NCAA Basketball: Kansas and Baylor rise, Tennessee falls in latest top 25 power ranking
By Joey Loose
16. Xavier (19-6)
After a 4-3 start that included understandable losses to Duke, Gonzaga, and Indiana, the Musketeers ran off eleven wins in a row and have been a hot team throughout Big East play. In fact, prior to this week, they had lost just a pair of conference games, including a head-scratcher at DePaul back in the middle of January. Already boasting a sweep of Connecticut and wins over Marquette and Providence, the Musketeers are in good shape.
But another stumble has impeded that good shape, as Xavier fell on the road this past Friday night. They traveled over to Butler and were beaten 69-67 by the Bulldogs, allowing Butler to shoot 54% from the field. Colby Jones had 17 points and 8 rebounds while Jack Nunge had 14 points and 8 rebounds, but the Musketeers also committed 18 turnovers in a rough all-around performance.
Even after another avoidable loss, the Musketeers are still sitting pretty at 11-3 in Big East play, atop the league standings. Another offensive struggle led to another loss, with the Xavier offense falling well short of the 96 points they put up against St. John’s last weekend. These Musketeers don’t have time to lick their wounds as a tough road trip to Marquette looms in the middle of next week, with first place on the line.