Over the course of a college basketball season, especially once conference play begins, teams will benefit from a confidence boost wherever they can find it.
That’s exactly what Xavier got on his trip to Chicago this weekend. The Musketeers arrived in the Windy City having lost seven of their last 10 games. Xavier left Wintrust Arena with his first road victory in 315 dayss and just his second victory in a month.
Even though this is a Quadrant 2 win for Xavier, there is still a lot of work to be done if the Musketeers want to qualify for the NCAA tournament (16.3% chance, according to TeamRankings.com).
With 14 Big East games on the schedule, Xavier needs to pile up some quality wins quickly. Like many teams in mid-January, Xavier controls its own destiny with formidable opponents scheduled for the next three weeks.
Xavier will play the next seven games against the six teams currently above .500 in Big East play, starting Tuesday when Villanova visits Cintas Center.
|
Date |
Opponent |
Opponent’s Record/NET Ranking |
Quadrant |
|
January 14 |
vs. Villanova |
11-6 (4-2 Grand Est)/ No. 50 |
2 |
|
January 18 |
at No. 7 Marquette |
14-2 (5-0 Grand Est)/ No. 12 |
1 |
|
January 22 |
in St. John’s |
14-3 (5-1 Grand Est)/ No. 28 |
1 |
|
January 25 |
vs. No. 14 UConn |
13-4 (5-1 Grand Est)/ No. 25 |
1 |
|
January 29 |
in Creighton |
10-6 (3-2 Grand Est)/ No. 54 |
1 |
|
February 4 |
vs. Georgetown |
12-4 (3-2 Grand Est)/ No. 69 |
2 |
|
February 9 |
in Villanova |
11-6 (4-2 Grand Est)/ No. 50 |
1 |
Glad to see you again
In Xavier’s last home game, the Musketeers were embarrassed by St. John’s in an 82-72 loss. There was little energy in the building with the student section still on Christmas break and some fans not attending the game due to heavy snow in Greater Cincinnati.
Xavier will regain some of its home-court advantage Tuesday with students returning to campus.
“I think we’re all, to some extent, excited to see our students back at the Cintas Center,” Xavier head coach Sean Miller said in Chicago on Saturday. “They make a huge difference to us.”
More: “That’s why we’re here.” Xavier Students Take Their Basketball Fan to the X-Treme
Villanova at Xavier
Advice: Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Cintas Center (10,212)
Television/Radio: FS1/700 WLW
Notes: Xavier is n°53 in KenPom and Villanova is No. 48. Villanova (No. 50) is 12 spots ahead of Xaver (No. 62) in the NCAA NET rankings.
History: Villanova dominated this rivalry with a 34-8 series lead. The Wildcats went 16-2 against Xavier from 2013 to 2022. The two teams have split four games over the past two seasons, with the last three matchups all decided by three points or less.
Xavier missed two game-winning attempts in a Defeat 66-65 at Finneran Pavilion last January, then I made a late stop to beat Villanova, 56-53, at Cintas Center in February.
Villanova Wildcats Scouting Report
Save: 11-6 (4-2 Grand Est)
Head coach: Kyle Neptune (46-39 at Villanova, third season)
Offense:78.6 PPG
Defense:67.6 PPG
Preview: Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune looked like a dead man walking with one of the hottest seats in the country after Villanova started 3-4 with losses to Columbia and Saint Joseph’s.
Since then, the Wildcats are 8-2 with wins at that time-No. 14UC Dec. 3 and a 68-66 win over No. 9 UConn on Jan. 8. Villanova is coming off a 12-point loss to St. John’s at Madison Square Garden.
When scouting Villanova, it starts with veteran Eric Dixon. The fifth-year forward leads the nation with 25.3 points per game. He scored at least 23 points in eight straight games before being held to 18 in Saturday’s loss to St. John’s.
Xavier knows Dixon very well and vice versa. In six career games against the Musketeers, Dixon has averaged 13.8 points and 6.8 rebounds.
Villanova is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country. Five Wildcats have made at least 24 triples this year, led by Dixon (54). Guards Wooga Poplar and Jhamir Brickus are both double-digit scorers. Brickus is shooting over 50 percent from downtown (34 for 66) and Poplar is the team’s leading rebounder (6.6).
Projected programming
(Pos., Size, Statistics)
Jhamir Brickus (G, 5’11”, 11.2 PPG)
Wooga Poplar (G, 6’5″, 14.5 PPG)
Jordan Longino (G, 6’5″, 10 PPG)
Eric Dixon (F, 6’8″, 25.3 PPG)
Enoch Boakye (F, 6’11”, 4.5 PPG)
Xavier Musketeers reconnaissance report
Save: 10-7 (2-4 Grand Est)
Head coach: Sean Miller (173-82 at Xavier, eighth season)
Offense:78.9 PPG
Defense:69.8 PPG
Projected programming
(Pos., Size, Statistics)
Dayvion McKnight (G, 6’0″, 10.5 PPG)
Ryan Conwell (G, 6’4″, 16.1 PPG)
Marcus Foster (G, 6’5″, 8.4 PPG)
Jerome Hunter (F, 6’8″, 6.9 PPG)
Zach Freemantle (F, 6’9″, 17.4 PPG)
Players to watch
Jerome Hunter
It will take a collective effort from Xavier to prevent Dixon from taking control of the match. Last year, Xavier’s inexperienced frontcourt managed to hold Dixon to a combined 7-of-22 from the field and 2-of-8 from deep.
It will be interesting to see if Miller leaves Hunter in the starting lineup or inserts sophomore Dailyn Swain. Regardless, the frontcourt of Freemantle, Hunter and Swain will get big minutes to try to contain the nation’s leading scorer.
The keys to a Xavier victory over Villanova
These aren’t your dad’s Villanova Wildcats.
Villanova has long been considered a team that slows the game down and uses its physical defense to set the tone. Last season, the Wildcats were No. 13 in KenPom in defensive efficiency.
This season, the Wildcats are ranked 178th on the defensive side of the ball, but have one of the best offenses in college basketball (No. 11).
Can Xavier win in the half court?
On Tuesday, it could depend on which team can get quality looks through their half-court sets. Both defenses don’t force many turnovers (Xavier is No. 224 and Villanova is No. 265) and the Wildcats still play at one of the slowest paces in the country (No. 348).
On paper, Xavier and Villanova look similar. Each defense defends better inside the arc than beyond and each offense thrives from 3-point range (Villanova No. 4; Xavier No. 14) and is in the top 15 at the free throw line.
Will Xavier be able to maintain his tenacity? In his last home game, Xavier allowed 20 offensive rebounds. Villanova is No. 50 in offensive rebounding percentage, so keeping the Wildcats off the glass will be imperative for the Musketeers to earn a second straight Quadrant 2 victory.
This article originally appeared on the Cincinnati Enquirer: Big East basketball: Xavier hosts Villanova at Cintas Center on Tuesday
