Xavier hosts Kent State in final exhibition tune-up for regular season

In its final tune-up for the regular season, Xavier men’s basketball will make its Cintas Center debut in an exhibition against the Kent State Golden Flashes on Friday, Oct. 23.

This winter, a win in Knoxville over Tennessee (picked to finish fourth in the SEC) would fit comfortably into the all-important “Quad 1” category for the Musketeers. But all Xavier got from its 86-70 exhibition win in Rocky Top Oct. 15 is a boost of confidence.

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“A lot to learn from it. Tennessee is a terrific team,” Xavier head coach Richard Pitino said. “It’s an exhibition game. It doesn’t count, but a lot of good things to draw from it, for sure.”

One of the top takeaways for Xavier’s October exhibitions has been how the Muskies have been able to win in two games in two different ways.

More: Xavier Musketeers storm back for exhibition road win over Tennessee

More: Grading Xavier Musketeers outdoor exhibition win over Dayton Flyers

More: Tennessee basketball vs Xavier exhibition game, best photos

In an outdoor exhibition against Dayton, Xavier never trailed, withstood the momentum swing as the Flyers trimmed a 17-point deficit to as little as one down the stretch, and finished strong.

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Against Tennessee, Xavier overcame a sluggish start and a 10-point hole in the first half and did it with depth. With two starters, Mike Nwoko and Chance Westry, dealing with foul trouble and two freshmen out with injury, Xavier got 37 points off the bench and still shot over 70% in the second half to pull away from the Volunteers at Food City Center.

Now Xavier heads to Cintas Center, where they will play five of their first six regular-season games before a Thanksgiving trip to the Bahamas.

Kent State has been consistent in the MAC under Rob Senderoff

Entering his 16th season with the Golden Flashes, head coach Rob Senderoff has never had a losing year. In that span, Kent State has won 20-plus games 10 times, including four times in the last five years, and Senderoff is the winningest coach in…

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Publish date : 2026-10-22 16:23:00

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