Xavier "Tu" Much for Richmond

Very quietly Xavier is erasing their slow start and easing into "tourney lock" status.  Today's 85-62 win at Richmond gives the Muskies a two game cushion over the Spiders and Temple Owls, plus they have already earned head-to-head wins over both.

Junior Tu Holloway, the nation's sixth leading scorer, continued his A10 Player of the Year campaign by scoring a career high 33 points, including a sure-fire highlight when he inbounded the ball off the unsuspecting backside of a Richmond player and picked up the carom and laid the ball in the basket for a thrilling halftime buzzer beater.  His continued excellent play doesn't get a ton of national attention, but he is certainly in the mix for second or third team All-American status.

More importantly Holloway and backcourt-mate Mark Lyons showed the poise and steady ballhandling that made it not only impossible, but foolilsh to try to press the Muskies.  They were able to break the pressure with ease all afternoon.  Then on the defensive end, both helped spearhead the 1-2-2 zone that stymied Richmond for the second consecutive year.

With the win Xavier moved to 15-5 (7-0), and remains in a first place tie with the surprising Duquesne Dukes.  For Richmond, their bubble-status gets even dicier with the loss and puts some real pressure on the Spiders to avoid many more missteps if they hope to earn a repeat trip to the Big Dance. Their next four games are all should-wins that have now become must-wins for Richmond.

UP NEXT:

XAVIER: @Charlotte, St. Louis, @Georgia

RICHMOND: St. Joeseph's, @Fordham, @George Washington