By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The player XU will turn to:
Lionel Chalmers, a 6-foot senior guard, is the team's playmaker when it counts. He seeks the ball and the big shot. Chalmers has turned up his performances lately, when Xavier's postseason was in doubt. Now the pressure is even greater in his final NCAA Tournament.

The Muskie who must be playing well:
Anthony Myles is Xavier's only true big man, and when he's scoring and rebounding, Xavier is winning. He has picked up his intensity in the second half of the season, becoming more active around the basket. Xavier's occasional use of zone defense has benefited Myles, who doesn't fare well defensively when he has to stray from the basket.

The team XU doesn't want to face:
North Carolina. The Tar Heels have a good big man in Sean May and an excellent point guard in Raymond Felton, who is quick off the dribble. Xavier has struggled against each of those types of players separately (Duquesne, Iowa State). With both on one team, Xavier will have a difficult time.

What gives XU its best shot at San Antonio?
Momentum. Xavier is rolling into the NCAA Tournament having played its best basketball in the last month and a half. As long as Xavier continues to defend and shoot well, the Musketeers have proven they can beat any team.

What could get XU bounced in the first round?
Carelessness. When Xavier is sloppy with the ball, it can't get into its offense and gives up easy layups on defense. Xavier is averaging 15.0 turnovers a game in its last six games and even committed 26 in beating Saint Joseph's. The Musketeers have shown an ability to lose to all kinds of teams this season, including teams such as Duquesne and Ball State.

Where is XU now, compared to November?
In the NCAA Tournament. Xavier was still a work in progress in November and even in January when XU lost five of six games at the end of the month. The NCAA Tournament didn't seem like a possibility then. Now, Xavier is one of the hottest teams in the nation. The winning has had a dramatic, positive effect on team chemistry, which was nonexistent during the first few months.

Dustin Dow