After going all of last season without cracking the Associated Press top-25 men's college basketball poll, the Xavier Musketeers opened the 2019-2020 season Monday at No. 19 in the AP preseason poll.
Xavier, picked to finish third in the Big East Conference preseason coaches' poll two weeks ago, is one of three Big East teams in the top 25 to start the season.
Villanova will start the season at No. 10 and Seton Hall, the preseason pick to win the Big East, opens at No.