joe Meyer 8–8
1930–31 Joe Meyer 10–3
1931–32 Joe Meyer 10–3
1932–33 Joe Meyer 5–3
Joe Meyer: 94–52(.644)
Clem Crowe (Independent) (1933–1943)
1933–34 Clem Crowe 9–1
1934–35 Clem Crowe 14–4
1935–36 Clem Crowe 8–7
1936–37 Clem Crowe 7–7
1937–38 Clem Crowe 10–9
1938–39 Clem Crowe 13–7
1939–40 Clem Crowe 6–17
1940–41 Clem Crowe 13–9
1941–42 Clem Crowe 10–8
1942–43 Clem Crowe 6–10
Clem Crowe: 96–76(.558)
1943–44 No team
1944–45 No team
Ed Burns (Independent) (1945–1946)
1945–46 Ed Burns 3–16
Ed Burns: 3–16(.158)
Lew Hirt (Independent) (1946–1951)
1946–47 Lew Hirt 8–17
1947–48 Lew Hirt 24–8
1948–49 Lew Hirt 16–10
1949–50 Lew Hirt 12–16
1950–51 Lew Hirt 16–10
Lew Hirt: 76–61(.555)
Ned Wulk (Independent) (1952–1957)
1951–52 Ned Wulk 16–10
1952–53 Ned Wulk 161–12
1953–54 Ned Wulk 18–12
1954–55 Ned Wulk 13–13
1955–56 Ned Wulk 17–11
1956–57 Ned Wulk 20–8
Ned Wulk: 89–70(.560)
James McCafferty (Independent) (1957–1963)
1957–58 James McCafferty 19–11NIT Champions
1958–59 James McCafferty 12–13
1959–60 James McCafferty 17–9
1960–61 James McCafferty 17–10NCAA First Round
1961–62 James McCafferty 14–12
1962–63 James McCafferty 12–16
James McCafferty: 91–71(.562)
Don Ruberg (Independent) (1963–1967)
1963–64 Don Ruberg 16–10
1964–65 Don Ruberg 10–15
1965–66 Don Ruberg 13–13
1966–67 Don Ruberg 13–13
Don Ruberg: 52–51(.505)
George Krajack (Independent) (1967–1971)
1967–68 George Krajack 10–16
1968–69 George Krajack 10–16
1969–70 George Krajack 5–20
1970–71 George Krajack 9–17
George Krajack: 34–69(.330)
Dick Campbell (Independent) (1971–1973)
1971–72 Dick Campbell 12–14
1972–73 Dick Campbell 3–23
Dick Campbell: 15–37(.288)
Tay Baker (Independent) (1973–1979)
1973–74 Tay Baker 8–18
1974–75 Tay Baker 11–15
1975–76 Tay Baker 14–12
1976–77 Tay Baker 10–17
1977–78 Tay Baker 13–18
1978–79 Tay Baker 14–13
Tay Baker: 70–89(.440)
Bob Staak (Midwestern City Conference) (1979–1985)
1979–80 Bob Staak 8–180–56th
1980–81 Bob Staak 12–168–31st
1981–82 Bob Staak 8–201–117th
1982–83 Bob Staak 22–810–4T–2ndNCAA Opening Round
1983–84 Bob Staak 22–119–53rdNIT Quarterfinals
1984–85 Bob Staak 16–137–75th
Bob Staak: 88–86(.506)35–35(.500)
Pete Gillen (Midwestern Collegiate Conference) (1985–1994)
1985–86 Pete Gillen 25–510–21stNCAA First Round
1986–87 Pete Gillen 19–137–5T–3rdNCAA Second Round
1987–88 Pete Gillen 26–49–11stNCAA First Round
1988–89 Pete Gillen 21–127–53rdNCAA First Round
1989–90 Pete Gillen 28–512–21stNCAA Sweet Sixteen
1990–91 Pete Gillen 22–1011–31stNCAA Second Round
1991–92 Pete Gillen 15–127–3T–2nd
1992–93 Pete Gillen 24–612–2T–1stNCAA Second Round
1993–94 Pete Gillen 22–88–21stNIT Quarterfinals
Pete Gillen: 202–75(.729)83–25(.769)
Skip Prosser (Midwestern Collegiate Conference) (1994–1995)
1994–95 Skip Prosser 23–514–01stNCAA First Round
Skip Prosser (Atlantic 10) (1995–2001)
1995–96 Skip Prosser 13–158–83rd West
1996–97 Skip Prosser 23–613–31st WestNCAA Second Round
1997–98 Skip Prosser 22–811–5T–1st WestNCAA First Round
1998–99 Skip Prosser 25–1112–42nd WestNIT Third Place
1999–2000 Skip Prosser 21–129–7T–2nd WestNIT Second Round
2000–01 Skip Prosser 26–614–01stNCAA First Round
Skip Prosser: 148–65(.695)81–27(.750)
Thad Matta (Atlantic 10) (2001–2004)
2001–02 Thad Matta 26–614–21st WestNCAA Second Round
2002–03 Thad Matta 26–615–11st WestNCAA Second Round
2003–04 Thad Matta 26–1110–63rd WestNCAA Elite Eight
Thad Matta: 78–23(.772)39–9(.976)
Sean Miller (Atlantic 10) (2004–2009)
2004–05 Sean Miller 17–1210–6T–2nd West
2005–06 Sean Miller 21–118–8T–7thNCAA First Round
2006–07 Sean Miller 25–913–3T–1stNCAA Second Round
2007–08 Sean Miller 30–714–21stNCAA Elite Eight
2008–09 Sean Miller 27–812–41stNCAA Sweet Sixteen
Sean Miller: 120–47(.719)57–23(.713)
Chris Mack (Atlantic 10) (2009–2013)
2009–10 Chris Mack 26–914–2T–1stNCAA Sweet Sixteen
2010–11 Chris Mack 24–815–11stNCAA First Round
2011–12 Chris Mack 21–1210–6T–3rdNCAA Sweet Sixteen
2012–13 Chris Mack 17–149–76th
Chris Mack (Big East) (2013–2018)
2013–14 Chris Mack 21–1210–83rdNCAA First Round ("First Four")
2014–15 Chris Mack 23–149–96thNCAA Sweet Sixteen
2015–16 Chris Mack 28–614–42ndNCAA Second Round
2016–17 Chris Mack 22–139–97thNCAA Elite Eight
2017–18 Chris Mack 29–615–31stNCAA Second Round
Chris Mack: 215–97 (.689)105–49 (.682)
Travis Steele (Big East) (2018–present)
2018–19 Travis Steele 19–169–94thNIT Second Round
Travis Steele: 19–16 (.543)9–9 (.500)
Total:1490–1002 (.598)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Source.[15]

