Don’t look now, but Xavier head coach Chris Mack has established himself as one of the top contenders for any postseason Coach of the Year awards, directing the Musketeers to a 10-0 record and a spot in the top-ten of the AP Poll.
In the process, Xavier has also set themselves up to be the Big East title favorite, a conference they haven’t won since joining three seasons ago.
Since they dispatched rival and top 25 foe Cincinnati this past weekend, the upcoming schedule sets up nicely for their opening conference tilt against Villanova on New Year’s Eve, a game that would set them up quite nicely with a win. Beating the Wildcats on the road would take a bit of pressure off the Musketeers, particularly off of their most important stretch of the season. From February 13 through February 24, they play at Butler, Providence in Cincinnati, at Georgetown, and finally, they host Villanova once again.
The name of the game for Xavier is balance, with six players all averaging double-digit scoring figures–led by sophomore Trevon Bluiett, who’s putting up 14.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
For Mack, who has led the Musketeers to three Sweet Sixteen appearances in his seven years at the helm, a chance to win the Big East is a chance for him to fully announce the arrival of Xavier as not just a very good mid-tier school, but a new heavyweight on the scene of college hoops. He’s already got two Atlantic 10 championships in the trophy case.
