NCAA Tournament 2012, Xavier Vs. Baylor: Late Rally Not Enough For Musketeers, 75-70

A big second half was not enough to carry Xavier into the Elite Eight round of the 2012 NCAA tournament, though they gave the Baylor Bears a late scare in a Sweet Sixteen matchup on Friday night. Ultimately, the Musketeers fell 75-70, ending their tournament run.

Sporting blinding uniforms officially described as "electricity," Baylor led by 13 points with two minutes left in the game. Xavier was able to close the gap to 73-70 with just 12 seconds left to play, but the Bears made their free throws to close out the game and preserve their lead.

Baylor out-shot and out-rebounded the Musketeers, besting them by eight percentage points from the field and pulling down six more boards.

Tu Holloway led Xavier with 22 points and four rebounds. Kenny Frease had 18 points, and Mark Lyon had 16 points.

Quincy Acy led the Bears with 20 points. Three other Baylor players finished with double figures.

Baylor advances to face the winner of Friday's game between Indiana and Kentucky.

Check out Banners On The Parkway if you want to know more about the Xavier Musketeers, and head to Our Daily Bears for more on Baylor.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

Baylor Vs. Xavier: Bears Lead 36-29 At The Half

The Baylor Bears used an effective touch from the floor and an advantage in steals to jump out to a 36-29 halftime lead over the Xavier Musketeers in the Sweet 16 round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament on Friday night.

Quincy Acy leads the Bears with eight points and six rebounds. Pierre Jackson has eight points and five assists in the game so far. Between the two of them, they have made seven of nine field goal attempts, including two three-point shots for Jackson. They lead a Bears team shooting 53 percent from the field.

Kenny Frease leads the Musketeers with 12 points. Xavier is shooting 40.7 percent from the field. Mark Lyons has yet to sink a field goal in five attempts, getting his three points solely from free throws.

Check out Banners On The Parkway if you want to know more about the Xavier Musketeers, and head to Our Daily Bears for more on Baylor.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

NCAA Tournament 2012, Baylor Vs. Xavier: TV Schedule, Game Time And More

No. 3 Baylor will meet No. 10 Xavier in the Sweet Sixteen on Friday.

March Madness Schedule 2012: Xavier And Ohio Will Play The Early Games On Friday

The first Ohio team has been bounced from the tournament, as Cincinnati fell to Ohio State on Thursday night in Boston. The Bearcats could not pull off the upset, but two more Ohio teams will have a chance to pull shocking upsets on Friday night. Xavier starts the evening with their matchup against Baylor in the South Region. Then, about a half hour later, the Ohio Bobcats will take on the storied North Carolina Tar Heels in St. Louis. A complete schedule below:

Friday, March 23

South Regional - Atlanta, GA

Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Clark Kellogg (analyst), Tracy Wolfson (sideline)

No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 7 Xavier - 7:15 pm EST

No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 4 Indiana - approx. 30 minutes after conclusion of first game

Midwest Regional - St. Louis, MO

Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst), Craig Sager (sideline)

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Ohio - 7:47 pm EST

No. 2 Kanas vs. No. 11 NC State - approx. 30 minutes after conclusion of first game

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

NCAA Bracket 2012: Xavier's Path To The Sweet 16

On the heels of a mild upset and a bit of good fortune, the No. 10 seed Xavier Musketeers find themselves in the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in five years.

At least technically speaking, Xavier was the underdog when it went up against No. 7 seed Notre Dame in the first round. But the Musketeers, led by Tu Holloway's 25 points, overcame a 10-point deficit with less than 13 minutes to play, outscoring the Irish 29-15 down the stretch. That was the upset.

The good fortune came when Lehigh -- which finished second place in the regular-season Patriot League standings -- ousted Duke in the rare No. 15 seed victory, just the sixth time a No. 15 seed had won an opening-round game. (No. 15 Norfolk State also notched a win this season, downing No. 2 Missouri.)

Evidenced by the 75-70 win over the Blue Devils, Lehigh is no pushover. But it was still advantageous -- on paper at least -- to play the Mountain Hawks instead of the Blue Devils. Lehigh raced out to a 35-20 lead before the Musketeers battled back to score the 70-58 victory. Holloway had 21, while senior center Kenny Frease led the way with 25 points (on 13 attempts) and 12 rebounds.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

Dynamic Guards Lead Ohio Teams To A Perfect 8-0 Record In The NCAA Tournament

2012 NCAA Tournament: Ohio Sends Four to Sweet Sixteen

The state of Ohio is the basketball epicenter of the United States.

