Texas faces Xavier in second round of NIT

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY SportsAfter hanging on for a win against South Dakota State on Tuesday, the Texas Longhorns survived and advanced to the second round of the NIT. Their next opponent is the 19-15 Xavier Musketeers.

A year ago, Xavier won the Big East regular season championship and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. That team featured four seniors, including star wing Trevon Bluiett. But all four of those seniors, along with junior forward Kaiser Gates and head coach Chris Mack, departed over the summer.

It was a lot of change for a program where continuity has been a big part of its success over the years. After Mack left for Louisville, Xavier promoted his top…