Why does Xavier, Gonzaga and BYU get so much ESPN love?

[WarriorDoc]

Relatively successful Jesuit-bball schools in mid-major conferences that seem to always get more media attention than us.  XU and GU seem to be all over ESPN when basketball season starts--and I'm wondering, why is it, exactly?  I'm a huge Marquette fan and I always wonder how these three teams manage to get more press than our team--and it's not that I'm bitter or upset about it, I just want to figure out ESPN's reasoning behind it.  Why not St. Joe's, Detroit, or Creighton? 

I get the UNC, Duke, OSU, MSU, Syracuse, Georgetown, etc love.  Big alumni bases, lots of b-ball tradition, consistent talent and performance throughout the season and in March, high-major conferences, "sexy/swagger" coaches (I'm talking ESPN's love for Izzo kind of thing).  But why Gonzaga, Xavier and BYU as opposed to Marquette, whom I would consider quite similar to GU and XU?

So I looked at it a bit...

1. TV Markets--Cinci is 34th.  Spokane is 75th.  Provo isn't even on Nielsen's list.  Milwaukee is 35th.

2. Conferences--All three teams are in relatively high-profile mid-major leagues.  Marquette in the Big East.

3. Recent Tourney appearances--Xavier has made the tourney 6 straight times, it could be double digits if it were not for a blip in 2005.  Gonzaga has made it 13 straight times.  BYU 5 straight.  Marquette 6 straight.

4. Tourney success (let's say past 10 years)--Xavier has made the Elite 8 twice and Sweet Sixteen twice.  Gonzaga has made the Sweet Sixteen three times.  BYU has been to the Sweet Sixteen once.  Marquette has a Final 4 and a Sweet Sixteen.

5. History: Marquette is the only team with anything beyond an Elite Eight, and we have a championship, a runner up, and a Final Four.

6. High profile players in recent years--Xavier has Tu Halloway, Jordan Crawford, and Derrick Brown.  Gonzaga has Matt Bouldin and Austin Daye.  BYU has Jimmer.  Marquette has Wade, Hayward, Butler, Matthews, Deiner and Novak.

7. Newsworthies--Xavier has its crosstown fight.  I don't know of any drama with Gonzaga.  BYU has the whole religious/mormon thing.  Marquette had the sexual assault scandal.

So really, it seems like it comes down to tourney appearances and success.  Anything else?

[GGGG]

I think it is a function of match-ups.  Xavier has had more marquee match-ups that MU has had.  We have played Washington, LSU, Vandy and UW - two of those were on ESPN, one on BTN and one on Fox.

Xavier has played Georgia, Vandy, Purdue, Butler, Cincy, and Gonzaga....all but Georgia was on ESPN.  They also were on a tournament over XMas on ESPNU, but that was mostly filler for ESPN than anything.

So honestly, they have had better games to show.

[National Champs]

Xavier has some real gangstas in the locker room. Not thugs, but tough guys on the court.