Okay, maybe that’s going too far, but Ohio is not only weathering the March Madness storm, the state is represented by four teams who are excelling and peaking on the game’s biggest stage.

The Ohio State Buckeyes (2), Cincinnati Bearcats (6), Xavier Musketeers (10), and Ohio Bobcats (13) have all advanced to the Sweet Sixteen and are merely two victories away from reaching the Final Four.

The Bobcats have a really tough draw in the Sweet Sixteen with the North Carolina Tar Heels, but the Heels just lost arguably their most valuable player—point guard Kendall Marshall—to a broken wrist on his strong hand. If Marshall is unable to play, it could present a big advantage for Ohio, though Carolina’s length and athleticism will still be tough to handle.

Xavier also has a tough matchup, taking on the athletic Baylor Bears. That being said, Baylor was nearly upset in the first round by South Dakota State before taking over late in the game, and Baylor is a really tough out because they can shoot threes as well as run the floor as well as almost any team in the tournament. There is a reason they were undefeated at one point in the regular season.

Ohio State is going to take on one of their in-state foes in the Cincinnati Bearcats. Cincinnati is a very talented team, especially defensively and they really came on late in the season, especially in the Big East tournament.

The Buckeyes don’t strike me as a true elite team, but they keep on winning and keep on impressing. Whether or not Cincinnati can handle Jared Sullinger inside remains to be seen, but it will certainly be an interesting matchup to watch.

Keep checking back to SB Nation Cleveland for more updates on all of the Ohio teams as they vie for position in the 2012 NCAA tournament.

2012 NCAA Bracket, Xavier Vs. Lehigh Final Score: Musketeers Eliminate Cinderella, Reach Sweet 16

The road was rockier than most anticipated back in the fall, but the Xavier Musketeers are officially headed to the Sweet 16 after edging Lehigh 70-58 in the third round of the South regional on Sunday.

Lehigh, fresh off a Cinderella-esque victory over No. 2 Duke, led by as many as 15 points in the first half but struggled to maintain its scoring pace as the game wore on. In the end, Xavier's inside-outside combination of Kenny Frease and Tu Holloway proved to be too much for the 15th-seeded Mountain Hawks to withstand.

Frease set a season-high with 25 points on 11-for-13 shooting along with 13 rebounds, and created issues for Lehigh's frontcourt all night.

Lehigh junior C.J. McCollum, who was a fan favorite after his performance against the Blue Devils, struggled to find his shot against Xavier's athletic guards, and finished the night 5-for-22 from the floor.

As the Mountain Hawks desperately tried to mount a comeback in the final minute, Xavier looked to the defensive end to get the job done. Here's Xavier forward Andre Walker with a game-sealing rejection to keep the Musketeers in the dance:

For more on the Xavier Musketeers, check out Banners On The Parkway. If you want more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stick with SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on every March Madness game.

NCAA Tournament 2012, Xavier Vs. Lehigh: Mountain Hawks Lead 37-33 At Half

The Lehigh Mountain Hawks are attempting to make history. Friday night they became just the sixth No. 15 seed to advance in the NCAA Tournament, and tonight they are halfway toward becoming the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16. Coppin State came within a point of the Sweet 16 in 1997, but Lehigh is doing even better this year, leading the Xavier Musketeers 37-33 at halftime.

Mackey McKnight has scored 14 points for Lehigh as they attempt to pull off their second straight upset in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Kenny Frease has 12 points for the Musketeers, but overall Xavier has shot only 46% from the field and has six turnovers.

Lehigh led by as many as 15, but Xavier closed the half on a 15-2 run.

For more on the Xavier Musketeers, check out Banners On The Parkway. If you want more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stick with SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on every March Madness game.

