Look, none of us wanted to be here right now. It would be disingenuous to proclaim that making the NIT is some sort of accomplishment for which Xavier should be proud. It’s not. The players, coaches, staff, support staff, and fans all wanted something different. In that beautiful moment when Paul Scruggs rose above EJ Liddell, no one was thinking “oh good, now we might get to host an NIT game.”
But here we are. Xavier plays tonight against a Cleveland State team that they wouldn’t normally see outside a buy game. The Vikings are a solid low-major who had a season of regression after making the NCAA tournament last season.