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.
