Longhorns vs. Xavier: Sweet 16 Preview, Betting Odds, How to Watch
The second-seeded Texas Longhorns will take on the third-seeded Xavier Musketeers in the Sweet 16 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Friday, as both teams get set to battle with a spot in the Elite 8 on the line.
The Longhorns earned a Sweet 16 berth for the first time since 2008 after topping the Penn State Nittany Lions 71-66 in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday.
Xavier advanced on Sunday after putting away the 11th-seed Pitt Panthers with an 84-73 win. The Musketeers nearly found themselves on the wrong end of an upset bid from No. 14 Kennesaw State in the Round of 64 on Friday, but escaped with a 72-67 win.
This matchup will mark the third time the two teams have met in the NCAA Tournament and the sixth meeting overall. Xavier topped Texas 79-71 in the Sweet 16 in 2004 while the Longhorns beat the Musketeers 102-89 in the Sweet 16 in 1990.
Safe to say that Xavier and Texas have a bit of a history in this round.
Xavier headed into the tournament with a 25-9 record after falling in the Big East Tournament Final to Marquette. During the regular season, the Musketeers finished with the second-best record (15-5) in the conference. Even while playing against strong non-conference competition, seven of their nine total losses came within five points or less.
Game Information: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 - No. 2 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 3 Xavier Musketeers
Date/Time: Friday, March 24 at 8:45 p.m CT
Where: T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, Missouri)
Betting Via SI Sportsbook: Texas -4.5
Moneyline: Texas -188, Xavier +150
Over/Under: 148.5
TV/Streaming: CBS
Radio: Longhorn IMG Radio Network/104.9 The Horn (Austin Flagship)
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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