Reaction shots of college basketball teams finding out they’ve been picked to the NCAA Tournament always adds to the beauty of March Madness.
For Xavier, it was a sweet release of emotions on Selection Sunday. The Musketeers were on the bubble for six weeks and were unaware of their postseason fate until they were picked as a No. 11 seed to play Texas in the First Four.
The reveal sent Xavier into a frenzy while watching at head coach Sean Miller’s house.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced a better feeling in sports than the one I had when our name was announced,” Miller said. “It was hard to describe. It was magical.”
Adding to the magic is the slew of Musketeers who will experience March Madness for the first time, most notably Zach Freemantle.
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With an illustrious career at Xavier coming to an end, the NCAA Tournament was always the missing piece for the veteran forward. Freemantle originally committed to Xavier in August 2018.
In an era of college basketball when players are leaving at the drop of a hat, Freemantle battled a roller-coaster six-year ride at the same school highlighted by more lows than highs. That changed Sunday.
“It was honestly one of the craziest feelings I’ve had in my life,” Freemantle said. “The room was just too emotional. There wasn’t really any message said. There were a lot of hugs; a lot of cheering.”
In the Big East Tournament, Freemantle became the fourth player in Xavier history to rank top 10 in scoring and rebounding. There was little to celebrate, though, as Xavier coughed up a 14-pont second-half lead to Marquette and had an excruciating wait until Selection Sunday.
“The change of emotions to losing at the Garden to now, it’s full circle,” Freemantle said. “We’ve come from the lowest to the highs.”
Freemantle, who could’ve left when Xavier moved on from Travis Steele for Miller, missed the Musketeers’ run to the Sweet 16 in 2023 with a foot injury before missing all of last season. In December, Freemantle suffered a knee injury that Xavier originally thought could sideline him for the rest of the year.
“All of the different things he’s (Freemantle) had to go through to get to this point and he makes the tournament,” Miller said. “Just to see the expression on his face, it was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It was amazing.”
For six years, Freemantle had to listen to others describe the feeling of playing in the NCAA Tournament, wondering if the hype surrounding March Madness was fact or fiction.
He’ll finally find out for himself on Wednesday.
“A lot of people talk about how magical it is, how amazing everything about the tournament is,” Freemantle said. “I’m excited to get my first chance to play in it.”
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Xavier’s Ryan Conwell survives the bubble
Ryan Conwell knows how south things can go on Selection Sunday. Last season, Conwell was one of the key cogs on an Indiana State team that went 28-6 and were one of the first four teams left out of the dance.
Even a thrilling run to the NIT Championship game couldn’t mask the disappointment of being snubbed.
“When we were recruiting him (Conwell), he still had this disappointment,” Miller said.
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Less than a week after a career-high 38 points (a Xavier Big East Tournament record), Conwell will get his chance on the biggest stage against a Texas team that features a pair of his former teammates at Indiana State in Jayson Kent and Julian Larry.
“It was a heartbreaking feeling (last year). It’s kind of full circle now being able to be in the same position and come out on the other end,” Conwell said. “I’m just thankful.”
Conwell’s backcourt teammate, Dayvion McKnight, has played in 160 college games and will finally make his NCAA Tournament debut.
McKnight spent three seasons at Western Kentucky before joining the Musketeers through the transfer portal in 2023. McKnight played well in Xavier’s first losing season in nearly three decades while Western Kentucky went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 11 years.
“It’s a lot. I’m definitely grateful,” McKnight said. “I’m ready to get to the game on Wednesday. I feel like with this situation, we just have to enjoy it right now.”
After ignoring bracketology over a seven-game winning streak to end the year, it was hard for Xavier to disregard the bubble talk over the last two days with nothing set in stone.
“The last two-and-a-half days really tested me,” Miller said.
With its fate in the Selection Committee’s hands, McKnight, even-keeled as ever, went about his business as usual.
“I was just chilling. I didn’t change anything,” McKnight said. “I put it up to the man above and let them figure everything else out. This morning, there was more noise just because it was Selection Sunday. I was a little nervous throughout the day.”
