All-Decade Team: Men's Basketball

By Sports Information

5/29/2020 11:00:00 AM

Williamsburg, KY – Having one of the winningest programs in the NAIA, the UC Men’s Basketball team is a namesake in the NAIA. The Patriots have compiled 1,246 wins in the program history, which ranks in the top-25 all-time in the NAIA recorded, and 28 appearances in the NAIA National Tournament, which ranks second in NAIA history. UC has also captured two Mid-South Conference titles and three MSC Tournament titles with four MSC Players of the Year and one MSC Freshman of the year accolades. Over the past decade Cumberlands has posted a .663 winning percentage, which is highlight by eight NAIA National Tournament appearances. The Patriots' success has come in part of having a slew of talented players that garnered countless honors, including 12 of them earning NAIA All-Americans honors. With all of these accomplishments the one player that represents the men’s basketball team on UC’S All-Decade Team is guard Xavier Owens.

Owens is one of the most decorated players in program history as he is one of only seven Patriots to earn multiple All-American honors and one of just three players to do it over the past decade. In addition to the national honors that Owens earned, he was named to the MSC First Team All-Conference team twice. In his two seasons with the Patriots, Owens played in 68 games, averaging 14.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists for his career. He tallied 11 career double-doubles, netted at least 20 points in a game 14 times, and shoot 44.7% from the field.

Owens opened his Patriot’s career with averaging 13.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assist per game during the 2014-15 season. He helped lead UC to an 23-11 record, including a 9-7 mark against the MSC. The Tampa, FL native made his presence known right from the moment he stepped on the court as he led Cumberlands in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, while being second on the team with 20 blocks. Owens scored at least 10 points in 24 games, including averaging 16.3 points per game over Cumbelrands final 16 games of the season. The guard recorded two games of at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, including notching 18 points, 10 boards, and five assists in a 62-50 win over Cumberland. Owens saved his best performance for the postseason where he scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds against Martin Methodist. For his efforts Owens was a First Team All-Conference selection and garnered NAIA All-American Honorable Mention honors.

“Xavier is one of the five best competitors I have ever been around. Coming off his standout junior campaign, Xavier embodied the preparation to get better both on and off the court and understood the process. It's what really helped separate himself from others is that he embodied what it means to be a good teammate and good leader.”

- Head Coach Don Butcher

Owens continued his strong presence during the 2015-16 season as he recorded 14.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg, and 2.7 apg in his senior campaign. Owens netted at least 10 points in 27 games, including 19 straight games to end the season. The senior captain tallied 22 points, five rebounds, and a career-high seven assists in UC’s win over St. Catharine on February 11, 2016. He followed that up with a 22 point, 11 rebound performance, including the game-winning basket, in the Patriots 70-68 win over Lindsey Wilson. Owens helped UC reach the championship game of the MSC Tournament for consecutive seasons and another trip to the NAIA National Championships.

"One of my best memories came against late in the 2015-16 season against Lindsey Wilson. We were leading by 12 points in the second half before a late Lindsey Wilson run gave the Blue Raiders a one-point lead with 6 seconds left. Owens took the ball the length of the court and hit the game-winning shot. Lindsey Wilson’s Head Coach Paul Peck told me after the game that he needed to find a player with Xavier’s will and courage."

- Head Coach Don Butcher

Owens capped off his Patriots career averaging 17.67 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists at the NAIA National Championships. Owens recorded 19 points and 6 rebounds in UC’s 80-78 overtime win over Langston in the opening round. The Tampa, Florida native added 14 points to help Cumberlands defeat Talladega 82-80 and advance to the Elite 8 of the national tournament for first time since the 1996-1997 season. Owens tallied a 20 points, 10 rebounds double-double in his final game in the red and navy.

Owens graduated from Cumberlands in May 2016.

The UC All-Decade Team was determined based on stats, awards & honors received, and significance to the program in addition to input for members of the UC Athletic Department. It will include one representative from every sport and be comprised of 29 student-athletes. The all-decade team looked at everything from the 2010-2011 season through the 2019-2020 season.