Home courts

Cintas Center

Xavier currently plays its home games at the Cintas Center, a 10,224 seat multi-purpose arena that opened in 2000. The Cintas Center is the fifth different home site in program history.

At Cintas Center, Xavier enjoys one of the nation's best home court advantages. As of April 2018 the Musketeers have compiled a 258–41 (an .863 winning percentage) record since moving to its on-campus home in 2000. Xavier enjoyed a 15–0 mark at home during the 2009–10, its only perfect record for a season at Cintas Center. During the 2017–2018 season, the Musketeers set a Cintas Center record with 17 home victories. The building was named the #3 "Toughest Place to Play" on EA Sports' NCAA Basketball '10. In August 2018 the NCAA named it as the 8th toughest home court in college basketball.[16]

Through the 2018–2019 season, Cintas Center has hosted 3,011,308 fans for Xavier home games and the Musketeers have averaged 10,071 fans (better than 98% capacity) per game during that time. The 2017–2018 season marked the highest average attendance in Cintas Center history with an average 10,475 (over 102% capacity) Musketeer fans at each home game.

Season Record Pct. Games Attendance Average Sellouts
2000–0113–1.92914141,011[17]10,07212
2001–0213–1.92914143,129[18]10,22413
2002–0314–1.93315152,664[19]10,17814
2003–0413–3.81316158,432[20]9,9028
2004–0512–4.75016160,42910,0277
2005–0611–4.73315146,615[21]9,7744
2006–0714–1.93315148,650[22]9,9105
2007–0816–1.94117170,133[23]10,0089
2008–0914–1.93315151,456[24]10,09711
2009–1015–01.00015151,843[25]10,1237
2010–1114–1.93315151,475[26]10,0989
2011–1213–3.81316162,474[27]10,15510
2012–13 11–4 .733 15 146,710[28] 9,781 1
2013–14 15–2 .882 17 168,127[29] 9,890 7
2014–15 13–3 .813 16 159,974[30] 9,998 9
2015–16 15–1 .938 16 164,501[31] 10,281 11
2016–17 12–4 .750 16 164,520[32] 10,282 12
2017-18 17-1 .944 18 188,554[33] 10,475 18
2018-19 13-5 .722 18 180,611[34] 10,034 13
2000-19 258-41 .863 299 3,011,308 10,071 180

Cincinnati Gardens

The Musketeers played their final season at Cincinnati Gardens in 1999–2000. Located 2 miles from the Xavier campus, the Gardens was the home court for the Xavier Musketeers since 1983–84 season.

