ESPN to televise Huggins/XU?

[Fastbreak]

ESPN to televise Huggins/XU?
BY DUSTIN DOW | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

ESPN is intrigued with the opportunity to televise a proposed men's basketball game between Xavier and Kansas State that would bring Bob Huggins back to Cincinnati during the upcoming season.

"It's something we are definitely interested in," said Mike Humes, spokesperson for the all-sports television network. "Bob Huggins returning to Cincinnati for the first time since going to Kansas State. And going up against Xavier. We look for games with national interest. The fact that it's Xavier, that just adds to the storyline."

Kansas State hired Huggins March 23, seven months after he was ousted from the University of Cincinnati, where he coached for 16 seasons. Xavier was a sort of nemesis for Huggins; the Musketeers beat UC eight times during his career at UC, twice when UC was ranked No. 1 in the country.

Xavier and Kansas State are working toward a deal that would bring Kansas State to U.S. Bank Arena each of the next two seasons and send Xavier to Manhattan, Kan., during the 2008-09 season. The first game of the series tentatively is scheduled to occur somewhere between late December and early January.

Each season, Xavier holds open a spot on its schedule to play a neutral-site game. In the past, Xavier has played that game at places such as Indianapolis, Miami, New York and Cleveland.

For the next two seasons, a completed deal with Kansas State would give Xavier the opportunity to play its "neutral-site" game 4 miles from its campus.

"That's a deal you can't say no to," said Sporting News analyst Mike DeCourcy. "I don't see any potential downside for Xavier other than it's against a competitive opponent. But any team you're going to schedule there would be. This is as good of a scheduling deal as Xavier will ever get."

The completion of the Kansas State negotiations would set the final piece of Xavier's schedule for 2006-07; the school announced Thursday that Bucknell would be one of XU's home opponents. Xavier will not have to return the game to Bucknell in 2007-08.

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[Big D]

Xavier's tentative schedule for next year was in the column to the right of this article.

Non-conference Schedule:
Arizona State- H
Illinois- H
Kansas State- H
Miami University- H
Bucknell- H
American- H
Detroit- H
Western Carolina- H
@creighton
@cincinnati
@paradise Jam Tournament (Alabama, Iowa, Villanova, College of Charleston, Middle Tennessee State,
Toledo, and VCU)

[Wolf]

How in the hell did Xavier get 3 home games vs BCS schools?

[Raiderman]

2 of those games, K-State and Illinois are going to be played at the US Bank Arena.

I know they got a 2 for 1 with K-State 1 @ Cintas and I @ US Bank. Not sure whcih one is next year.

How do they get those games? They are an outstanding program with many years of success.

[Fastbreak]

The K-State game is only happening because Xavier is located in Cincinatti. Huggins wants to rub his success in the face of UC and Xavier is the only other university in town.

[Class of '83]

Xavier took advantage of a great opportunity that presented itself. I wish WSU would do the same more often when it comes to scheduling. There are many good local basketball players that choose to leave the Miami Valley to play college ball. We should contact some of those schools for games. We were able to schedule a 2-for-1 with Michigan State so Andre Hudson could play in his hometown. Dunbar's Cook is headed to OSU next year. I hope our coaching staff tries to make a similar arrangement with OSU so Cook can play a game in Dayton.