Co-champions? Nope! No. 3 Xavier wants trophy all to itself

CINCINNATI (AP) — Coach Chris Mack lifted the trophy that's topped by a silver basketball and realized he'd underestimated its weight. He started to lose his grip, and Xavier's star player was about to get beaned.

"I almost injured Trevon Bluiett," Mack said. "I held that thing up. I'm not as strong as I look, and it's really top-heavy. I saw the silver ball going toward Bluiett's head.

"Fortunately, my quick cat-like reactions stopped it from happening."

The third-ranked Musketeers could joke about the few unsettling moments in their Big East championship celebration Wednesday night. Mack wasn't the only one out of practice.