Nov. 29, 2012

Xavier University Musketeers (5-1)

at Purdue Univ. Boilermakers (3-3)

Sat., Dec. 1, 2012 at 2:15 p.m. ET

Mackey Arena (14,268) in West Lafayette, Ind.

COMPLETE SET OF NOTES/STATS (PDF)

Television: Big Ten Network with Eric Collins and Dan Bonner.
Radio: 55KRC-AM with play-by-play from XU Hall of Famer and former Musketeer standout Joe Sunderman (‘79). Analysis will be provided by Xavier Hall of Famer and XU all-time leading scorer Byron Larkin (‘88).

The X’s And O’s

• Xavier, 5-1, is coming off a 74-70 win over Drake on Nov. 25 in its final game of the DIRECTV Classic in Anaheim, Calif. XU finished 2-1 in the tournament with wins over Drexel and Drake after dropping a first-round matchup to Pacific.

• Xavier has won six straight games against five different teams from the Big Ten Conference since the 2007-08 season.

• Xavier freshman Semaj Christon was named Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week. Christon averaged 19.0 points, 6.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals for Xavier’s three games in the DIRECTV Classic in Anaheim, Calif., which also earned him a spot on the five-member DIRECTV Classic All-Tournament Team.

• Xavier sophomore Dee Davis leads the team in scoring at 14.3 ppg. and is second in assists at 4.3 apg. Davis scored a career-high 22 points to go with a career-high and XU sophomore record 15 assists in Xavier’s win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Nov. 9.

• Xavier’s balanced attack has five players averaging in double figures in scoring from 10.3 ppg. to 14.3 ppg.: sophomore Dee Davis (14.3 ppg.), freshman Semaj Christon (14.2 ppg.), sophomore Justin Martin (12.3 ppg.) and seniors Jeff Robinson (11.7 ppg.) and Travis Taylor (10.3 ppg.).

• Xavier sophomore Justin Martin is the only Musketeer that has scored in double figures in every game this season. Martin is third on the team in scoring at 12.3 ppg. and is second in rebounding at 5.8 rpg., while shooting 55.8 percent from the field.

• Xavier junior Isaiah Philmore played his first regular season games for XU in the DIRECTV Classic. The Towson transfer had 10 points and six rebounds vs. Drake.

• Xavier fourth-year head coach Chris Mack is a proven winner. Mack is 78-31 (.716) overall as the Xavier head coach. Mack has led Xavier to the NCAA Tournament in each of his three seasons at the helm, including the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2010 and 2012.

• Xavier is one of only four teams that have made the NCAA Sweet 16 four times in the last five years (2008-12): Kansas, Michigan State, North Carolina and Xavier. No team has made all of the last five Sweet 16s. Xavier is one of only eight schools that have made at least seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including 2012: Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Marquette, Michigan State, Texas, Wisconsin and Xavier.

• Xavier’s men’s basketball program is ranked 21st in the 2012 rankings released by Basketball Times. 

• Xavier is ranked 11th in the nation in the latest NCAA Graduation Success Rate at 97 percent. Xavier men’s basketball was among 14 XU programs at 100 percent.

• Xavier has graduated each of the last 88 men’s basketball players that have played as seniors, a streak which dates back to 1986.

Xavier Musketeers Men's Basketball

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