As the sixth-ranked Xavier women finished practice this week, members of the men's team took the court to trade shots and laughs before their workout started at the Cintas Center.
In any discussion of Xavier basketball this season, it's the women who have the upper hand.
The Musketeers have gone places that no other Xavier team has gone before. Their No. 6 ranking is the highest ever for any team at the school - the men reached No. 7 last season, tying their highest position in the polls.
They've even started getting their own buzz on a campus more accustomed to wondering how deep the men will go in the NCAA tournament this year.
``A lot of times on campus, people will ask, 'OK, what's the ranking?''' junior center Ta'Shia Phillips said. ``When do the next rankings come out? When's the next game?' Even the teachers will mention it sometime.''
Pretty heady stuff for a program that only once has made it past the second round of the NCAA tournament. With three weeks left before tournament time, this team has a chance to be remembered as one of Xavier's best.
The Musketeers are 19-3 overall and 9-0 in the Atlantic 10, which they also won last season. A 63-56 win over Saint Joseph's on Wednesday ran their winning streak to 10 games. Unlike most years, when winning the conference was a major goal, this team is taking a longer view, one that goes deeper into March.
``I think we have a great chance of going real far in the NCAA (tournament),'' point guard Special Jennings said. ``I'm not saying that last year we had a bad team, but this year there's something that's giving us this push. We've never been ranked this high before. We've never been as glued together.''
Two front-line players are steadying them through it.
Six-foot-5 forward Amber Harris missed all last season after having surgery to repair cartilage and a structural problem in her left knee. The junior was the A10's top shot blocker and Xavier's leading scorer before the surgery. It took her a little time to get over her tentativeness after sitting out a year.
Harris had a season-high 23 points and 10 rebounds against Saint Joseph's, her sixth double-double in the last 11 games. She leads the team with 15.1 points per game.
``She's still got a lot of room to grow and get better, which is awesome,'' coach Kevin McGuff said. ``It's hard to come back from sitting out an entire year. I like where she is. More important, I know she's got room to get better.''
Harris and Phillips, a 6-foot-6 junior center and defending A10 player of the year, give the Musketeers a huge advantage over most teams up front. Harris and Phillips grew up in Indianapolis and go back there during the summer, working out against each other in practices that can get intense.
``We play a lot of one-on-one, and we don't just shoot jump shots,'' said Phillips, who averages 13.5 points and 10.3 rebounds. ``We work on everything, and everything is fair game. We bang each other around, block shots, talk smack. Everything goes. If you lose, you get mad, you throw the ball around and come back and say, 'Let's go again.'''
Phillips had to carry the load last season with Harris sidelined. The Musketeers went 25-7, tying the school record for wins, but lost to Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAA tournament, extending their streak of futility. Only once have the Musketeers gotten past the second round - they lost to Purdue in a 2001 regional final.
Xavier has more weapons from outside this season. Katie Rutan already has set a school record for freshmen by making 62 3-pointers.
The Musketeers lead the conference in scoring because of their balance.
``The difference between this Xavier team and last year's Xavier team is they have better shooters, better 3-point shooters,'' Saint Joseph's coach Cindy Griffin said. ``You have to respect that.''
The defense also is one of the nation's best, holding opponents to 34.7 percent shooting.
``I think we're a great team, especially when the lights are on and it's time to dig in,'' Jennings said.
McGuff's goal for the last three weeks is to get his team locked in mentally for a tournament run.
``It's more a mindset that we're going to play hard, we're going to play together, and we're going to do the things that make us a special team every day,'' he said.
