Mark Lyons News

ORLANDO - The 24 hours following Xavier's Old Spice Classic loss to Marquette featured candid soul-searching discussions among the reeling Musketeers and their coaches.

In the end, Xavier just couldn't crack Baylor's zone defense. The Musketeers shot 38 percent and missed 11 3-pointers en route to a 69-64 defeat to the Bears in the Old Spice Classic's fifth-place game Sunday at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

Jordan Crawford scored 22 points and Terrell Holloway added 12 Friday, leading Xavier past Creighton 80-67 at the Old Spice Classic.

On Thanksgiving Day Xavier will open the Old Spice Classic in Orlando vs. the Marquette Golden Eagles.

For the second consecutive game, Jordan Crawford established a new career high as the sophomore guard scored 26 points to lead the Xavier University men's basketball team past Sacred Heart by a 105-65 score on Saturday evening at Cintas Center.

Although the Old Spice Classic is just around the corner for Xavier's men's basketball team, the Musketeers say they won't overlook Sacred Heart in the teams' 7:30 p.m. inaugural meeting Saturday at Cintas Center.

Fans "oohed" at Jordan Crawford's fade away jump shot and "aahed" when, seconds later, he stole the ball and scored a fast-break basket.

Jordan Crawford scored 14 points while Jason Love and Mark Lyons added 12 apiece leading Xavier past Youngstown State 83-57 in the Muskateers season opener at Cintas Center.

One man's opinion on the top area sports stories from last week: The Skinny: Granted it was just NAIA Campbellsville and Division II Clarion , but the highly anticipated debut of new head coach John Calipari's team at Kentucky didn't disappoint as the Wildcats outscored the two opponents 191-90, first holding Campbellsville to 21.1 percent ...

Well with basketball season upon, the sports writers at the Examiner will vote in our own Top 25 for the beloved readers of the Examiner.

After waiting a season in the wings, guards Jordan Crawford and Mark Lyons finally showed glimpses of what they can do for Xavier's basketball program.

There's nothing like a little preseason basketball to get Cintas Center rocking.

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: There's some hype surrounding three redshirt players, including 6-foot-4 sophomore guard Jordan Crawford , one of the top guards in the Big Ten in 2007-08 as a freshman at Indiana .

Coach: Chris Mack . Last season's record: 27-8 overall, 12-4 in Atlantic 10 . Postseason: Lost in third round of NCAA tournament to Pittsburgh.

There is a lot of excitement and anticipation at Xavier. Fans in Musketeer land should be thrilled with the future of the program.

As hard as last season was on each of them, Xavier basketball players Jordan Crawford and Mark Lyons agree on one thing: It will only make them better.