The game is being played at the year-old Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, IL, which is about 15 miles northwest of Chicago. It is the home of the Chicago Storm indoor soccer team and the Chicago Shamrox indoor lacrosse team and seats about 10,000 for basketball.

The Coppin St-SE Missouri St game was played in front of a crowd of tens. There were more people at the Xavier pregame party than sitting in the stands watching this game, but the evening crowd wil be closer to capacity and undoubtedly filled with mostly Indiana fans.

I'm sitting next to the Kent St radio folks, and they are having problems getting on the air. Their brand new equipment doesn't seem to work. Maybe the extra time will give them a chance, but I think they are going to call the game over the phone.

Xavier comes into this season as the favorite in the Atlantic 10, but have already picked up a loss to Miami-Ohio. Their two wins came over the teams I just watched. The Musketeers beast SEMO by 31 and Coppin by 39. PG Drew Lavender, an Oklahoma transfer, is a preseason all-A10 pick, but is the only starter not averaging in double-figures in the early going.

Kent St is a young team off to a 3-1 start on the season. The Golden Flashes have only two seniors, but both start, and one, Mike Scott, is the team's best player. Scott averages 14.5 points and seven boards per game. Kent State's lone loss came at Detroit to open the season, and they also beat Coppin St by 23.

This is an important game for Xavier's NCAA at-large hopes. It may seem strange to say that about a Thanksgiving week game, but since they already have a mediocre non-conference loss, they really can't afford any more.