Xavier University Athletics

Men's Basketball Closes Out The Non-Conference Schedule On Friday
12.19.18 | Men's Basketball
Musketeers are looking to bounce back after the Tuesday loss at Missouri.
CINCINNATI --- The Xavier Musketeers, 7-5, host the Detroit Mercy Titans, 3-8, in their final non-conference game before opening BIG EAST Conference play on Dec. 29 at DePaul.
Detroit Mercy, 3-8, is coming off a 63-61 loss to Ohio on Dec. 15. UDM's wins have come over Loyola (Md.), Bowling Green and at Eastern Michigan. The Titans open Horizon League play next Friday at Youngstown State. The first-year head coach of the Titans is former Indiana and Texas Southern head coach Mike Davis. UDM's top player is the coach's son, freshman Antoine Davis, who is averaging 26.6 ppg.
The Xavier-Detroit Mercy matchup is part of the nationwide Jesuit Basketball Spotlight (JBS) project that uses Jesuit basketball to raise awareness of Jesuit education. Xavier is one of the 28 Jesuit schools, as are Detroit Mercy and fellow BIG EAST Conference members Creighton, Georgetown and Marquette.
UDM is a familiar foe. Xavier played 16 seasons in the MCC (Midwestern City Conference and later the Midwestern Collegiate Conference) and Detroit Mercy (then known as just Detroit) was a rival for 15 of those 16 years. Xavier never played in the conference under its current name, the Horizon League. Xavier leads the series 51-43, including wins in each of the last three meetings. The two teams have met once (2006-07 season) since Xavier left the MCC after the 1994-95 season. XU won that game 88-55 at Cintas Center (12-5-06).
Xavier University Musketeers (7-5, 0-0 BIG EAST)
University of Detroit Mercy Titans (3-8, 0-0 Horizon)
Friday, Dec. 21, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Cintas Center (10,224) in Cincinnati
Television: FS2 with play-by-play from Jay Alter and analysis from Stephen Howard.
Xavier Radio: 700 WLW-AM, including via iHeart Radio and TuneIn and Sirius XM (381) and Internet (972), with play-by-play from XU Hall of Famer and former Musketeer standout Joe Sunderman ('79). Analysis will be provided by Xavier Hall of Famer and XU all-time leading scorer Byron Larkin ('88).
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com. Fan stats at GoXavier.com.
• Xavier is playing its final non-conference game before opening BIG EAST
Conference play on Dec. 29 at DePaul. XU won its first BIG EAST Conference Regular Season Championship last season.
• Xavier played 16 seasons in the MCC (Midwestern City Conference and later the Midwestern Collegiate Conference and now the Horizon League) and Detroit Mercy (known as just Detroit in its MCC days) was a rival for 15 of those 16 years.
• Xavier has won its last four games played at Cintas Center.
• Xavier junior Quentin Goodin leads the team in scoring (13.5 ppg.) and leads the team in assists (third in the BIG EAST at 5.1 apg.) following his career-high 21-point game to go with six assists at Missouri on Tuesday.
• Xavier's Quentin Goodin earned a spot on the latest BIG EAST Conference Weekly Honor Roll after leading XU with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go with 10 assists and a career-high seven steals last Saturday vs. Eastern Kentucky.
• Xavier sophomore Naji Marshall is second on the team in scoring (12.5 ppg.), rebounding (eighth in the BIG EAST at 7.6 rpg.) and assists (11th in the BIG EAST at 3.4 apg.).
• Xavier junior Tyrique Jones is fourth in the BIG EAST Conference in rebounding (7.8 rpg.) and leads the BIG EAST in offensive rebounding (3.4 rpg.).
• Xavier graduate transfer Zach Hankins is second in the BIG EAST Conference in field goal percentage (.742) and is seventh in the BIG EAST in blocks (1.2 bpg.).
• Xavier placed six players in double figures in scoring vs. Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 15 and has four players averaging in double figures in scoring through 12 games.
• Xavier played in its fifth straight NCAA Tournament and its 12th in 13 years in 2018. XU earned a No. 1 seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
• Xavier has graduated 109 straight men's basketball seniors dating back to the 1985-86 school year.
