Know Your Iowa Basketball Opponents: Xavier

Finally, Iowa's men's basketball team is playing someone. It had to go to the Bahamas to do it, but Muhammad Ali went all the way to Zaire to fight George Foreman.

The when is Thursday night in some fancy-schmancy casino resort in the Bahamas called Atlantis. Which is an odd name for a resort, since Atlantis sank into the ocean.

The someone is Xavier. The Musketeers of Cincinnati. I've been to Cincinnati. Didn't see any Musketeers. Did enjoy some Skyline Chili, though.

Xavier doesn't have to be explained to college basketball fans. It has a pedigree. It has only missed the NCAA tournament twice since 2001. Unfortunately, last season was one of those two times.

The Musketeers reached NCAA regional finals in 2004 and 2008. Iowa has been to one regional final in the last 30 years. Xavier also reached the Sweet 16 in 2009, 2011 and 2012. It has won 15 NCAA tourney games since 2002. Like I said, folks, a pedigree.

Xavier beat Abilene Christian Monday, 93-65. That's the same Abilene Christian that lost at Iowa on Nov. 17, 103-41. But since then, the Wildcats of Abilene posted wins over Division II Western New Mexico and NAIA Northern New Mexico.

The Musketeers are 5-0. They've also beaten Gardner-Webb, Tennessee, Morehead State and Miami (Ohio). All were home games. Xavier could play Tennessee in the semis of this Bahamas tourney. Xavier and Tennessee flew to the Bahamas together to save money. Pretty chummy, those two.

But now Xavier plays Iowa in a matchup of 5-0 teams.

"We're very excited about that," said Xavier's James Farr, who 14 points and eight rebounds Monday. "Each time we get to play a team like that, it just gets us a step closer to the NCAA tournament.

"At the same time, we just act like we're at the bottom of the map working our way up."

Xavier is a few weeks away from beginning its first season in the Big East. It joined the league along with Butler and Creighton. The league lost some of of its heaviest hitters, but it's still got good hoops.

Some bad news for the X-Men: Senior forward Erik Stenger has an illness and may not make the Bahamas trip. He averaged 5.5 points and 16 minutes in Xavier's first four games.