College Basketball Week 17: 5 biggest takeaways

By Chris Stone | Mar 6, 2017

Mar 2, 2017; Madison, WI, USA; The Wisconsin Badgers team waits as officials determine a call that finalized a flagrant one foul against Iowa Hawkeyes guard Peter Jok (14) at the Kohl Center. Iowa defeated Wisconsin 69-67. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mar 1, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Xavier Musketeers head coach Chris Mack reacts during the second half against the Marquette Golden Eagles at the Cintas Center. Marquette won 95-84. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports /

Big East: Can Xavier save its season?

This week, Xavier picked up the biggest win of its season…against DePaul. That’s not a good sign for a team looking to stay on the right side of the bubble. The Musketeers needed that win to snap a six game losing streak that had begun to imperil their NCAA Tournament hopes. Sure, they still have the No. 33 RPI to hang their hat on, but the team has slipped to No. 43 in KenPom and certainly doesn’t look the same as it did early in the season.

The reason is obvious. Without point guard Edmond Sumner, who suffered a season-ending injury mid-way through conference play, Xavier has struggled to find its way. With Sumner’s length patrolling the perimeter, the Musketeers were a solid defensive team who conceded 99 points per 100 possessions, per Hoop Lens. In the 10 games without him, that number has ballooned to 115 points per 100 possessions as Xavier has struggled to contain penetration and create turnovers.

The Selection Committee will be in a difficult spot when it comes time to figure out what to do with the Musketeers on Sunday. Xavier clearly isn’t the same team without Sumner, but it’s difficult to punish a team for a player getting injured. The easiest solution would be for the Musketeers to clean up their resume with a big win in the conference tournament this week.