Xavier (26-8) vs. Kansas State (28-7)
Thursday, March 25th, 9:37 p.m. (et)
FACTS & STATS: Site: EnergySolutions Arena (19,120) -- Salt Lake City, Utah. Television: CBS. NCAA Tournament Record: Xavier 19-20, Kansas State 30-27. Series Record: Xavier leads, 4-2.
GAME NOTES: Into the Sweet 16 for the third straight year, the Xavier Musketeers try to extend their 2009-10 campaign a bit longer as they challenge the Kansas State Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament West Regional Semifinal at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Sixth-seeded Xavier, in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year and the ninth time in the last decade, defeated Minnesota in first round of the 72nd annual event last Friday with a 65-54 decision and then topped Pittsburgh by a mere three points, 71-68, in the second round two days later. Now with 26 wins on the season, the Musketeers have matched their fourth-highest total in program history as they chase the all-time mark of 30 victories stemming from their efforts in 2007-08.
As for the second-seeded Wildcats, back in the round of 16 for the 17th time in school history and the first time since 1988, they have won four of their last five outings, with the lone setback coming against top-ranked Kansas during the Big 12 Conference Tournament.
Kansas State, in the NCAA Tournament for the 24th time overall, took care of North Texas rather easily in the first round with an 82-62 triumph and then topped nationally-ranked BYU over the weekend in Oklahoma City with an 84-72 decision to advance.
As far as the all-time series between these two teams is concerned, Xavier has won three in a row over the Wildcats and now owns a 4-2 advantage overall, thanks to a 103-77 blowout of KSU in the most recent meeting on New Year's Eve of 2007.
The winner of this contest will take on the winner of the Butler/Syracuse meeting in the regional final on Saturday.
Trailing by three points in the first half against Pittsburgh last weekend, the Musketeers dialed up the offense and the defense as they put on a 16-0 scoring run and the team successfully avenged a loss to the Panthers in last year's NCAA Tournament. Jordan Crawford, who continues to go where few Xavier players have gone before, posted a game-high 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the floor, adding six rebounds, while Jason Love and Terrell Holloway accounted for 14 and 13 points, respectively. Only a sophomore, Crawford was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year by a couple of media outlets and has scored at least 20 points in five straight outings. Through 34 games this season, Crawford is the top scorer in the A-10 with his 20.2 ppg, getting the job done with an impressive 40 percent shooting behind the three- point line. Also a sophomore, Holloway adds 11.7 ppg to the attack and has delivered on 132 assists to players like Love who, in this his senior season, has ratcheted up his production with 11.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 50 blocked shots.
Guard play was again key to Kansas State's success last weekend as Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente combined to post 53 of the unit's 84 points in the victory against a tough-minded BYU squad. Pullen made good on 7-of-12 shots behind the three-point line and converted all 11 of his field goal attempts as he finished with an astonishing 34 points. Clemente had a trio of triples of his own, putting up another 19 points, while Curtis Kelly tacked on 10 points and seven rebounds for a squad that knocked down 27-of-30 tries at the charity stripe. Also playing a key role off the bench was Wally Judge with his eight points and team-best eight rebounds. Pullen, who leads the team in eight different statistical categories, is the leading scorer for the Wildcats with his 19.2 ppg and has scored in double figures in every game this season. With 35 consecutive double-digit scoring efforts, Pullen is second on the school's all-time list behind only Mitch Richmond who turned the trick in 50 straight. Clemente (16.3 ppg) accounts for a team-best 148 assists while Jamar Samuels, who missed all six of his field goal attempts against BYU, is second on the team in scoring with 11.3 ppg and is one of the leaders on the glass with better than five boards per game.
Crawford is a dynamic player for the Musketeers, but he could easily be overshadowed by the combination of Pullen and Clemente if everything falls into place for the Wildcats tonight.
Predicted Outcome: Kansas State 80, Xavier 69
