By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

At least seven games against 2003 NCAA Tournament teams stand out on the Xavier University men's basketball schedule, which was released Tuesday.

In addition to its Atlantic 10 conference schedule, Xavier plays Indiana of the Big Ten, Mississippi State and Alabama of the Southeastern Conference, and Iowa State of the Big 12. Indiana, Mississippi State and Alabama each made the NCAA Tournament last season, as did other Xavier opponents Saint Joseph's, Cincinnati and Dayton, which Xavier plays home and away during the Atlantic 10 season. Xavier could face an eighth NCAA Tournament team, San Diego, in the season-opening Black Coaches Association Classic at Cintas Center.

Xavier, which is coming off a 26-6 season, plays Coppin State at 8 p.m. Nov. 15 in the first round of that tournament, which runs until Nov. 17. Then the Musketeers go on the road to Ball State Nov. 25, vs. Indiana in the Wooden Tradition in Indianapolis Nov. 29, at Miami Dec. 9 and at Mississippi State Dec. 13. Xavier plays host to Louisiana-Lafayette Dec. 20 before traveling to Iowa State Dec. 23. Three home games - against Elon Dec. 28, Morehead State Dec. 30 and Alabama Jan. 3 - wrap up the traditional nonconference season. The Crosstown Shootout against Cincinnati is Feb. 3 at Cintas Center.

Five of Xavier's games will be televised nationally on ESPN or ESPN2, including four at Cintas Center, beginning with the Jan. 3 Alabama game on ESPN. ESPN2 will carry an A-10 game against Saint Joseph's Jan. 17 at Cintas Center as well as the Crosstown Shootout. The Dayton game Feb. 21 at Cintas Center and the Temple game March 6 at Temple are ESPN games.

Five other games will be on A-10 TV, and Fox Sports Net Ohio will pick up 10 more games for a total of 20 televised regular-season games.

A limited number of upper-level season tickets ($228-$288) and six-pack ticket packages ($96-114) remain. The six-pack comprises games against Louisiana-Lafayette, Alabama, Saint Joseph's, Richmond, Massachusetts and George Washington.

Individual game tickets will go on sale the final week of October. There is no public sale of individual Crosstown Shootout tickets. Exhibition game tickets are $12 for all seats. Ticket information is available at the Cintas Center box office, 745-3411, or at www.xavier.edu.

Xavier schedule ('02-03 schedule & results)

Date	Opponent	TV
Nov. 1	EA Sports All-Stars (Exh.)	TBA
Nov. 9	Upstate Basketball All-Stars (Exh.) TBA
Nov. 15	Coppin State (BCAC)	TBA
Nov. 16	Black Coaches Assn. Classic	TBA
Nov. 17	BCAC	TBA
Nov. 25	at Ball State	TBA
Nov. 29	Indiana (Wooden Tradition)	TBA
Dec. 9	at Miami U.	TBA
Dec. 13	at Mississippi State	TBA
Dec. 20	Louisiana-Lafayette	TBA
Dec. 23	at Iowa State	TBA
Dec. 28	Elon	TBA
Dec. 30	Morehead State	TBA
Jan. 3	Alabama	ESPN
Jan. 11	at Rhode Island*	A-10 TV (FSN)
Jan. 14	at Duquesne*	TBA
Jan. 17	Saint Joseph's*	ESPN2
Jan. 21	La Salle*	TBA
Jan. 25	Richmond*	A-10 TV (FSN)
Jan. 28	at George Washington*	TBA
Jan. 31	at Dayton*	A-10 TV (FSN)
Feb. 3	Cincinnati	ESPN2
Feb. 7	Fordham*	TBA
Feb. 10	at Richmond*	TBA
Feb. 14	Massachusetts*	A-10 TV (FSN)
Feb. 18	at La Salle*	TBA
Feb. 21	Dayton*	ESPN
Feb. 25	at St. Bonaventure*	TBA
Feb. 28	Duquesne*	A-10 TV (FSN)
March 3	George Washington*	TBA
March 6	at Temple*	ESPN
10-13	A-10 Tournament at UD Arena       TBA
	*A-10 game

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E-mail ddow@enquirer.com