Detroit Mercy, 3-8, is coming off a 63-61 loss to Ohio on Dec. 15. UDM's wins have come over Loyola (Md.), Bowling Green and at Eastern Michigan. The Titans open Horizon League play next Friday at Youngstown State. The first-year head coach of the Titans is former Indiana and Texas Southern head coach Mike Davis. UDM's top player is the coach's son, freshman Antoine Davis, who is averaging 26.6 ppg.
The Xavier-Detroit Mercy matchup is part of the nationwide Jesuit Basketball Spotlight (JBS) project that uses Jesuit basketball to raise awareness of Jesuit education. Xavier is one of the 28 Jesuit schools, as are Detroit Mercy and fellow BIG EAST Conference members Creighton, Georgetown and Marquette.
UDM is a familiar foe. Xavier played 16 seasons in the MCC (Midwestern City Conference and later the Midwestern Collegiate Conference) and Detroit Mercy (then known as just Detroit) was a rival for 15 of those 16 years. Xavier never played in the conference under its current name, the Horizon League. Xavier leads the series 51-43, including wins in each of the last three meetings. The two teams have met once (2006-07 season) since Xavier left the MCC after the 1994-95 season. XU won that game 88-55 at Cintas Center (12-5-06).
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THE MATCHUP |
Xavier University Musketeers (7-5, 0-0 BIG EAST)
University of Detroit Mercy Titans (3-8, 0-0 Horizon)
Friday, Dec. 21, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Cintas Center (10,224) in Cincinnati
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TV, RADIO AND LIVE STATS |
Television: FS2 with play-by-play from Jay Alter and analysis from Stephen Howard.
Xavier Radio: 700 WLW-AM, including via iHeart Radio and TuneIn and Sirius XM (381) and Internet (972), with play-by-play from XU Hall of Famer and former Musketeer standout Joe Sunderman ('79). Analysis will be provided by Xavier Hall of Famer and XU all-time leading scorer Byron Larkin ('88).
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com. Fan stats at GoXavier.com.
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X FACTORS |
• Xavier is playing its final non-conference game before opening BIG EAST
Conference play on Dec. 29 at DePaul. XU won its first BIG EAST Conference Regular Season Championship last season.
• Xavier played 16 seasons in the MCC (Midwestern City Conference and later the Midwestern Collegiate Conference and now the Horizon League) and Detroit Mercy (known as just Detroit in its MCC days) was a rival for 15 of those 16 years.
• Xavier has won its last four games played at Cintas Center.
• Xavier junior Quentin Goodin leads the team in scoring (13.5 ppg.) and leads the team in assists (third in the BIG EAST at 5.1 apg.) following his career-high 21-point game to go with six assists at Missouri on Tuesday.
• Xavier's Quentin Goodin earned a spot on the latest BIG EAST Conference Weekly Honor Roll after leading XU with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go with 10 assists and a career-high seven steals last Saturday vs. Eastern Kentucky.
• Xavier sophomore Naji Marshall is second on the team in scoring (12.5 ppg.), rebounding (eighth in the BIG EAST at 7.6 rpg.) and assists (11th in the BIG EAST at 3.4 apg.).
• Xavier junior Tyrique Jones is fourth in the BIG EAST Conference in rebounding (7.8 rpg.) and leads the BIG EAST in offensive rebounding (3.4 rpg.).
• Xavier graduate transfer Zach Hankins is second in the BIG EAST Conference in field goal percentage (.742) and is seventh in the BIG EAST in blocks (1.2 bpg.).
• Xavier placed six players in double figures in scoring vs. Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 15 and has four players averaging in double figures in scoring through 12 games.
• Xavier played in its fifth straight NCAA Tournament and its 12th in 13 years in 2018. XU earned a No. 1 seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
• Xavier has graduated 109 straight men's basketball seniors dating back to the 1985-86 school year.
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PRESS CONFERENCE |
Players Mentioned
PRESS CONFERENCE | Richard Pitino (9-22-2025)
Monday, September 22
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Pape N’Diaye
Thursday, August 21
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Malik Messina-Moore
Tuesday, August 19
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Filip Borovicanin
Thursday, August 14