Both Oregon and Xavier have been flirting with the Bubble recently, especially the Musketeers. Over the weekend, both pulled out statement wins over tournament teams to solidify their positions as NCAA Tournament teams.
It all started on Saturday as Xavier hosted No. 19 Butler in Cincinnati, and dismantled them to the tune of 73-56. The result shouldn’t have been a huge shock, as Xavier has beaten the likes of Georgetown, Seton Hall and Providence. Knocking off Butler was important because Myles Davis and the Musketeers still have trips to St. John’s and a home date with Villanova on the conference schedule, and a win over Butler gives them a bit more room for error when entering those two games.
At this point, Xavier looks like a solid bet to grab a seed in the 8-10 range, but with wins over the Johnnies and Wildcats, we could be looking at an ever steeper rise for Chris Mack’s group.
Across the country in Eugene, Ore., the Ducks used 19 points and seven rebounds from Dillon Brooks to squeeze out a 69-58 win over No. 9 Utah. With just under three minutes to play, a Delon Wright triple brought the Utes within three points, but they would never get closer, as Oregon quickly answered with a Joe Young three and a thunderous dunk from Brooks, snatching away any and all momentum from Utah.
Dana Altman’s group was picked to finish in the bottom half of the Pac-12, but with just one week remaining on the conference schedule, UO has tallied yet another 20-win season and look like a very good bet to finish in the Pac-12’s top four. The win was also UO’s first over a RPI top 25 opponent, putting them solidly in the field.
