Among active coaches entering their eighth seasons, Xavier's Skip Prosser has the best winning percentage at .673 (144-70). Some pretty good names trail him on the list: Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings, New Mexico's Fran Fraschilla, Detroit's Perry Watson and North Carolina State's Herb Sendek.

        Yet Prosser knows wins aren't the only aim. As XU christens the $46 million Cintas Center this weekend, it also begins a new era of expectations.

Prosser

        “It's not something we're going to shy away from, like, "Oh, Skip, the pressure's on now,'” Prosser said. “I don't mind that. I think that's something we embrace, that kind of expectation, that kind of goal — to take it to another level. And I think this building will be a big help in enabling us to do that.”

        A placard in the new locker room lists XU's goals. The last line reads, “National championship.”

        That's the program's goal, one seemingly out of immediate reach. For a team that missed out on back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, getting back to the Big Dance comes first.

        Returning five of its top six starters, and expecting an immediate spark from newcomers Romain Sato and Lionel Chalmers, XU is ready to dream big.

        “We need to make this a special season,” senior guard Maurice McAfee said.

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