Kent State takes on Xavier tonight

By admin Published: December 4, 2009

Kent State

Xavier

For any fans trying to view the game on television (Fox Sports Ohio) tonight, I will direct you to this press release posted on foxsportsohio.com.

The Kent State men's basketball team will take on the Xavier Musketeers tonight in perhaps their highest profile non-conference game of the season. Xavier is under the direction of first year head coach Chris Mack. Mack, the former Xavier player, is in his first season on the job after former coach Sean Miller left to be the head coach at Arizona. The Musketeers are 4-2 on the season and are led by 6-4 guard Jordan Crawford (18.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and 6-9 post Jason Love (11.2 ppg, 11.0 rpg). Many fans may have seen Xavier play last week on the ESPN family of networks in Orlando as part of the Old Spice Classic. Xavier went 1-2 in the tournament, defeating Creighton and losing to Marquette and Baylor. Earlier in the season the Musketeers drilled MAC member Bowling Green 101-57. Xavier and Kent State do have a common opponent this season. On November 13 Xavier beat Youngstown State 83-57. Kent State last met Xavier during the 2007-08 season when the Musketeers defeated Kent State 78-65 in Chicago as part of the Chicago Invitational Challenge. Xavier leads the all time series 11-4. Xavier won its third straight Atlantic 10 Conference Regular Season title last season. XU made its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009 and its eighth in the last nine years, including the NCAA Sweet 16 this past season (2009) and the Elite Eight in 2004 and 2008.

Dave Carducci is reporting at that senior Chris Singletary could see some action in this game.

Kent State freshman point guard Randal Holt is scheduled to have surgery to repair the meniscus in his knee on Friday and is expected to miss two to four weeks.

Kent State and Xavier have had two of the most successful college basketball programs in the state of Ohio for the past 12 years. The two have combined for 532 wins and 13 NCAA tournament appearances since the 1998-99 season.

In seven games this season, the Flashes have had six different players lead them in scoring.

Kent State has made the NCAA tournament the last three seasons that they have played Xavier.

Since asking to come off the bench, senior forward Anthony Simpson is averaging 11.8 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game in the last four times out.