Hansen: A look at Xavier, from A to X

A is for Arizona, which has never, ever, ever played Xavier in basketball, or anything, even golf.

B is for Big-Game Mark Lyons, a Xavier transfer who led the entire NCAA tournament in scoring average (24.3) in 2013, leading Arizona to the S…

C is for Cal and Colorado. Xavier has played in more NCAA tournaments, 25, than both the Bears, 18, and Buffaloes, 13.

D is for not-so-done deal. In March of 2007, Sean Miller signed a Xavier contract extension through the 2015-16 season.

E is for Evansville, where Xavier coach Chris Mack played his final two seasons of college basketball, 1992-93. He scored 22 points. Total. Ju…

F is for Xavier’s firing of coach Ned Wulk after the Musketeers blew a 22-point lead to Bradley in the 1957 NIT and lost 116-81. A bit scarred…

G is for Pete Gillen, the ranking legend of Xavier basketball coaching. He coached the Muskies to seven NCAA tournaments in nine seasons befor…

H is for human highlight film Trevon Bluiett, a 6-foot-6-inch Xavier freshman averaging 11.3 points a game. He’s a four-star recruit from Indi…

I is for inexcusable. In a scheduling gaffe, Xavier played Long Beach State twice this season, winning 97-74 on Nov. 18 in Cincinnati and losi…

J is for almost jumping the gun. While an assistant at Xavier in 2002, Miller jumped at the coaching vacancy at Robert Morris. The Colonials i…

K is for kin. One of the four retired jerseys in Xavier history belongs to Byron Larkin, brother of Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin. Byron…

L is for Drew Lavender, Miller’s 5-7, 155-pound point guard at Xavier from 2006-08. Lavender was a McDonald’s All-American who played his firs…

M is for MBA. Matt Stainbrook, Xavier’s best player, a finance grad, is working on his MBA while averaging 12.1 points and 6.9 rebounds. He’s …

N is for no drop in attendance since Miller left for Arizona six years ago. Xavier averaged 9,998 per home game at the 10,250-seat Cintas Center.

O is for Xavier’s 0-for-5 streak of keeping its head coach from hiring firm predators. In the last 30 years, the Musketeers lost Bob Staak to …

P is for Power Forward U. Few schools have produced NBA prototype power forwards like Xavier lottery picks 6-8, 250-pound David West, 6-9, 240…

Q is for quick trigger. Xavier athletic director Mike Bobinski publicly fretted about losing so many top basketball coaches to bigger schools,…

R is for remember Skip Prosser? He coached Loyola Maryland against Arizona in the 1994 NCAA tournament (losing 81-55) and a year later became …

S is for surprise. The team with the most losses, 13, Arizona has ever lost to in the NCAA tournament was Wisconsin of 2000, which was 18-13, …

T is for Tu Holloway, the best player Miller left at Xavier upon moving to Tucson. Holloway was a recruiting coup for Miller in 2008; he had c…

U is for underdog. Xavier has won NCAA tournament games as seeded underdogs against No. 2 Mississippi State, No. 3 Texas, No. 3 Georgetown, No…

V is for victory. The Muskies have won 23 NCAA tournament games. How good is that? Arizona State has won 13. Gonzaga 21. Oregon 16. Stanford 2…

W is for winning without a guy named Sean. Since Miller left Xavier, the Musketeers have won 132 games (22.0 per season), reached the Sweet 16…

X is for xenopus, a tongueless frog of South Africa, which will be exactly what Arizona’s basketball fans will feel like if the Wildcats lose …