Xavier basketball has another Tier 1 positive and is shut down again

First, the news:

There's no way around the fact that this is a kick straight to the zipper. Xavier was rolling early in the season before their first corona related cancellation. Since then they've played five times in a month and are looking at another extended break here.

The next game on Xavier's schedule isn't until the 26th, a full sixteen days after the last time they played. There's obviously no guarantee that the Muskies will get that game in, as both programs slated to participate in the contest are currently on a break due to pandemic related concerns.

It's worth keeping in mind that the NCAA has set a minimum of 13 games completed to be eligible for participation in the tournament. A month ago, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Xavier would reach that number fairly easily. It's still well within reach with two months left until Selection Sunday, but nothing can be taken for granted this season.