Xavier embodies selflessness, may be ‘far from done’
GREENSBORO, N.C. – One of the top guards in the NCAA Tournament – heck, maybe the best – didn't make his first field goal until about seven minutes into the second half.
Souley Boum's Xavier Musketeers already held a comfortable double-digit lead in their second-round game against Pittsburgh at Greensboro Coliseum on Sunday.
The Musketeers had his back. It embodied the unselfish nature of this Xavier team, one that could be just getting started in this tournament.
Bolstered by one of their best allaround team efforts of the season, the third-seeded Musketeers went onto a relatively easy, 84-73 win against the No. 11 Panthers.
The Sweet Sixteen is next. Then what? Performances like we saw here make you wonder: How far can the Musketeers go?
If they can dominate an ACC opponent from start to finish with their leading scorer having an off game, the Musketeers just might be in the middle of a magical run. Six players played significant minutes, and each one scored in double figures.
“When we play like that,” Xavier senior guard Adam Kunkel said, “I feel like no one in the country can stop us.”
You never know in this tournament.
One moment, a team looks doomed to one-and-done as Xavier did falling behind 13 points to Kennesaw State before rallying late in Friday's opening-round game. The next, a team looks like Final Four material.
The Musketeers played like the latter on Sunday, sending Xavier to the Sweet Sixteen for the ninth time in its proud basketball history. The Muskies played so beautifully, especially in the first half.
They unselfishly moved the ball around. Players were in constant motion. It led to layups for center Jack Nunge. It led to open 3-pointers for Kunkel, who drained 5 of 5 from long range in the first half.
Boum missed all six of his shots and didn't have any points in the first half. No worries. Xavier still led 48-34 at halftime. Boum didn't sulk. The senior point guard finished the game with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
“For most of the season, we've led college basketball in assists,” Musketeers coach Sean Miller said. “I would say that might be our greatest strength, just our ability to share the ball and play together.”
The unselfish play is part of the impact
Miller's had in the year since he returned to Xavier. Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of his hiring date. Fitting, it was on a day he guided the Musketeers to their first Sweet Sixteen since 2017.
This is what Miller was hired to do: Get the Musketeers to the second weekend of the tournament – and beyond.
Miller quickly molded a veteran roster into a team that's tough-minded and plays together. He sent a message to the team when he suspended starter Zach Freemantle indefinitely before the start of fall practice. Miller's message: No one gets special treatment. If you want to win, you’ll do it my way.
Players have talked about instantly gaining respect for Miller, whose teams have made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances. There are no me-first players or big egos on this Xavier team. They were hungry for a strong-willed leader, one who has the credibility of taking his teams to the Elite Eight four times.
Buying in and bonding as a team has helped the Musketeers overcome depth issues. It's how they've overcome minutes-long scoring droughts in many games. It's how they overcome their team leader struggling for a half.
It may just help the Musketeers make it to the Final Four for the first time in school history.
“I love this feeling right now,” said senior forward Jerome Hunter, a Pickerington native. “We're far from done.”