March Madness Schedule 2012: Complete Game Time & TV Info For Sunday

The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament wraps up on Sunday with another eight games on the slate. There's a definite Ohio theme to the second day of third-round games, with Columbus hosting the first two games of the day and then Ohio teams involved three of the final four games of the night. This is the group that provided our first dose of madness on Friday night, so it should be an exciting day of action. The complete schedule below:

No. 11 N.C. State Vs. No. 3 Georgetown, 12:15 p.m., CBS

No. 9 St. Louis Vs. No. 1 Michigan State, 2:45 p.m., CBS

No. 8 Creighton Vs. No. 1 North Caroline, 5:15 p.m., CBS

No. 15 Norfolk St. Vs. No. 7 Florida, 6:10 p.m., TNT

No. 13 Ohio Vs. No. 12 South Florida, 7:10 p.m., TBS

No. 15 Lehigh Vs. No. 10 Xavier, 7:45 p.m., TRU

No. 10 Purdue Vs. No. 2 Kansas, 8:40 p.m., TNT

No. 6 Cincinnati Vs. No. 3 Florida State, 9:40 p.m., TBS

For up-to-the-minute scores on all NCAA Tournament games, please check out SI.com's complete scoreboard.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

NCAA Bracket 2012, Xavier Vs. Lehigh: TV Schedule, Game Time And More

Xavier suddenly a favorite to advance to Sweet 16.

March Madness 2012, Xavier Vs. Notre Dame Score: Musketeers Advance With Second Half Comeback Win

The Xavier Musketeers are moving on to the third round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament after a thrilling 67-63 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Musketeers were down ten in the second half and fought back over the final ten minutes to finally take a one-point lead with three minutes remaining. It was their first lead since the five minute mark of the first half.

Tu Holloway led X with 25 points, including a beautiful off-balance runner off the square to give Chris Mack's club a one-point lead with 25 seconds remaining. Dezmine Wells would make one of two free-throws on their subsequent possession for a two-point lead. Then, with less than ten seconds to play, Notre Dame's Eric Atkins was fouled while driving to the hoop, sending him to the line for a one-and-one. On his first attempt, however, Jerian Grant was whistled for a lane violation which negated the made free-throw and turned it over to the Musketeers, sealing the win. An animated gif of the call lane violation call below:

In addition to Holloway, Dezmine Wells was huge for X, putting in a double-double effort with 14 points and 11 boards. Xavier will now face the No.15 seed Lehigh on Sunday after the Mountain Hawks pulled off an incredible upset over No. 2 seed Duke.

For more on the Xavier Musketeers, check out Banners On The Parkway. For more on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, head over to One Foot Down. If you want more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stick with SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on every March Madness game.

Notre Dame Vs. Xavier Score Update: Irish Lead 33-31 At Halftime

Friday in the 2012 NCAA Tournament has been a very eventful day of play in the Round of 64. One of the nightcaps pits the No. 10 seed Xavier Musketeers against the No. 7 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Entering halftime, the Irish are ahead by a score of 33-31.

Xavier jumped out to a 5-0 lead right off the bat, but Notre Dame quickly closed the gap. The Irish were not able to get shots to go and Xavier pulled away again, 15-9. NOtre Dame took their first lead of the game with nine minutes left in the first half, but Tu Holloway put the Musketeers right back up. The two teams traded leads for a bit, but Notre Dame was able to settle down and take a four-point lead in the final 30 seconds of the half.

If you wanted to listen to the live, streaming audio for this game, Dial Global Sports has you covered.

For complete, up-to-the-minute NCAA Tournament score updates, check out SI.com's full scoreboard.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

NCAA Tournament 2012: Duke Upset By No. 15 Lehigh

The No. 10 Xavier Musketeers could be playing the No. 15 Lehigh Mountain Hawks in the second round of the 2012 NCAA tournament, if they beat Notre Dame on Friday night. Playing Lehigh could be more of a challenge than the seeding suggests after Lehigh pulled off a rare giant killing on Friday when they beat the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils.

Lehigh beat Duke by a final score of 75-70. Teams with a 15th seed rarely knock off a team with a second seed, but it happened twice on Friday in the NCAA tournament. No. 15 Norfolk State upset No. 2 Missouri. Lehigh's win was only the sixth time in tournament history that a No. 15 seed has pulled off the upset.

If Xavier does make it to the second round, they will have to contain Lehigh guard C.J. McCollum. He scored 30 points with seven rebounds and six assists.

For more on the Xavier Musketeers, check out Banners On The Parkway. For more on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, head over to One Foot Down. If you want more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stick with SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on every March Madness game.

March Madness 2012, Notre Dame Vs. Xavier: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Xavier Musketeers might not have deserved a seed quite as high as they got in the 2010 NCAA tournament after a mediocre regular season and a dropped final game in the Atlantic 10 tournament, but they can now take over their usual trendy sleeper pick status as they face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Friday during the tournament's second round.

