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Xavier Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for the Musketeers

By Lukas Harkins

CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 08: Quentin Goodin #3 and Paul Scruggs #1 of the Xavier Musketeers look on in the second half of the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena on December 8, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati won 62-47. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 08: Quentin Goodin #3 and Paul Scruggs #1 of the Xavier Musketeers look on in the second half of the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena on December 8, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati won 62-47. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OHIO – FEBRUARY 24: Coach Steele of Xavier instructs. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO – FEBRUARY 24: Coach Steele of Xavier instructs. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Schedule breakdown

Diving into Xavier’s schedule for this coming season, the team will be challenged a fair amount in the opening few weeks although the non-conference schedule is not a gauntlet. The Musketeers will start their campaign with four straight home games against Jacksonville, Siena, Missouri, and Missouri State before taking a trip fo the Charleston Classic.

That event will test the Musketeers against Towson in the opening round before facing Buffalo or UConn on Day 2. Xavier’s final game in Charleston will come against Miami-FL, Missouri State, Florida, or Saint Joseph’s. While this might not be the toughest non-conference tournament, there are some potentially tough tests here, especially if they are matched up with the Gators. Additionally, the team will gain some experience by having to play three games in four days.

Moving forward, the Musketeers will return home following the event for three more home games against Lipscomb, Green Bay, and Cincinnati. That matchup with the Bearcats should be circled by every college basketball fan due to the animosity between the two Queen City programs and the potential for a very competitive contest pitting potential top-25 teams against each other.

Following the rivalry game, Xavier will sandwich their first two true road contests of the year against Wake Forest (Dec. 14) and TCU (Dec. 22) around a home matchup with Western Carolina (Dec. 18). The team launches into Big East player with a massive road game against Villanova on Dec. 30.

Once into league play, Xavier will be challenged night in and night out. The Big East projects as arguably the best conference in the entire nation from top-to-bottom. It appears as though eight (possibly even nine) of the 10 teams in the league will compete for NCAA Tournament bids this season and the entire slate will be a gauntlet.

Xavier definitely has its sights set higher than this, but simply managing a 9-9 Big East record could look great on a resume this year. The Musketeers, though, are hoping to exceed that mark and compete for their second Big East regular-season title in three years.

Xavier will be favored in every single non-conference game but that doesn’t mean there won’t be some challenges. Additionally, the Musketeers will have plenty of opportunities to bolster their NCAA Tournament resume once partaking in the brutal Big East schedule.