The Xavier men's team played all of its regular season games off campus at the Cincinnati Gardens for 17 years, beginning with the 1983–84 season and ending with an NIT game against Marquette in the 1999–2000 season. The only exception was a game against Florida International that was played at Schmidt Fieldhouse on January 9, 1988.[35]

Xavier compiled an impressive 215–25 (.896) record after moving to the Gardens in the 1983–84 season, including 14–1 in its final season.

Schmidt Fieldhouse

Prior to moving to the Cincinnati Gardens in the 1983–84 season, Xavier called Schmidt Fieldhouse home. Located on the west side of the Xavier Campus, Xavier compiled an impressive 326–129 (.716) record at the Fieldhouse.[36]

Until opening Cintas Center, the men's basketball team had only played one regular season game on campus since early in the 1983–84 season. Xavier scored a school-record point total in a 125–84 win over Florida International on Saturday, January 9, 1988.

Other home courts

The Musketeers have also used Riverfront Coliseum and the Fenwick Club.

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Musketeers have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 28 times. Their combined record is 28–28.[37]

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1961First RoundMorehead StateL 66–71
1983No. 12Preliminary RoundNo. 12 Alcorn StateL 75–81
1986No. 12First RoundNo. 5 AlabamaL 80–97
1987No. 13First Round
Second Round		No. 4 Missouri
No. 5 Duke		W 70–69
L 60–65
1988No. 11First RoundNo. 6 KansasL 72–85
1989No. 14First RoundNo. 3 MichiganL 87–92
1990No. 6First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		No. 11 Kansas State
No. 3 Georgetown
No. 10 Texas		W 87–79
W 74–71
L 89–102
1991No. 14First Round
Second Round		No. 3 Nebraska
No. 11 Connecticut		W 89–84
L 50–66
1993No. 9First Round
Second Round		No. 8 New Orleans
No. 1 Indiana		W 73–55
L 70–73
1995No. 11First RoundNo. 6 GeorgetownL 63–68
1997No. 7First Round
Second Round		No. 10 Vanderbilt
No. 2 UCLA		W 80–68
L 83–96
1998No. 6First RoundNo. 11 WashingtonL 68–69
2001No. 11First RoundNo. 6 Notre DameL 71–83
2002No. 7First Round
Second Round		No. 10 Hawaii
No. 2 Oklahoma		W 70–58
L 65–78
2003No. 3First Round
Second Round		No. 14 Troy State
No. 6 Maryland		W 71–59
L 64–77
2004No. 7First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		No. 10 Louisville
No. 2 Mississippi State
No. 3 Texas
No. 1 Duke		W 80–70
W 89–74
W 79–71
L 63–66
2006No. 14First RoundNo. No. 3 GonzagaL 75–79
2007No. 9First Round
Second Round		No. 8 BYU
No. 1 Ohio State		W 79–77
L 71–78 OT
2008No. 3First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		No. 14 Georgia
No. 6 Purdue
No. 7 West Virginia
No. 1 UCLA		W 73–61
W 85–78
W 79–75 OT
L 57–76
2009No. 4First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		No. 13 Portland State
No. 12 Wisconsin
No. 1 Pittsburgh		W 77–59
W 60–49
L 55–60
2010No. 6First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		No. 11 Minnesota
No. 3 Pittsburgh
No. 2 Kansas State		W 65–54
W 71–68
L 96–101 2OT
2011No. 6Second RoundNo. 11 MarquetteL 55–66
2012No. 10Second Round
Third Round
Sweet Sixteen		No. 7 Notre Dame
No. 15 Lehigh
No. 3 Baylor		W 67–63
W 70–58
L 70–75
2014No. 12First FourNo. 12 NC StateL 59–74
2015No. 6Second Round
Third Round
Sweet Sixteen		No. 11 Ole Miss
No. 14 Georgia State
No. 2 Arizona		W 76–57
W 75–67
L 60–68
2016No. 2First Round
Second Round		No. 15 Weber State
No. 7 Wisconsin		W 71–53
L 63–66
2017No. 11First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		No. 6 Maryland
No. 3 Florida State
No. 2 Arizona
No. 1 Gonzaga		W 76–65
W 91–66
W 73–71
L 59–83
2018No. 1First Round
Second Round		No. 16 Texas Southern
No. 9 Florida State		W 102–83
L 70–75

