Squeezed into the schedule between the state schools of Ball and Morehead is mid-table mid-major team Cincinnati. Taking on a team of this quality at home right before conference play starts wouldn’t ordinarily be a huge deal for Xavier, but... well, you know why it is. Either that or you’ve found this website by accident.
Despite what Cininnati’s fans are desperate to have you believe in their message boards, they’re a struggling program that doesn’t play in a real conference. Nearly 20 years after leaving Conference USA for the bright lights of the Big East, UC found themselves in a rehydrated version of the same conference, battling it out on backwater internet-only broadcasts against off-brand directional schools from the southeast.