Notre Dame made the tournament thanks to a nine game winning streak that saw them tear through the Big East at the end of the regular season, including being the only team to topple Syracuse. They're led by the Big East most improved player of 2012, Jack Cooley. Cooley put in 12 points and nine rebounds per game for the Irish this season.

Only two lower seeded teams got upsets on the tournament's first day, so Xavier can buck some trends with a win over the Irish late on Friday.

Game Time: Approx. 9:45 p.m. ET.

TV: CBS

For more on the Xavier Musketeers, check out Banners On The Parkway. For more on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, head over to One Foot Down. If you want more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stick with SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on every March Madness game.

March Madness Schedule And Bracket 2012: Looking For Madness In A Friday Full Of Games

Day Two of the NCAA Tournament's second round tips off on Friday, with action from Nashville starting the day at 12:15. Thursday did not bring the upsets and spate of buzzer beaters we've become accustomed to in the first two days of the tournament, so one can expect (hope) that Friday will truly be a wild day to start the weekend. There are 16 more games on a schedule that can satisfy your hoops craze from noon to midnight.

The complete schedule with broadcast information below:

Cincinnati vs. Texas, 12:15 p.m. ET, CBS (Nashville)
Announcers: Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Jim Spanarkel (analyst), Lewis Johnson (sideline)

San Diego State vs. NC State, 12:40 p.m. ET, truTV (Columbus)
Announcers: Tim Brando (play-by-play), Mike Gminski (analysts), Otis Livingston (sideline)

Alabama vs. Creighton, 1:40 p.m. ET, TBS (Greesnboro)
Announcers: Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Clark Kellogg (analyst), Tracy Wolfson (sideline)

Florida vs. Virginia, 2:10 p.m. ET, TNT (Omaha)
Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst), Craig Sager (sideline)

Florida State vs. St. Bonaventure, 2:45 p.m. ET (tentative), CBS (Nashville)
Announcers: Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Jim Spanarkel (analyst), Lewis Johnson (sideline)

Georgetown vs. Belmont, 3:10 p.m. ET (tentative), truTV (Columbus)
Announcers: Tim Brando (play-by-play), Mike Gminski (analysts), Otis Livingston (sideline)

North Carolina vs. Vermont., 4:10 p.m. ET (tentative), TBS (Greensboro)
Announcers: Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Clark Kellogg (analyst), Tracy Wolfson (sideline)

Missouri vs. Norfolk State, 4:40 p.m. ET (tentative), TNT (Omaha)
Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst), Craig Sager (sideline)

Memphis vs. Saint Louis, 6:50 p.m. ET, TBS (Columbus)
Announcers: Tim Brando (play-by-play), Mike Gminski (analysts), Otis Livingston (sideline)

Duke vs. Lehigh, 7:15 p.m. ET, CBS (Greensboro)
Announcers: Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Clark Kellogg (analyst), Tracy Wolfson (sideline)

Michigan vs. Ohio, 7:20 p.m. ET, TNT (Nashville)
Announcers: Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Jim Spanarkel (analyst), Lewis Johnson (sideline)

St. Mary's vs. Purdue, 7:27 p.m. ET, truTV (Omaha)
Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst), Craig Sager (sideline)

Michigan State vs. LIU Brooklyn, 9:20 p.m. ET, TBS (Columbus)
Announcers: Tim Brando (play-by-play), Mike Gminski (analysts), Otis Livingston (sideline)

Notre Dame vs. Xavier, 9:45 p.m. ET (tentative), CBS (Greensboro)
Announcers: Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Clark Kellogg (analyst), Tracy Wolfson (sideline)

Temple vs. South Florida, 9:50 p.m. ET (tentative), TNT (Nashville)
Announcers: Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Jim Spanarkel (analyst), Lewis Johnson (sideline)

Kansas vs. Detroit, 9:57 p.m. ET (tentative), truTV (Omaha)
Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst), Craig Sager (sideline)

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

2012 NCAA Tournament Schedule: Xavier Vs. Notre Dame Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Xavier Musketeers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will meet in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday evening in Greensboro North Carolina. The Musketeers enter the game as the 11th-seeded team in the South region, while Texas is the No. 7 seed.

Game date/time: Friday March 16th, approx 9:45 p.m. ET

Location: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro North Carolina

TV: CBS

Announcer Team: Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg/Tracy Wolfson

Xavier and Notre Dame will be the late game on Friday evening following a full day of games beginning at 12:15 p.m. ET.

