Xavier wraps up exhibition play at 3-0. Why it matters.

The wins won’t show up in the standings, nor will they improve Xavier’s NCAA Tournament resume or count toward its record when the regular season begins.

But Xavier’s 3-0 record in October exhibitions after a 76-70 win over Kent State Oct. 23 at Cintas Center is something worth carrying into the regular season. The Musketeers notched three wins that tested different parts of a transfer portal-fueled team still in the early stages of gelling.

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Outside against Dayton earlier this month, Xavier built a sizeable lead before holding off a Flyers’ comeback that trimmed the margin to as little as one point. The Musketeers followed with an 86-70 road victory over Tennessee, rallying from an eight-point halftime deficit in Knoxville against a program that has reached three consecutive Elite Eights and was picked No. 8 in the AP’s preseason Top 25 poll.

On Friday, Xavier’s final preseason tune-up offered a different test when Rob Senderoff’s Golden Flashes visited Cintas Center. Xavier didn’t handle its business in a way a Big East school should against a mid-major program, but it was a far cry from one year ago, when an exhibition home loss to Murray State felt synonymous with a “Danger Alert” ahead of a 15-18 season and last-place finish in the Big East.

“They’ve all been challenging games,” Xavier head coach Richard Pitino said. “Every game was different. I just approach it one day at a time with so many new guys.”

Mike Nwoko (1) celebrates after a bucket against Kent State in an exhibition game at Cintas Center on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026.

Three games, three different game scripts and paths to victory. For a team with several newcomers, that variety could prove valuable long after the exhibition games are forgotten.

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College basketball rosters across the country have become increasingly transient, and Xavier is no exception. Integrating new players involves more than figuring out who can score, rebound or defend. It requires building chemistry, establishing roles…

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Publish date : 2026-10-24 01:31:00

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