Xavier University Athletics
Wednesday, March 20
Cincinnati, Ohio
7 p.m.
Xavier University
vs
Toledo
Men's Basketball Faces Off With Toledo On Wednesday At Cintas Center
03.18.19 | Men's Basketball
Xavier has won seven of its last nine games.
CINCINNATI --- The No. 3 seed Xavier University Musketeers, 18-15 overall, host the No. 6 seed University of Toledo Rockets, 25-7 overall, on Wednesday night at Cintas Center in National Invitation Tournament First Round action. XU has won seven of its last nine games.
Xavier is 15-6 in the postseason National Invitation Tournament, although this is its first NIT appearance since 2000 when it beat Marquette in the first round in the final game played at Cincinnati Gardens on March 15, 2000, before losing at Notre Dame in the second round. Xavier reached at least the NIT Quarterfinals in each of its first six appearances, including the 1958 NIT Championship run.
The Musketeers are 6-0 as the home team in NIT games, including 1-0 in 2000 (Marquette), 2-0 in 1999 (Wake Forest and Princeton), 1-0 in 1994 (Miami [Ohio]) and 2-0 in 1984 (Ohio State and Nebraska). All six of those games were played at Cincinnati Gardens.
Xavier leads the series with Toledo 13-11, including wins in each of the last four meetings. Xavier captured an 81-65 win at Cintas Center in the last meeting in the 2008-09 season (11-17-08). XU and UT have met once before in the NIT with the Musketeers defeating the Rockets 86-84 at Toledo in the 1999 NIT (3-10-99). Xavier won three more games in that 1999 NIT, including the third-place game at Madison Square Garden.
No. 3 Seed Xavier University Musketeers (18-15)
No. 6 Seed University of Toledo Rockets (25-7)
Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. ET
NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND
Cintas Center (10,224) in Cincinnati
Television: ESPN3 with Jim Barbar and Rob Kennedy.
Radio: 55KRC-AM, including via iHeart Radio and TuneIn, with play-by-play from XU Hall of Famer and former XU 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, 18-15 overall, won seven of its last nine games, a stretch that included wins over Villanova, at Seton Hall, St. John's (home and away), Creighton (home and neutral site) and at Providence. All of those teams are in the NCAA Tournament or NIT.
• Xavier tied for third place at 9-9 in the BIG EAST Conference regular season race.
• Xavier is one of five BIG EAST members in the NIT. All 10 BIG EAST members have been selected for postseason, including four in the NCAA Tournament and one CBI.
• Xavier is making its sixth straight postseason appearance and its 13th in 14 years. This is XU's first NIT appearance since 2000.
• Xavier head coach Travis Steele was named as a finalist for the Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year Award, which is given annually to the nation's top first-year head coach in Division I.
• Xavier has five players averaging in double figures in scoring.
• Xavier sophomore Naji Marshall, Second Team All-BIG EAST selection, leads the team in scoring (13th in the BIG EAST at 14.4 ppg.) and is second in rebounding (ninth in the BIG EAST at 6.7 rpg.) and assists (10th in BIG EAST at 3.4 apg.).
• Xavier graduate transfer Zach Hankins, who averaged team highs of 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks for XU's two BIG EAST Tournament games, leads the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.683) and is second in blocks (1.6 bpg.).
• Xavier soph. Paul Scruggs was on the BIG EAST Conference Championship All-Tournament Team. He averaged 18.5 ppg., 7.0 rpg. and 5.0 apg. for two games, including career highs of 28 points and 11 rebounds plus seven asssists vs. Villanova.
• Xavier junior Quentin Goodin, who leads the team in assists (third in BIG EAST at 4.8 apg.), has 441 career assists and is ninth on XU's all-time career assist leader list. He has 139 assists this season in 29 games, his third straight 100+ assist season.
• Xavier junior Tyrique Jones leads XU in rebounding (fourth in the BIG EAST at 7.6 rpg.) and offensive rebounding (first in the BIG EAST at 3.3 rpg.).
• Xavier has graduated 109 straight men's basketball seniors.
Xavier is 15-6 in the postseason National Invitation Tournament, although this is its first NIT appearance since 2000 when it beat Marquette in the first round in the final game played at Cincinnati Gardens on March 15, 2000, before losing at Notre Dame in the second round. Xavier reached at least the NIT Quarterfinals in each of its first six appearances, including the 1958 NIT Championship run.
The Musketeers are 6-0 as the home team in NIT games, including 1-0 in 2000 (Marquette), 2-0 in 1999 (Wake Forest and Princeton), 1-0 in 1994 (Miami [Ohio]) and 2-0 in 1984 (Ohio State and Nebraska). All six of those games were played at Cincinnati Gardens.
Xavier leads the series with Toledo 13-11, including wins in each of the last four meetings. Xavier captured an 81-65 win at Cintas Center in the last meeting in the 2008-09 season (11-17-08). XU and UT have met once before in the NIT with the Musketeers defeating the Rockets 86-84 at Toledo in the 1999 NIT (3-10-99). Xavier won three more games in that 1999 NIT, including the third-place game at Madison Square Garden.
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THE MATCHUP |
No. 3 Seed Xavier University Musketeers (18-15)
No. 6 Seed University of Toledo Rockets (25-7)
Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. ET
NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND
Cintas Center (10,224) in Cincinnati
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TV, RADIO AND LIVE STATS |
Television: ESPN3 with Jim Barbar and Rob Kennedy.
Radio: 55KRC-AM, including via iHeart Radio and TuneIn, with play-by-play from XU Hall of Famer and former XU 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, 18-15 overall, won seven of its last nine games, a stretch that included wins over Villanova, at Seton Hall, St. John's (home and away), Creighton (home and neutral site) and at Providence. All of those teams are in the NCAA Tournament or NIT.
• Xavier tied for third place at 9-9 in the BIG EAST Conference regular season race.
• Xavier is one of five BIG EAST members in the NIT. All 10 BIG EAST members have been selected for postseason, including four in the NCAA Tournament and one CBI.
• Xavier is making its sixth straight postseason appearance and its 13th in 14 years. This is XU's first NIT appearance since 2000.
• Xavier head coach Travis Steele was named as a finalist for the Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year Award, which is given annually to the nation's top first-year head coach in Division I.
• Xavier has five players averaging in double figures in scoring.
• Xavier sophomore Naji Marshall, Second Team All-BIG EAST selection, leads the team in scoring (13th in the BIG EAST at 14.4 ppg.) and is second in rebounding (ninth in the BIG EAST at 6.7 rpg.) and assists (10th in BIG EAST at 3.4 apg.).
• Xavier graduate transfer Zach Hankins, who averaged team highs of 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks for XU's two BIG EAST Tournament games, leads the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.683) and is second in blocks (1.6 bpg.).
• Xavier soph. Paul Scruggs was on the BIG EAST Conference Championship All-Tournament Team. He averaged 18.5 ppg., 7.0 rpg. and 5.0 apg. for two games, including career highs of 28 points and 11 rebounds plus seven asssists vs. Villanova.
• Xavier junior Quentin Goodin, who leads the team in assists (third in BIG EAST at 4.8 apg.), has 441 career assists and is ninth on XU's all-time career assist leader list. He has 139 assists this season in 29 games, his third straight 100+ assist season.
• Xavier junior Tyrique Jones leads XU in rebounding (fourth in the BIG EAST at 7.6 rpg.) and offensive rebounding (first in the BIG EAST at 3.3 rpg.).
• Xavier has graduated 109 straight men's basketball seniors.
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/ Men's BasketballPRESS CONFERENCE | Richard Pitino (9-22-2025)
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