*Following the introduction of the "First Four" round in 2011, the Round of 64 and Round of 32 were referred to as the Second Round and Third Round, respectively, from 2011 to 2015. Then from 2016 moving forward, the Round 64 and Round of 32 will be called the First and Second rounds, as they were prior to 2011.

NCAA Tournament seeding history

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.

Years '83 '86 '87 '88 '89 '90 '91 '93 '95 '97 '98 '01 '02 '03 '04 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '14 '15 '16 '17 '18
Seeds 121213111461491176117371493466101262 111

NIT results

The Musketeers have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) eight times. Their combined record is 16–7. They were NIT Champions in 1958.

Year Round Opponent Result
1956First Round
Quarterfinals		Saint Louis
Dayton		W 84–80
L 68–72
1957First Round
Quarterfinals		Seton Hall
Bradley		W 85–79
L 81–116
1958First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals		Niagara
Bradley
St. Bonaventure
Dayton		W 95–86
W 72–62
W 72–53
W 78–74
1984First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		Ohio State
Nebraska
Michigan		W 60–57
W 58–57
L 62–63
1994First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		Miami (OH)
Northwestern
Villanova		W 80–68
W 83–79
L 74–76
1999First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game		Toledo
Wake Forest
Princeton
Clemson
Oregon		W 86–84
W 87–76
W 65–58
L 76–79
W 106–75
2000First Round
Second Round		Marquette
Notre Dame		W 67–63
L 64–76
2019First Round
Second Round		Toldeo
Texas		W 78–64
L 76–78OT

NAIA tournament results

The Musketeers have appeared in the NAIA Tournament one time. Their record is 3–2.

Year Round Opponent Result
1948First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game		Northwestern State
New Britain State
Mankato State
Louisville
Hamline		W 67–43
W 57–35
W 62–50
L 49–56
L 58–59

Musketeers in the NBA

Xavier Players in the NBA Draft All-Time:

Year Player Team Round Pick
1949Malcom McMullenIndianapolis——
1952Gene SmithMinneapolis——
1953Huck BuddeMinneapolis9—
1954Bob HeimBaltimore6—
1956Dave PiontekRochester3—
1957Jim BootheCincinnati12—
1958Frank TartaronCincinnati11—
1959Hank SteinSt. Louis3—
Joe VivianoCincinnati10—
1962Jack ThobeCincinnati433
Bill KirvinPhiladelphia870
Frank PinchbackCincinnati1195
1964Joe GeigerCincinnati8—
Bob PelkingtonPhiladelphia8—
1966Bryan WilliamsSt. Louis8—
1968Bob QuickBaltimore218
1969Luther RackleyCincinnati337
1973Bob FullartonBuffalo9140
Conny WarrenPhiladelphia12175
1979Nick DanielsKansas City7145
1983Tony HicksMilwaukee7157
Jon HanleyCleveland10208
1984Vic FlemingPortland226
Jeff JenkinsSeattle483
John ShimkoCleveland9187
Dexter BaileyDenver10215
1990Tyrone HillGolden State111
Derek StrongPhiladelphia247
1994Brian GrantSacramento18
1998Torraye BraggsUtah257
1999James PoseyDenver118
2003David WestWarriors118
2004Lionel ChalmersL.A. Clippers233
David YoungSeattle241
Romain SatoSan Antonio252
2009Derrick BrownCharlotte240
2010Jordan CrawfordNew Jersey127
2014Semaj ChristonMiami255
2017Edmond SumnerNew Orleans252
  Active players
2018 J.P. Macura Charlotte
2018 Trevon Blueitt New Orleans
Chart Data[38]

Musketeers overseas

Awards

All-Americans

Xavier has a total of 20 players who have won All-American honors during their careers with the program.

