Xavier Hosts Cleveland State In First Round NIT Game On Tuesday Night

Tuesday, March 15

Cincinnati, Ohio

9 p.m.

Xavier University

Cleveland State

Xavier Hosts Cleveland State In First Round NIT Game On Tuesday Night

03.14.22 | Men's Basketball

2022 Xavier NIT game notes BUY TICKETS

Musketeers are shooting for their 19th win.

By: Tom Eiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI --- The Xavier University Musketeers, 18-13, host the Cleveland State University Vikings, 20-10, on Tuesday night at 9 p.m. at Cintas Center in the first round of the 2022 National Invitation Tournament. CSU earned its NIT bid by winning the Horizon League regular season title with a 15-6 record.

The winner of the Xavier/Cleveland State game draws the winner of No. 3 seed Florida vs. Iona, which will be played on Wednesday night.

THE MATCHUP

NO. 2 SEED XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (18-13)
CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY VIKINGS (20-10)
2022 NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND
TUESDAY, MARCH 15 AT 9 P.M. AT CINTAS CENTER (10,224)

TV, RADIO & LIVE STATS

Television: ESPNU with pbp from Mike Corey and analysis from King McClure.
Radio: 700 WLW with play-by-play from Xavier Hall of Famer Joe Sunderman ('79) and analysis from XU all-time leading scorer and Hall of Famer Byron Larkin ('88).
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com and fan stats at GoXavier.com.

X FACTORS

• Xavier is making its 33rd postseason appearance in the last 39 postseasons.
• Xavier is making its ninth all-time appearance in the National Invitation Tournament. XU lost in overtime in the 2019 second round at eventual NIT Champion Texas.
• Xavier played in the NIT Preseason Tipoff this past November at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, falling to Iowa State and defeating Virginia Tech.
• Xavier, 18-13 overall, has recorded 26 straight winning seasons.
• Xavier junior Jack Nunge, who was named All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention, leads the team in scoring at 13.5 ppg. and in blocks at 1.4 bpg. He is second in rebounding at 7.52 rpg. He has averaged 17.3 ppg. and 9.7 rpg. over the last three games.
• Xavier senior Paul Scruggs, who is seventh in the BIG EAST in assists at 4.1 apg., is second on the team in scoring at 12.0 ppg.
• Xavier's Paul Scruggs is 14th on XU's all-time scoring list with 1,617 points. He is fifth on XU's all-time assist list with 503. Scruggs and Tu Holloway are the only Musketeers who are in the top 15 in all-time scoring and top five in all-time assists.
• Xavier senior Nate Johnson, who missed four games with a knee injury, has averaged 14.7 ppg. for the three games since his return. He led XU with 25 points on the strength of a Xavier career-high tying seven 3-pointers vs. Georgetown on March 5.
• Xavier sophomore Colby Jones is ninth in the BIG EAST in overall rebounding (7.53 rpg.). He is third on the team in scoring at 11.1 ppg., including 14.7 ppg. over the last six games, and second in assists (3.0 apg.).
• Xavier has five players averaging in double figures in scoring from 10.0 ppg. to 13.5 ppg. and has had eight different players lead the team in scoring this season.

STEELE PRESSER