Xavier men’s basketball went into Knoxville looking for a measuring stick and walked out with way more than they bargained for, bagging an 86-70 exhibition road win over Tennessee. This might not count for the official record, but beating a Volunteers squad that’s been to the Elite Eight three straight years and will definitely be ranked? That’s invaluable for the Musketeers, showing they can absolutely win away from home against top-tier competition.
Rocky Start on Rocky Top: Fouls and Short Benches
The Musketeers didn’t just win, they had to battle for it, facing a ton of hurdles. For starters, they were shorthanded in both their exhibitions so far. Against Dayton, they missed Asher Elson and Rolyns Aligbe. Then against Tennessee, Elson was still out, plus freshman Kalek House got banged up early against Dayton, keeping him off the court. But hey, it wasn’t all bad news on the roster front, with Filip Borovicanin getting deemed eligible and starting, chipping in three points and five boards in 21 minutes. The real killer, though, was foul trouble. It wasn’t as big a deal against Dayton since they had unlimited whistles, but against the Vols, it was brutal. Six different Musketeers picked up two fouls in the first half alone, and Tennessee took full advantage, going 10 of 14 from the free-throw line to take a 35-27 lead at the half. Star big man Mike Nwoko, who absolutely crushed it with 19 points and 11 rebounds against Dayton, was limited to just four minutes in that first half.
Second Half Explosion: Depth Takes Over
Nwoko’s foul trouble didn’t magically disappear after the break either. He picked up a technical early in the second half and was whistled for his fourth foul with over 14 minutes still to play, capping him at just 10 total minutes. But you know what? It didn’t even matter. Xavier head coach Pitino has been hyping up this team’s depth all offseason, and it showed big time. The Musketeers erased that double-digit deficit in the second half, with Jovan Milicevic catching fire right out of the locker room. He fueled an offense that had shot just 32.4% in the first half with a transition bucket and a massive three from the wing, pushing Xavier into a 45-44 lead with 15:52 left. From there, it was an offensive clinic, as they shot over 70% in the second half! Guard Tru Washington, even though he was only 3 of 10 from the field, dished out an incredible 12 assists. Five Musketeers hit double figures, with Milicevic finishing with 16, Nikos Chitikoudis dropping a team-high 17 points thanks to extended playing time because of Nwoko’s issues, and Ruben Dominguez adding 14 points, including four huge three-pointers in the second half.
This was just an exhibition, sure, but what a statement for Xavier. That kind of second-half resilience, especially on the road against an Elite Eight caliber opponent, is pure gold. They might only have one more true road game in non-conference play, the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout, but they just got a serious preview of what they can do when things get tough away from home. If they carry this swagger into the regular season, lookout!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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