Xavier is in contention for a national postseason tournament title for the first time since 1958. This NIT final is the first final Xavier has appeared in since then. The Musketeers have appeared in only three national semifinals (NAIA- 1948, NIT- 1958, NIT- 1999) in their history. While this isn’t exactly the goal at the start of most years it is still significant.
This game has taken added significance because the players and coach clearly want it. Their desire has transferred to Xavier Nation, which has responded in with a wave of support for the team.