A home defeat of the country’s No. 1 team followed by a road loss left Xavier in a holding pattern in Monday’s major men’s basketball polls.
The Musketeers (25-4, 13-4 Big East) checked in at No. 5 in the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll for the second straight week.
Formerly top-ranked Villanova didn’t fare as well after Wednesday's 90-83 defeat by the Musketeers at Cintas Center. Jay Wright’s team dropped to No. 3 in the AP poll and No. 2 in the Coaches Poll.
For Xavier, Sunday’s sobering loss to Seton Hall provided a rare tangle with adversity.