Mark Prosser, Winthrop set for emotional matchup vs. Xavier

It will be a special day for Xavier and Winthrop when they face off Saturday in Cincinnati.

The teams play in the Skip Prosser Classic, named for the former coach of Wake Forest and Xavier who passed away in 2007.

His son Mark is the head coach at Winthrop. He used to be the coach at Western Carolina, which played against Xavier in this game in 2019.

"My family, for decades, has had a great affinity for Xavier and their basketball program," Prosser said in a statement to the Cincinnati Enquirer. "We are so appreciative of the opportunity that they have provided us, both at Western Carolina and now at Winthrop, to be a part of this tradition that bears my father's name. He truly loved being a Musketeer."

The impact of Skip Prosser on the Xavier program isn't lost on Musketeers head coach Sean Miller.

"Skip Prosser's impact on the Xavier basketball program and all of college basketball is still alive today," Miller told the Enquirer. "Skip was a great role model for everyone in the coaching profession.

"The inclusion of his son Mark and his team in the Skip Prosser Classic tradition is a way to keep his winning legacy front and center where it belongs."

The Musketeers (5-5), who reached the Sweet 16 last year, are coming off an 84-79 win over crosstown rival Cincinnati that ended a three-game losing streak.

Dayvion McKnight poured in 20 points in that one and is averaging 9.0 points per game. Quincy Olivari scored 27 against Cincinnati on the strength of six 3-pointers. He's the team's leading scorer at 17.2 points per outing.

Winners of four in a row, the Eagles (8-3) are 0-2 all time against Xavier.

Their offense has been a big storyline, with the Eagles scoring 85 or more in four consecutive games.

K.J. Doucet (14.5), Kelton Talford (11.9), Kasen Harrison (11.5), Alex Timmerman (10.5) and Nick Johnson (10.2) are all averaging in double figures.

—Field Level Media