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Xavier Basketball: 3 reasons why the Musketeers will be better than Cincinnati in 2018-19

By Brian Rauf

CINCINNATI, OH - FEBRUARY 03: Members of the Xavier Musketeers celebrate after a four point play to tie the game against the Georgetown Hoyas at Cintas Center on February 3, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - FEBRUARY 03: Members of the Xavier Musketeers celebrate after a four point play to tie the game against the Georgetown Hoyas at Cintas Center on February 3, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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SAN JOSE, CA – MARCH 25: Quentin Goodin #3 of the Xavier Musketeers reacts in the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional at SAP Center on March 25, 2017 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA – MARCH 25: Quentin Goodin #3 of the Xavier Musketeers reacts in the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional at SAP Center on March 25, 2017 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Xavier Basketball has to replace two program cornerstones and a new coach in 2018-19, but the Musketeers are poised to outperform expectations – and their rivals.

The Crosstown Shootout is one of the best and most passion-fueled rivalries in college basketball, right up there with the likes of Louisville–Kentucky and Duke–UNC.

However, this rivalry has become very unbalanced of late. Xavier has simply had Cincinnati‘s number over the last decade, winning eight of their last 11 meetings – including four of the last five.

The Musketeers do enter the 2018-19 season with a lot of questions. One of the best players in program history, Trevon Bluiett, is gone. J.P. Macura, another face of the program for four years, is gone. And head coach Chris Mack, who guided Xavier to the Elite Eight in 2017 and won the program’s first Big East title in 2018, left for the aforementioned Cardinals.

Those factors would point to Xavier taking a step back in 2018-19, but we assure you, that will not be the case – especially when it comes to this rivalry.

Thanks to years of excellent recruiting, a well-defined style of play, and one of the sport’s rising coaching stars, the Musketeers will be back in a big way. Even if there are new faces leading the way.

Those new faces also don’t plan to let go of Xavier’s stranglehold on the city’s bragging rights, either. Here’s why the Musketeers will be better than Cincinnati this season: