The Musketeers have followed an adversity stricken path this season that the Wildcats can relate to. They first lost Jalen Reynolds early to an NBA Draft that didn't call his name, had to deal with legal troubles and a suspension that kept Myles Davis out for half the season, had Davis quit the team suddenly in January after playing just three games โ and then lost standout point guard Edmund Sumner for the season due to a torn ACL in late January. But through it all, Xavier managed to develop an offensive togetherness and multi-faceted defense that helped it avenge two losses to Butler in the Big East Tournament, then upset both Maryland and Florida State in the first two NCAA Tournament rounds last weekend.
The Musketeers play a lot like the 2015 bunch that gave UA trouble in the Sweet 16, except they don't have the kind of dominant post player that Stainbrook was. They get it done with big guards who can score in multiple ways, especially by getting to the line, ranking No. 31 nationally in free throw rate (free throw attempts/field goal attempts) so will test UAโs help-oriented defense. Overall, Xavier is the 16th most offensively efficient team in the country, averaging 116.1 points per 100 possessions. Defensively, they run the same pack-line defense as the Wildcats but mix in zone defense more often, including a 1-3-1.ย
