The Xavier Musketeers men’s basketball team represents Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The school’s team now competes in the Big East Conference. Of all Division I programs yet to make a Final 4, Xavier has the most all-time tournament wins with 27. Xavier has emerged in the NCAA Tournament 27 times, 15 times in the last 17 years. On March 11, 2018, Xavier made its first No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament.
Xavier won four Atlantic 10 Tournament Championships (1998, 2002, 2004 and 2006). Xavier has won or shared 17 regular season conference championships, while winning 9 conference tournament championships. Additionally, they’ve won one Big East Conference regular season title in 2018.
Xavier has been listed one of the top-20 most valuable college basketball programs in the US.
The very first Xavier Basketball match on record was February 20, 1920 in the Fenwick Club at Cincinnati. Coached by Joe Meyer, the Musketeers compiled a 94—52 record during Meyer’s’s 13-year run as head trainer from 1920 to 1933. The Musketeer’s success continued under second head coach Clem Crowe. During Crowe’s 10 years since Xavier head coach, Xavier compiled a listing of 96—78. Crowe’s 96 wins as a head trainer rank fourth all-time among Xavier head trainers. [5]
After the 1942—43 season, play was suspended for the following two seasons due to World War II. In 1945, the program resumed under the leadership of head coach Ed Burns. In his one season as head coach, Burns compiled a list of 3—16.
In 1946, Burns was replaced by Lew Hirt. Underneath Hirt, the Musketeers first postseason appearance was in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) during the 1948 NAIA National Basketball Tournament, the national championship for small schools. Xavier ended in 4th place, dropping to Hamline University in the national third-place match, 58—59. 1948 was the only season Xavier appeared in the NAIA Tournament.
Back in 1951, Hirt was replaced as head trainer from Ned Wulk. Wulk guided the Musketeers to National Invitational Tournament appearances in 1956 and 1957. The 1956 appearance marked Xavier’s initial NIT triumph, an 84—80 victory over Saint Louis.
Following a loss to Bradley from the 1957 NIT, Wulk was replaced as head trainer from Jim McCafferty. McCafferty headed the Musketeers back into some third consecutive NIT at 1958. With wins over Niagara, Bradley, St. Bonaventure and Dayton, Xavier seized the NIT. That was the very first postseason championship obtained by any Ohio Division I school.
Back in 1961, McCafferty led Xavier to their first appearance in the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. On March 14, 1961, Xavier fell to Morehead State in the Kentucky State Fairgrounds in Louisville, Kentucky.
McCafferty was replaced as head coach in 1963. He would be followed by Don Ruberg (1963—67), George Krajack (1967—71), Dick Campbell (1971—73) and Tay Baker (1973—79).
Back in 1979, Xavier was among the charter members of this Midwestern City Conference (nicknamed the MCC or Midwestern City , also now known as the Horizon League), which also included Butler, Evansville, Loyola (Chicago), Oklahoma City, and Oral Roberts. That season also marked the hiring of head coach Bob Staak, that compiled an 88—86 list during his six seasons as head coach, including a return to both the NCAA Tournament and NIT.

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