Conference Player of the Year
Year Player Conference
1985–86
1987–88		Byron Larkin Midwestern Collegiate Conference
1989–90Tyrone Hill Midwestern Collegiate Conference
1992–93
1993–94		Brian Grant Midwestern Collegiate Conference
2000–01
2001–02
2002–03		David WestAtlantic 10
2010–11Tu HollowayAtlantic 10

Retired jerseys
Retired Basketball Jerseys

Byron
Larkin
23
Class of ‘88
Tyrone
Hill
42
Class of ‘90
Brian
Grant
33
Class of ‘94
David
West
30
Class of ‘03

Former university President Fr. James Hoff has also had a "jersey" retired in memory of all that he contributed to the school and basketball program. This was unveiled before a 2004 meeting with Creighton, where Hoff was vice president of university relations and President of the Creighton Foundation. Fr. Hoff died from cancer in 2004.

Coaching history
Name (Alma Mater) Seasons Games Wins Losses Win % NCAA Tour NIT Tour MCC Tour A-10 Tour Big East Tour
Pete Gillen (Fairfield)9 (1985–94)27720275.7295–72–117–40–00–0
Chris Mack (Xavier)9 (2009–18)27621597.69411–80–00–03–47–5
Skip Prosser (Merchant Marine Acad.)7 (1994–01)21314865.6951–45–20–16–50–0
Sean Miller (Pittsburgh)5 (2004–09)16712047.7196–40–00–08–40–0
Cameron Crowe (Notre Dame)10 (1933–43)1749678.5520–00–00–00–00–0
Joe Meyer (Xavier)13 (1920–33)1469452.6180–00–00–00–00–0
Jim McCafferty (Loyola, La.)6 (1957–63)1629171.5620–14–00–00–00–0
Ned Wulk (LaCrosse)6 (1951–57)1598970.5600–02–20–00–00–0
Bob Staak (Connecticut)6 (1979–85)1748886.5060–12–17–50–00–0
Thad Matta (Butler)3 (2001–04)1017823.7725–30–00–08–10–0
Lew Hirt (DePauw)5 (1946–51)1377661.5550–00–00–00–00–0
Tay Baker (Cincinnati)6 (1973–79)1597089.4400–00–00–00–00–0
Don Ruberg (Xavier)4 (1963–67)1035251.5050–00–00–00–00–0
George Krajack (Clemson)4 (1967–71)1033469.3300–00–00–00–00–0
Dick Campbell (Furman)2 (1971–73)521537.2880–00–00–00–00–0
Ed Burns (Xavier)1 (1945–46)19316.1580–00–00–00–00–0
Harry Gilligan (Xavier)1 (1919–20)101.0000–00–00–00–00–0
Chart Data[36]

Basketball and academics

NCAA academic progress rate

In May 2010, the NCAA honored a school-record tying eight Xavier University athletic programs with Public Recognition Awards for academic excellence.[39] The award is given to the top-ten percent of teams in each sport based on the NCAA Academic Progress Rate. The APR is a term-by-term progress for every student-athlete in Division I athletics. Out of the 65 teams to make the 2010 NCAA Tournament Xavier had the 11th highest Academic Progress Rate.[40]

Graduation

Since 1986, Xavier has graduated every men's basketball player that has exhausted his eligibility.[40]

Sister Rose Ann Fleming

During the 2010 NCAA Tournament Xavier's Academic Advisor Sister Rose Ann Fleming garnered considerable national attention for the role she has played in the program's academic success. Fleming was featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and on both ABC's Good Morning America and NBC Nightly News. Fleming has over 40 years of experience as an educator. She was president of Cincinnati's Summit Country Day School from 1975 to 1976 and president of Trinity College in Washington, D.C. from 1976 to 1982.[41] In addition to the national recognition she received during the 2010 NCAA Tournament she has also been featured in Reader's Digest, Woman's Day, was voted one of the Cincinnati Enquirer's Women of the Year, and was the subject of a promotional spot on The Family Channel.[41]

Success Overseas

Success overseas

Seventeen former Xavier players are currently playing professionally overseas.

Romain Sato, 2010 Italian League MVP, won two straight Italian League Championships in 2009 and 2010. Sato signed with Panathinaikos in Athens, Greece, for the 2010–11 season.[42] More recently, Justin Doellman was named ACB MVP in 2014 while with Valencia.