Xavier is coming off of a Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship game loss to St. Bonaventure. The Musketeers finished the season with a 21-12 record which was enough to place fourth in the Atlantic 10. Xavier was the fourth and final Atlantic 10 team to make the field after receiving an at large bid from the committee.

Notre Dame is coming off of a semifinal loss in the Big East tournament after surging to a third place finish in one of the toughest conferences in the country.

Follow the Musketeers in the NCAA Tournament at Banners On The Parkway. For more coverage of Xavier in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Cleveland's StoryStream. Click here for a link to our NCAA bracket 2012.

2012 NCAA Tournament Bracket: Xavier Musketeers

Xavier heads to the NCAA tournament as the No. 7 seed in the South Region. In their first game of the tournament the Musketeers will square off against Notre Dame, the 3rd place finisher in the always difficult Big East Conference.

The South region is full of strong teams that could make a run at the Final Four including potential third round opponent Duke who received the No. 2 seed in the region. Should the Musketeers advance to the second weekend of the tournament they could run into two surging teams in Baylor and Colorado or potentially face off against a fellow mid major in UNLV.

The South region also holds the top seed overall in Kentucky as well as last years National Champion Connecticut. Indiana, Iowa State and surprise Final Four participant in 2011 VCU also landed in the South.

Here's the full South Region bracket for the 2012 NCAA Tournament:

No. 1 Kentucky
No. 16 Mississippi Valley State OR Western Kentucky

No. 8 Iowa State
No. 9 UConn

No. 5 Wichita State
No. 12 VCU

No. 4 Indiana
No. 13 New Mexico State

No. 6 UNLV
No. 11 Colorado

No. 3 Baylor
No. 14 South Dakota State

No. 7 Notre Dame
No. 10 Xavier

No. 2 Duke
No. 15 Lehigh

Follow the Musketeers in the NCAA Tournament at Banners On The Parkway. For more coverage of Xavier in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Cleveland's StoryStream. Click here for a link to our NCAA bracket 2012.

NCAA Tournament Bracket 2012: Xavier Musketeers Could Face Duke, Lehigh In Third Round

After a successful regular season, the Xavier Musketeers have landed the No. 7 seed in the South region for this year's NCAA Tournament, as the selection committee announced on Sunday. One of just four teams from the Atlantic 10 to get a bid, the Musketeers received an at-large invitation despite failing to win the conference tournament.

The South region should pose numerous challenges for a talented Xavier team. In their first game of the tournament, the Musketeers will be facing 10th-seeded Notre Dame, with the winner moving on to face No. 2nd seeded Duke or 15th seeded Lehigh in the third round.

With Duke looking like the likely draw, Xavier would have to beat the 3rd place finisher in the Big East and then face off against a Blue Devil team that received consideration as a No. 1 seed.

If the Musketeers have some success early in the tournament, they could eventually face the likes of Baylor, Kentucky or Indiana, the region's top-three remaining seeds, in later rounds.

Follow the Musketeers in the NCAA Tournament at Banners On The Parkway. For more coverage of Xavier in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Cleveland's StoryStream. Click here for a link to our NCAA bracket 2012.

NCAA Bracket 2012: Xavier To Play Notre Dame In First Round

After landing a No. 10 seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, the Xavier Musketeers will be playing 10th-seeded Notre Dame to kick things off in their first game of the tournament. The Musketeers received an at-large bid from the tournament's selection committee after turning in a 21-12 record during the regular season.

Xavier finished fourth in what was considered one of the top mid major conferences in 2011-2012, the Atlantic 10. In the Atlantic 10 Tournament the Musketeers used a win over 2nd seeded St. Louis to reach the tournament final before losing to conference champion St. Bonaventure.

Xavier now prepares to face 7th seeded Notre Dame an at large selection from the Big East. The Irish struggled out of the gate after facing some fairly high expectations heading into the year. Several tough non conference losses and a slow start in the Big East had many wondering if they would make the tournament.

Then Mike Brey and Notre Dame turned a corner. The Irish used a strong Big East run to climb all the way up to 3rd in the standings. The Irish would then lose in the semifinal round of the Big East tournament to eventual champion Louisville.

Follow the Musketeers in the NCAA Tournament at Banners On The Parkway. For more coverage of Xavier in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Cleveland's StoryStream. Click here for a link to our NCAA bracket 2012.