PHILADELPHIA — It's all over but the seeding. Then, perhaps, the shouting. Xavier's campaign for a best-ever NCAA Tournament seed (7 p.m., ESPN) could fall on deaf ears if the national “bracketology” experts read the Selection Committee right.

        The most common opinion Saturday was that XU would be a No.7 seed, which would equate to a couple of positions lower than its No.19 RPI Saturday would suggest.

        “They could be as high as a six (seed) if it breaks right, but they're probably a seven,” said Jerry Palm of CollegeRPI.com.

        XU coach Thad Matta made light of star center David West's obsession with the subject, saying West had been watching games nonstop and trying to calculate XU's fate.

        Your thoughts, Dave?

        “We've made a push to be like a five or a six (seed),” West said. “Some teams have helped us in other conferences by losing. We've won 20 of our last 22, so some things are in our favor.”

        XU is 25-5, ranked 24th by the Associated Press and 23rd in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. XU stood No.21 Saturday in the Sagarin ratings.

        SportingNews.com projected XU as a No.6 seed before Saturday's game. CollegeRPI.com, Sportsline.com and USA Today all predicted a seventh seed. ESPN.com listed a No.9 seed.

        The highest seed the Musketeers have ever received is a sixth seed, in both the 1990 and '98 tournaments.

        XU's RPI rating is the highest it has owned on Selection Sunday in the nine seasons under the current RPI format. Its previous best was No.23 in '98.

        YOUNG WAITS: Junior guard Dave Young sat out his second consecutive game because of a hairline fracture in his left (non-shooting) wrist. Matta said team physician Robert Burger told him Young probably would be available for the NCAA Tournament.

        ALL-TOURNEY TEAM: West was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Romain Sato and Lionel Chalmers. West is the seventh player to win the league's regular-season MVP and the tour ney's MOP award in the same season.

        The other tourney team members were Richmond's Reggie Brown and LaSalle's Rasual Butler.

        MATTA MAKES MARK: Matta became the first first-year A-10 coach to lead his team to the regular-season and tournament championships in the same year. Only two other coaches have won the A-10 tourney in their first season at a school: Roy Chipman (Pittsburgh) in 1981 and Bob Wenzel (Rutgers) in '89.

        Matta's 25 victories tie the mark for most by a first-year XU coach; Pete Gillen went 25-5 in 1985-86.

        TOURNEY TALK: The Musketeers will be making their 14th NCAA Tournament appearance. They have qualified for two consecutive tournaments, four of the past six, and 12 of the past 17.

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