Year Player Home Town Country
2016Remy AbellLouisville, Kentucky
2015Matt StainbrookLakewood, Ohio
2012Kenny FreaseMassillon, Ohio
2012Tu HollowayHempstead, New York
2011Jamel McLeanHampton, Virginia
2010Jason LovePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
2009B.J. RaymondToledo, Ohio
2008Josh DuncanCincinnati, Ohio
2008Stanley BurrellIndianapolis, Indiana
2007Justin DoellmanUnion, Kentucky
2007Justin CageIndianapolis, Indiana
2007Brandon ColeChicago, Illinois
2006Will CaudleIndianapolis, Indiana
2004Lionel ChalmersAlbany, New York
2004Romain SatoCentral African Republic
2004Anthony MylesChicago, Illinois
2000Reggie ButlerDetroit, Michigan

Rivalries

Crosstown Shootout

Xavier's main rival is the University of Cincinnati. The two schools play annually in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout. Xavier's record in the Shootout is 35–50.

Other rivals

Xavier and Dayton play for the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy, named for former coaches at the respective universities. As of the 2015–2016 season, Dayton has not beaten Xavier on Xavier's home floor in 35 years.[43] Dayton maintains a lead in the overall series 85–76, but Xavier has controlled the series for years by going 23–8 since 2001.

Xavier also maintains a heated rivalry with Butler, with the Musketeers leading the overall series, 37–19, winning 3 of the last 5 matchups. (Xavier has lost the last two in a row.)The two teams play each other twice per year in regular season Big East play.

Starting with the 2009–10 season, Xavier began a ten-year alternating home court game with Wake Forest, known as the Skip Prosser Classic, who coached at both schools.[44] Since the rivalry started, Xavier leads the all-time series 5–3.

References
  1. Xavier University: Brand and Graphic Identity Guide (PDF). Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  2. Brennan, Eamonn. "50 in 50 rankings". ESPN. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
  3. ESPN Stats & Info (March 12, 2018). "Xavier is making its first appearance as a No. 1 seed looking for its first Final Four appearance. The Musketeers have won 27 NCAA Tournament games, the most all-time by a school never to reach the Final Four.For reference, their rival, Cincinnati, reached the Championship game long before the internet was invented". Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  4. Schwartz, Peter J. (March 16, 2009). "The Most Valuable College Basketball Teams". forbes.com. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
  5. 2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 196.
  6. 2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 183.
  7. "Sean Miller is Xavier's New Head Basketball Coach". goxavier.com. Retrieved July 8, 2004.
  8. "Xavier Playing Above Mid Major Status". espn.com. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
  9. "Xavier, Memphis top non-BCS schools". espn.com. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
  10. "Chris Mack Introduced As Xavier's New Men's Basketball Head Coach". goxavier.com. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
  11. "Chris Mack Honored As Basketball Times Rookie Coach Of The Year". goxavier.com. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
  12. "Wisconsin vs. Xavier – Game Recap – March 20, 2016 – ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  13. "Sources: Louisville, Mack agree to 7-year deal". Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  14. Borzello, Jeff (March 31, 2018). "Musketeers promote longtime assistant Travis Steele to head coach". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. "These are the toughest home courts in college basketball | NCAA.com". NCAA.com. August 14, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  17. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2001.pdf
  18. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2002.pdf
  19. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2003.pdf
  20. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2004.pdf
  21. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2006.pdf
  22. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2007.pdf
  23. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2008.pdf
  24. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2009.pdf
  25. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2010.pdf
  26. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2011.pdf
  27. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2012.pdf
  28. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2013.pdf
  29. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2014.pdf
  30. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2015.pdf
  31. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2016.pdf
  32. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2017.pdf
  33. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2019/Attendance.pdf
  34. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2020/Attendance.pdf
  35. 2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 146.
  36. 2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 144.
  37. "Xavier". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  38. 2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 154.
  39. "NCAA Honors Eight Xavier Programs For Being In The Top 10 Percent Of The Latest APR". goxavier.com. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  40. Branch, John (March 15, 2010). "At Xavier, Nun Works Out Players' Academic Side". nytimes.com. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  41. "Sister Rose Ann Fleming, Xavier Athletics". goxavier.com. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
  42. 2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 42.
  43. "Dayton vs. Xavier – Game Recap – January 30, 2013 – ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  44. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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