The last time these two teams met, Xavier was just figuring out how to get by without Zach Freemantle after losing him to a foot injury. The game itself was a dogfight, with Xavier battling fatigue that turned to exhaustion and ten missed free throws to outlast Providence in OT. Since that final horn, X has largely treaded water, going 3-3 while outscoring their opponents by 57.
As fans of 1997 Ben Folds Five hit "Brick" can attest, there are worse things than treading water though. Xavier's performance without Freemantle has been enough to keep them on pace to make a four seed according to most reputable bracketologists.