The seasons of both the men’s and women’s basketball teams followed similar patterns. Both teams started out strong, had a midseason bump in the road then responded to control the conference. Both teams also finished the season with early tournament exits.
Due to injury and ineligibility rulings, the men played with a short bench all season. However, that did not stop them from starting 5-1. Their only loss came in the Paradise Jam Championship to eventual NCAA Tournament participant Old Dominion.
The men would go 3-4 in the next seven games, which included a record snapping home loss to Final Four participant, Florida and a blowout loss to the University of Cincinnati.
The Musketeers responded to the UC loss by closing out the regular season 16-1 and capturing their fifth consecutive Atlantic 10 title.
Junior point guard Tu Holloway led the Musketeers with 19.7 points per game and was named A-10 Player of the Year. Head coach Chris Mack was named Coach of the Year.
Despite the regular season success, the Musketeers lost in the first round of the A-10 tournament to Dayton. The Muskies still earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament, but were ousted in their opening game against Marquette.
The women were not immune to postseason let downs. With the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament at Cintas Center and the Xavier women earning a No. 2 seed, expectations were high for the Lady Muskies. However, the Louisville Cardinals, whose fans travelled the short distance in mass, upset the Musketeers in the second round.
The loss was only the Musketeers’ third of the season. The previous two came in back-to-back road games at Duke and Stanford.
Senior Amber Harris was named the A-10 Player of the Year for the second year in a row. The selection also marked Harris’ fourth time on the A-10 First Team. She was joined on the first team by teammate Ta’Shia Phillips. Phillips was also named the A-10 Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row and to the First Team for the third consecutive year. She won A-10 Player of the Year in the 2008-09 season.
Harris was selected No. 4 overall in this year’s WNBA Draft to the Minnesota Lynx. Phillips was also drafted in the first round, at No. 8 to the Atlanta Dream She was then traded to the Washington Mystics.
The women achieved the highest national ranking in school history, No. 5, and earned the highest NCAA tournament seed in school history, No. 2.
Combined the Musketeers went 32-2 in the A-10.
After the season, Kevin McGuff announced his retirement as the head coach to accept the head coaching position at Washington. McGuff was replaced by Amy Waugh. Waugh served as an assistant under McGuff for two years.