Five years ago, a young Xavier team toted a slingshot into its first Atlantic 10 season. When it met Goliath, a top-ranked Massachusetts team en route to a Final Four, XU played with nothing to lose and fell just shy in an overtime classic. Fast forward to tonight.

UMASS at XAVIER

• When: 7:30 p.m. today   • Where: Cintas Center (10,250)   • Records: XU 11-2 (2-0 A-10), UMass 3-9 (1-0)   • TV: Fox Sports Net   • Radio: WLW-AM (700)   MASSACHUSETTS   Player-Ht-Yr-Avg   Winston Smith-6-5-Sr.-4.8   Micah Brand-6-11-So.-7.8   Kitwana Rhymer-6-10-Sr.-8.8   Monty Mack-6-3-Sr.-17.4   Shannon Crooks-6-2-Jr.-10.8   Coach: Bruiser Flint (74-66, fifth year; same overall)   XAVIER   Player-Ht-Yr-Avg   Lloyd Price-6-5-Jr.-8.6   David West-6-8-So.-15.9   Kevin Frey -6-8-Jr.-11.5   Maurice McAfee-6-0-Sr.-8.8   Romain Sato -6-4-Fr.-11.1   Coach: Skip Prosser (138-59, seventh year; 155-72 overall)   BY THE NUMBERS   • No. 11: West's NCAA ranking in rebounding, tops among sophomores   • No. 11: UMass' A-10 ranking (last) in field-goal shooting (.388) and free-throw shooting (.637)   • 5 Blocked shots per game for UMass, tops in the A-10

        XU (11-2, 2-0 A-10), the A-10 favorite, can match the finest start in school history by beating the visiting Minutemen (3-9, 1-0), who have lost 45 of their last 80 games and face the imminent ouster of coach Bruiser Flint.

        The gym shoe's on the other foot.

        “I felt they were a team that could win the league this year, and I still feel that way,” XU coach Skip Prosser said. “We can't expect to win without playing our absolute best.”

        Guarding against overconfidence against UMass is a landmark occasion. This is a program XU studied for how to grow from meek (11 straight losing seasons from 1978-79 through '88-89) to monstrous (averaging 29 victories from '91-92 through '95-96).

        A new arena, top-flight coaching and smart recruiting were the keys, and XU carefully copied the blueprints. Reaching 12-2 would match a mark XU reached five times prior, most recently in 1996-97, as its finest after 14 games.

        “We know if we can keep this up, it can be a special season,” senior Reggie Butler said.

        UMass is the only team against which XU has a sub-.500 record (2-3) in A-10 regular-season meetings, and these Minutemen were picked third in the A-10. They have played the nation's third-toughest schedule according to the RPI.

        UMass showed life last Saturday, beating George Washington 76-60 in its A-10 opener.

        “This is like a second season for us,” Flint said. “We didn't play well in the first season, but we're trying to win the A-10.”

        Doing so may be the only way to save his job. Flint needed a late run to the NIT last year to earn one more season, with the understanding this team had better reach the NCAA Tournament.

        “I know what I have to do,” Flint said. “If I don't do it, I know what's going to happen.”

        UMass' star is senior guard Monty Mack (17.4 ppg), a first-team A-10 pick who scored 32 points last year against XU. But Prosser's equal concern is a Minuteman front line of 6-foot-11 Micah Brand (7.8 ppg) and 6-10 Kitwana Rhymer (8.8 ppg, 7.2 rebounds).

        XU has outrebounded opponents by 4.6 per game, second-best in the A-10.

        “If we only get one shot, especially the way we shoot the ball (a so-so 42 percent), and they get two or three shots, there's no way we'll win,” Prosser said.

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