Xavier Basketball: Breaking down Musketeers 2024-25 non-conference schedule

In -Season Tournament Games & Events

It's the in-season tournaments and events where things get really interesting for Xavier. Not only will they be playing in the Fort Myers Tip-Off, they also square off against several power conference foes, a great opportunity to begin building an NCAA Tournament resume.

Skip Prosser Classic: November 16 vs. Wake Forest

Xavier and Wake Forest will play homage to long-time head coach Skip Prosser in mid-November when they collide in Cincinnati. It will be an excellent opportunity for Sean Miller and the Musketeers to gauge themselves against a Demon Deacons team firmly expected to be an NCAA Tournament team. Containing Hunter Sallis will be priority one for the Musketeers, with the skilled scorer officially back after flirting with the idea of going pro.

Fortunately, Xavier does have a history of success in the event, going 6-3 all-time since it began in the late 2000s.

Fort Myers Tip-Off: November 20-27 vs. Siena & others TBD

Eight teams will compete in the Fort Myers Tip-Off this year, which includes Xavier, Michigan, Virginia Tech, and South Carolina. For the Musketeers, the action will actually begin on campus when they welcome Siena to town on November 20 before they travel to Fort Myers. Xavier should roll past Siena, but it will be interesting to see how they match up against the rest of the competition in the event. Michigan, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech are all in similar states of upheaval after busy offseasons and it doesn't seem unfair to think the Musketeers should enter as the favorites to take home the hardware.

Big East - Big 12 Battle: December 6 at TCU

Baylor-UConn and Kansas-Creighton undoubtedly are the highlights of this year's Big East - Big 12 Battle, but Xavier's trip to TCu should be an opportunity for both teams to score a resume-boosting victory. Much like the Muskeeters, the Horned Frogs overturned their backcourt this offseason, with Frankie Collins and Noah Reynolds now set to run the show for Jamie Dixon. Whichever team has gelled more in the season's first month is likely to be the one to come out on top in Fort Worth.

Crosstown Shootout: December 14 at Cincinnati

Xavier-Cincinnati remains one of the more underrated rivalries in all of college basketball, but the Musketeers have owned the series as of late, with five straight victories in the Crosstown Shootout. However, the Bearcats should offer a challenge this year, as they return the majority of their roster off a season in which they won 22 games and made a deep NIT run. The Musketeers should have an edge inside, which is always pivotal in a hard-fought rivalry like this, but how their backcourt handles the trio of Day Day Thomas, Daniel Skillings, and Simas Lukosius, the top three scorers on the team in 2023-24, should make all the difference.

With Freemantle and Hunter healthy, and Miller plugging necessary holes in his backcourt, the belief around the Xavier program is that a turnaround is in store for the 2024-25 season. The schedule seems to set up perfectly for just that, with early season tune-up opportunities paving the way for momentum as they hit the more difficult stretch in late November and early December. If the Musketeers can play well early, they have the piece in place to be a real contender in the Big East this winter - perhaps even the greatest threat to another season of UConn dominance inside the league.