March 28, 2008

No. 3 Seed Xavier University Musketeers (30-6)

vs. No. 1 Seed UCLA Bruins (34-3)

NCAA Tournament West Regional Final

Sat., March 29, 2008 at 3:40 p.m. MT (6:40 p.m. ET)

U.S. Airways Center • Phoenix, Ariz.

Complete Release in .pdf Format

                                                                        

Television: CBS Television, including WKRC-TV 12 in Cincinnati. Verne Lundquist will handle the play-by-play duties with analysis from Bill Raftery.

Radio: 700 WLW-AM with play-by-play from XU Hall of Famer and former Musketeer standout Joe Sunderman (`79). Analysis will be provided by Xavier Hall of Famer and XU all-time leading scorer Byron Larkin (`88).

Xavier Media Contact: Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations Tom Eiser -- email: eiser@xavier.edu; office: 513-745-3124; cell: 513-382-5565.

 

The X's and O's

 

• No. 3 seed Xavier, 30-6 overall, advanced to the West Regional Final with a 79-75 overtime win over West Virginia in a West Regional Semifinal on Thursday. Senior Josh Duncan led the way with a career-high 26 points and five rebounds. XU recorded a 73-61 come-from-behind win over No. 14 seed Georgia in the First Round on March 20 and an 85-78 win over No. 6 Purdue in the Second Round on March 22 in Washington, D.C.

 

• Xavier is back in the NCAA Tournament "Elite Eight" for the second time in the last five years. XU advanced to the "Elite Eight" for the first time in school history in 2004.

 

• Xavier senior Josh Duncan has earned CBS/Chevrolet Game MVP honors for Xavier for all three of its 2008 NCAA Tournament wins, including a career-high 26 points in the win over West Virginia on Thursday. For the three NCAA Tournament games combined, Duncan has scored a team-high 20.7 ppg. and grabbed 6.0 rpg.

 

• Xavier has five players averaging in double figures in scoring and a sixth that is close: senior Josh Duncan leads the way at 12.4 ppg. Senior Drew Lavender is second at 10.9 ppg. followed by sophomore Derrick Brown (10.8 ppg.), juniors C.J. Anderson (10.8 ppg.), B.J. Raymond (10.1 ppg.) and senior Stanley Burrell (9.8 ppg.).

 

• Xavier wins with balance as evidenced by the fact that XU is 22-0 when four or more players score in double figures, including the second round win over Purdue.

 

• Xavier is making its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance and its seventh in the last eight years. Xavier, which is making its 19th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament, is making its 18th appearance in the last 26 seasons. Xavier's first appearance was in 1961, although XU didn't return again until 1983.

 

• The No. 3 seed equals Xavier's best ever. XU was also a No. 3 seed in the 2003 NCAA Tournament behind 203 National Player of the Year and current NBA All-Star David West, beating Troy State and then losing to defending National Champion Maryland.

 

• Xavier, 30-6, has set the school record for most wins in an entire season with its first-ever 30-win season.  The old record was set by the 1989-90 "Sweet 16" team (28-5) behind future NBA players Tyrone Hill, Derek Strong and Aaron Williams.

 

• Xavier, 30-6, has secured its third straight 20-win season and its 11th 20-win season in the last 12 years.

 

• Xavier fourth-year head coach Sean Miller is the 2007-08 Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year. The NABC named Miller as its 2008 NABC District 10 Coach of the Year. He is also a candidate for many National Coach of the Year honors.

 

• Xavier, 14-2 in the 2008 Atlantic 10 Conference regular season race, won sole possession of its second straight Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship.

 

• Xavier senior Stanley Burrell was the 2007-08 Atlantic 10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year and is a candidate for National Defensive Player of the Year honors.