Xavier tips off a brand new season this Monday, November 2, at Cintas Center, and for a program that just clawed its way out of its fewest win total in three decades, the stakes are wild. This isn’t just any game, either. The Musketeers are staring down their 37th consecutive win in regular season openers, an absolutely bonkers streak that means everything to kick off what they hope is an NCAA Tournament season.
The Streak That Just Won’t Quit
That 36-game run is no joke. You have to go all the way back to 1989-90 to find the last time Xavier dropped a season opener, when Southern Utah pulled an upset. Guess what happened that year? Pete Gillen’s squad shrugged it off and went 28-5, making their first Sweet 16 appearance. Talk about bouncing back! And get this, the streak actually started against Mount St. Mary’s way back in the 1990-91 opener, the only other time these two teams have faced off. Those 36 wins? They’ve come by an average of 24.4 points. But don’t let that fool you. Seven of those games were nail-biters, decided by single digits, including three white-knuckle, three-point wins against teams like Western Michigan, Lehigh, and Niagara. Last year, Richard Pitino’s debut saw them nearly blow a 20-point lead as 13-point favorites, hanging on to beat Marist 66-62. After two losing seasons in three years, and hitting a 30-year low with only 15 wins, a lot has changed. The NIL and transfer portal world let them overhaul the roster fast, and now everyone’s talking NCAA Tournament aspirations. But first, they have to protect that opener streak.
Pitino’s Wake-Up Call and The Keys to Victory
Even with a 3-0 record in October exhibitions, Coach Pitino is already laying down the law. Their final exhibition game against Kent State was a 76-70 escape, and Pitino flat out said the team played “selfish basketball.” He told them they now know “how bad it can look when we don’t play the right way.” That’s a wake-up call right there! For Monday’s game, that selfishness has to vanish. On defense, that means hitting the boards hard. They lost the rebounding battle 42-37 against Kent State, and Mount St. Mary’s was number two in the Metro Conference in rebounding last season. Not good. On offense, they need to spread the rock around against a Mount St. Mary’s team that was number one in the Metro last year in opposing field goal percentage, holding teams to just 39.6%. And more than anything, they just HAVE to get off to a fast start.
So, Monday, November 2, at Cintas Center, it’s not just a season opener. It’s the start of a new chapter, a chance to solidify that insane win streak, and a test to see if Pitino’s warnings have sunk in. After a busy offseason and big aspirations, you know they want to come out swinging.
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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