NCAA tournament games can also be stingy in scoring, heavy on bad luck and full of momentum swings, which means Marquette could take a lot of teaching moments from its battle with Xavier, both from its adjustments it made to get itself out of a very deep hole and the leadership required to mount a furious comeback.

Marquette has the defense to neutralize Xavier's 87th-ranked offense. Marquette is 56th in the nation, allowing just 67.4 points per game. The one area where Marquette will have to be careful is with Xavier's three-point shooting, but the Golden Eagles have been above-average this season with a 31.7% three-point efficiency allowed.