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St. Louis • Historically, Weber State has a five-percent chance of upsetting Xavier on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Scottrade Center.

The Wildcats think their chances are much better.

In the history of the tournament, only seven No. 15 seeds have knocked off a No. 2 seed. It hasn't happened since 2013.

Going into the game against the high-powered Musketeers, however, Big Sky Conference champion Weber State seems ready for the challenge.

In fact, the Wildcats are calm, loose and oddly confident — as if all the burdensome pressure in this game sits squarely on the shoulders of Xavier, which is expected to win by everyone outside of Ogden.

"I think we're a pretty good 15 seed," Weber State coach Randy Rahe said. "Of course, I think we're a pretty good basketball team. I think we can play with anybody — I really do — and this is the fun part. Now, we get to see what we can do against one of the top-10 teams in the country. It's a great challenge for us, no question. But we look forward to it. We're going to embrace it."

Asked if he thought the Wildcats, who went 26-8 this season, deserved a higher seed, Rahe said, "No, no. It's where our league is at, to be honest. We thought we might have a chance, with 26 wins, to get to a 14. But when it came across the TV, so be it. How big of a difference is it, really?"

Rahe's confidence in Weber State's ability to compete with Xavier has spread to his players.

"We're not going into the game thinking we're going to lose," said senior forward Joel Bolomboy. "We think we can beat any team. That's not a problem. We just have to play the way we can play and get the job done."

Said Jeremy Senglin, a junior guard who leads the Wildcats in scoring, "We have to believe and we have to compete. We can't look at them and say, 'This is a high-ranked team, a high-seeded team, a big school.' We just have to go in there and compete — just like every other game we've played."

Two things could help Weber State in its attempt to knock off Xavier, which is making its 14th tournament appearance in the past 16 years.

No. 1, the Wildcats know they can win close games.

They've played 11 straight that have been decided by nine points or less. They won 10 of those 11, including three in the Big Sky tournament by a total of 12 points.

"It gives our kids a lot of confidence," Rahe said. "Just figure out a way to hang around and we're going to find a way to make some plays and win. These kids believe, if the game's close, we'll win. Even if we're down a little bit, we'll come back and find a way. That's what they've done."

No. 2, Weber State faced Goliath in its last NCAA Tournament appearance. As a No. 16 seed in 2014, the Wildcats rallied from a 21-point deficit before losing to top-seeded Arizona, 68-59.

Senglin and Bolomboy played in that game. So did junior guard Richaud Gittens and junior forward Kyndahl Hill.

"It gives us way more confidence, especially the guys who played against Arizona," said Bolomboy, who as a sophomore had 11 points and 16 rebounds in the game. "It gives us a feel of what we have to do — what we have to do better. It gives us an idea of the environment and the atmosphere."

Senglin agreed.

"We just have to go in there, stay focused and know Xavier is a basketball team — just like us," he said. "They are players, just like us, and we have to beat them."

luhm@sltrib.com Twitter: @sluhm —

Weber State vs. Xavier

P NCAA Tournament first round

At the Scottrade Center, St. Louis

Tipoff • 7:20 p.m. MDT

TV • TNT

Radio • 1430 AM

Records • Weber State 26-8, Xavier 27-5

Series history • First meeting

About the Wildcats • They have won 10 of their past 11 games, including four straight. … They are 7-1 on neutral courts this season. … Under coach Randy Rahe, they are 79-5 when scoring at least 80 points. … Their top scorers are junior G Jeremy Senglin (18.2) and senior F Joel Bolomboy (17.7). … Bolomboy ranks third in the country in rebounds (12.7). He had 25 double-doubles this season — the third-most in the country.

About the Musketeers • They are ranked ninth in the country. … They have beaten six ranked teams, including a 90-83 win over then-No. 1 Villanova on Feb. 24. … They have reached the Sweet 16 three times in the past six years. … They are 18th nationally in scoring (81.3). … Their top scorers are sophomore G Trevon Bluiett (15.5), freshman G Edmond Sumner (11.3) and junior G Myles Davis (11.1).