Lionel Chalmers displays Xavier's new uniform - and attitude. (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

        Xavier's change to black uniforms seems to suggest a new attitude. No more Mr. Nice Musketeer.

        XU has adopted an aggressive attitude to overcome its offensive woes. It's blue-collar basketball: more gritty than pretty, more Big Ten than Atlantic 10.

        XU is winning ugly. But it's winning.

        “We like that (blue-collar) reputation,” senior center Reggie Butler said. “Teams that usually win, like Michigan State, their reputations are like that.”

        When the Musketeers (8-2) meet Kent State (7-3) tonight in Cleveland, they'll hope to further their new status as defensive specialists.

        “We're not shooting it well, but we're guarding well and finding a way to win,” XU coach Skip Prosser said.

XU vs. KENT STATE

• When: 8:30 p.m. today.   • Where: Gund Arena (20,500) , Cleveland.   • Records: XU 8-2, Kent State 7-3.   • TV: Ch.25.   • Radio: WKRC-AM (550).   XAVIER   Player - Ht. - Yr. - PPG   Kevin Frey - 6-8 - Jr . - 12.1   David West- 6-8 - So. - 15.0   Lloyd Price - 6-5 - Jr . - 7.2   Romain Sato - 6-4 - Fr. - 11.1   Maurice McAfee - 6-0 - Sr. - 6.6   Coach: Skip Prosser (135-59, seventh season; 152-72 overall)   KENT STATE   Player - Ht. - Yr. - PPG   Kyrem Massey - 6-5 - Sr. - 14.6   Bryan Bedford - 6-4 - Fr. - 2.6   Rashaun Warren - 6-6 - Sr. - 7.7   Trevor Huffman - 6-1 - Jr. - 16.2   Andrew Mitchell - 5-11 - Sr. - 10.0   Coach: Gary Waters (75-53, fifth season; same overall)   BY THE NUMBERS   • 74.6: Kent State's winning percentage (53-18) over the past two-plus seasons.   • 68.4: XU's percentage (54-25) over the same period.   • 8-4: XU's lead in this series; the teams haven't played in eight years.

        XU, which twice has led the Atlantic 10 in scoring offense and never ranked lower than third, is eighth (69.2 ppg). But it leads the league and ranks 23rd nationally in scoring defense (60.7 ppg), nearly eight points below its previous best during its A-10 tenure.

        It had never ranked better than sixth in the A-10 in scoring defense.

        “It's shocking, considering the way it has normally been for Xavier,” Prosser said. “This has not been by design. If we want to win, we have to guard, because we're not showing the ability to put points on the board.”

        In past years, XU excelled with up-tempo play and a pressure defense that paid off with numerous cheap baskets. Prosser spoke in preseason of playing faster than ever.

        But poor shooting — .419, eighth in the A-10 — has hamstrung XU. It is scoring six points fewer a game than last year, its previous low in the Prosser era.

        “It's incredible for me we could miss 18 of our first 19 shots at Toledo,” Prosser said. “I told the kids, if we went back up there and shot 19 shots left-handed, we could probably make more than one.”

        Xavier has found its identity inside. Sophomore center David West has averaged 21 points and 10.8 rebounds over the past four games, and XU ranks fourth in the A-10 in rebounding margin (plus-3.3).

        And the defense has been a lift.

GETTING DEFENSIVE

Xavier's reputation as a team that excels on offense but is so-so defensively has been turned on its head this season. Here are XU's year-by-year Atlantic 10 rankings and average in scoring offense and scoring defense:     Year - Off. - Def.   '95 - 96 - 3rd (75.4) - 11th (74.4)   '96 - 97 - 1st (83.2) - 11th (72.4)   '97 - 98 - 1st (83.5) - 6th (68.8)   '98 - 99 - 2nd (77.3) - 8th (68.3)   '99 - 00 - 3rd (75.2) - 7th (69.2)   '00 - 01 - 8th (69.2) - 1st (60.7)

        “We're quick, and people are getting in the passing lanes better,” junior forward Kevin Frey said. “We've been taking a lot of pride in our defense.”

        XU ranks second in the A-10 in defensive field goal percentage (.411) and second in turnover margin (plus-3.5).

        “They're better because of that one issue: They can shut people down,” KSU coach Gary Waters said. “They've got great size. When your wings are 6-6 and 6-5, it gives you more range defensively.”

        The Golden Flashes won 23 games each of the past two seasons, making the NCAA Tournament two years ago and reaching the NIT quarterfinals last season. They're a veteran group, returning four starters.

        They handed St.Bonaventure (8-1) its only loss. They play smart, owning a plus-7.4 turnover margin and .733 free-throw shooting. They've been outrebounded by 4.7 a game.

        “That's a big challenge for us,” Waters said. “We have strong guards; they have strong inside players.”

        KSU's top players are junior guard Trevor Huffman (16.2 ppg), who shoots .833 from the line, and senior swingman Kyrem Massey (14.6).

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