Men's Basketball Hosts Thomas More In Saturday Exhibition Opener

Saturday, November 4

Cincinnati, Ohio

4 p.m.

Xavier University

Thomas More College

Men's Basketball Hosts Thomas More In Saturday Exhibition Opener

11.03.17 | Men's Basketball

XU-TMC Exhibition game notes

Musketeers are ranked No. 17 in both major polls.

By: Tom Eiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

Xavier opens the 2017-18 season with its lone public exhibition game on Saturday, Nov. 4 vs. Thomas More College, an NCAA Division III school.

THE MATCHUP

EXHIBITION SEASON OPENER
NO. 17/17 Xavier University Musketeers (0-0, 0-0 BIG east)
Vs. Thomas More College Saints (0-0, 0-0 PAC)
Saturday, November 4, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. ET
Cintas Center (10,224) in Cincinnati, Ohio

TV/RADIO/LIVE STATS

Television: N/A
Radio: N/A
Live Stats: Fan stats at GoXavier.com

STORYLINES

• Thomas More, an NCAA Division III member from nearby Crestview Hills, Ky., finished the 2016-17 season with a 22-7 overall record, including 15-3 in the PAC (Presidents' Athletic Conference), and a trip to the NCAA Div. III Tournament.
• Thomas More opened its season last week with a 103-61 exhibition loss at Kentucky on Oct. 27.
• Xavier, 24-14, recorded its fourth straight 20-win season and its 11th in 12 years in the 2016-17 season, earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.
• Xavier is ranked 17th in the two major preseason polls, the Associated Press Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll.
• Xavier is playing its lone public exhibition game of the season. XU hosts Morehead State next Friday for Opening Night at Cintas Center.
• Xavier and Thomas More have played 14 times in the regular season with XU holding a 12-2 advantage. The Musketeers won the last regular season meeting 88-76 during the 1982-83 season at Schmidt Fieldhouse (12-30-82).
• Xavier senior guard Trevon Bluiett, a two-time First Team All-BIG EAST selection, has been selected preseason All-BIG EAST First Team. Senior guard J.P. Macura has been selected preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention. The duo has scored a combined 2,639 points in their XU careers, third among active duos in the nation.
• Xavier senior guard Trevon Bluiett has made numerous preseason All-America lists so far, including second team honors from NBC Sports and Athlon Sports.
• Xavier has made it to at least the Sweet 16 six times in the last 10 years, one of only nine schools that have been to at least six since 2008.
• Xavier played in its fourth straight NCAA Tournament and its 11th in the last 12 years; only eight schools have been to at least 11 of the last 12 tournaments.
• Xavier's Hall of Fame radio play-by-play team of Joe Sunderman and Byron Larkin, beginning their 20th season together, host this season's first Chris Mack Radio Show on Thursday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at Delicio Coal Fired Pizza at University Station.

TICKETS

All tickets for the exhibition game are $20 each. Single-game tickets are on sale now online through GoXavier.com, online at Ticketmaster.com, over the phone with Ticketmaster by calling 800-745-3000 or in person at the Xavier Athletics Ticket Office.