Xavier has the resume of an NIT hopeful right now, but all is not lost. Reasonable hope for putting together a case for an at-large bid may be gone, but if you're looking for reasonable, you've come to the wrong place. Hope, on the other hand, we still have in long supply. Needing to win about 9 more conference games, Xavier hosts Providence in a game that has to be one of those 9.
Providence comes in with their own problems, reeling under the burden of a 1-4 start in conference play. Their only bad loss came to Georgetown in double OT, but they can ill afford to let that number in the right hand column keep rising.