Sept. 12, 2006
CINCINNATI - Head coach Kevin McGuff has announced the finalization of the Musketeers' 2006-07 schedule. XU's 30-game schedule is comprised of 14 Atlantic 10 Conference games and 16 contests against non-conference opponents.
"We have put together a very difficult schedule because I believe this team is up to the challenge," said McGuff. "Our league will be strong once again so our non-conference schedule will prepare us for the rigors of A-10 play."
The Musketeers will play 17 games at Cintas Center this season including non-conference games against Florida, Louisville and North Carolina State and a nationally- televised league game vs. George Washington.
Season tickets prices are $70 and Xavier also offers a six-pack ticket plan, which includes games against Florida, Louisville, NC State, George Washington, Dayton and Rhode Island for $30.
The Musketeers will play their only exhibition contest of the season when the team welcomes Ashland into Cintas Center on Tuesday, November 7. The regular season will open up when Florida travels to Cincinnati on Sunday, November 12 for a 4 p.m. tip. The Gators (SEC) are the first of eight power conference schools XU will square-off against this season.
Xavier will next play host to the sixth annual National City Xavier Invitational, which takes place Friday, November 17 and Saturday November 18. The Musketeers will welcome Western Carolina, Loyola-Marymount, and Toledo to Cintas Center for the two-day event. XU will play Western Carolina on Friday and will then play either LMU or Toledo on Sunday. The weekend will mark a homecoming of sorts for Toledo head coach Mark Ehlen who, coached XU from 1986-1995.
Xavier will then travel off the mainland for the 2006 Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands from Thursday, November 23 - Saturday, November 25. Xavier will play Auburn for the third year in a row on Thursday, Western Michigan on Friday and will conclude the event with a showdown vs. Marquette on Saturday.
Next up, the Musketeers will take the floor with Louisville on Thursday, November 30. Louisville, one of six NCAA Tournament teams on XU's schedule, finished the 2005-06 season 19-10 including 10-6 in the BIG EAST Conference.
Morehead State will travel to Cincinnati on Saturday, December 2 for a 2 p.m. tip-off. XU will be on the road again on Thursday, December 7 when the Musketeers travel to University Park, Pa. to take on Penn State. The Lady Lions had been to seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments before they missed the Big Dance last season.
Xavier returns home to play yet another 2006 NCAA Tournament team, Coppin State, on Sunday, December 10 at 4 p.m. The Eagles finished the 2005-06 season with a 22-9 mark. XU remains in the Queen City to take on Eastern Illinois on Friday, December 15 and Ball State on Friday, December 22.
After breaking for the Christmas holiday, the Musketeers will travel to Lawrence, Kan. and historic Phog Allen Fieldhouse to take on Kansas on Sunday, December 31. XU will return to Cintas Center for a 7 p.m. contest vs. Pennsylvania on Tuesday, January 2 and will then square-off against North Carolina State on Sunday, January 7 at 4 p.m. The Wolfpack are one of nine teams on Xavier's schedule that qualified for national postseason play last season.
The Musketeers will conclude the non-conference portion of their schedule with the annual crosstown shootout vs. Cincinnati on Wednesday, January 17 in Clifton.
Xavier's 14-game Atlantic 10 Conference slate includes home games vs. George Washington (Jan. 21), Duquesne (Jan. 26), St. Bonaventure (Jan. 28), La Salle (Feb. 4), Dayton (Feb. 11), Fordham (Feb. 22) and Rhode Island (Feb. 25). The Musketeers' contest vs. GW will be televised nationally on ESPN2, marking the second year in a row Xavier has had at least one nationally televised home game. The GW contest will also mark the second-annual "Swishes for Wishes" game, which benefits the Make A Wish Foundation.
Additionally, the game against St. Bonaventure will include a Girl Scout clinic and will also be Child Safety Day. Xavier's third-annual Youth Day will take place during the contest against Fordham.
The conference road schedule includes games at Dayton (Jan. 9), Saint Louis (Jan. 12), Charlotte (Jan. 14), Temple (Feb. 2), Saint Joseph's (Feb. 8), Richmond (Feb. 15) and UMass (Feb. 18).
2006-07 Schedule Notes
· Eight games against teams from power conferences two SEC (Florida, Auburn), three BIG EAST (Louisville, Marquette, Cincinnati), one Big Ten (Penn State) one ACC (North Carolina State) and one Big 12 (Kansas).
· 10 non-conference home games ... XU is 23-7 (.766) vs. non-conference opponents at Cintas Center since the facility opened up for the 2000-01 season.
· Six games vs. NCAA Tournament teams (Florida, Louisville, Coppin State, NC State, George Washington and Temple) with all but Temple at home.
· Five games vs. WNIT teams (Marquette - WNIT Finalist, Kansas, Charlotte, Cincinnati and Saint Joseph's)
· Two games vs. top-30 RPI teams (Florida -27 and North Carolina State -11)
· 16-game non-conference slate ... A-10 will play 14 conference games this season ... Paradise Jam is an exempt event so XU will play a total of 30 regular season games.
