NEW YORK, N.Y. – Travis Steele used the word "fate" to describe Wednesday night's matchup in the first round of the Big East Conference Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
There's a reason Xavier's men's basketball coach chose that word.
A year ago, the stage was eerily similar to what it is now.
Xavier, in need of a win to help solidify its place in the NCAA Tournament, will face a Butler team it beat twice in the regular season.
That was nearly the exact scenario a season ago. The meeting last year brought with it a finality that Steele and his team still remember today.