The cool thing about conference basketball season is that every team starts out with its fate in its own hands. Simply win all your games and you’re the conference champion. No splitting, no dispute, no nothing.
Getting from the start of the season to the stretch run still in control of your outcome is another thing entirely, but that’s what Xavier has accomplished. The ten-team Big East is down to a two-horse race for the league title. Xavier (10-2 in conference play) and Villanova (9-2) are the only teams remaining with a realistic shot at a conference championship, whether outright or shared.