Xavier University Athletics

Men's Basketball Visits No. 22/21 Villanova On Friday Night
01.16.19 | Men's Basketball
Musketeers are looking for a third straight BIG EAST win.
CINCINNATI --- The Xavier University Musketeers, 11-7 overall and 3-2 in the BIG EAST Conference, visit the No. 22/21 Villanova University Wildcats, 13-4 overall and 4-0 in the BIG EAST Conference, on Friday night. The game tips off at 8:30 p.m. at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Xavier is coming off a 70-69 win over Butler on Sunday. The Musketeers erased double-digit deficits in each of the last two games, picking up wins over Georgetown on Jan. 9 and Butler on Jan. 13. XU trailed Georgetown by 17 points in the first half. XU trailed Butler by as many as 12 points in the second half, including a 10-point deficit with under four minutes left. Xavier has played the last two games without injured point guard Quentin Goodin.
Villanova is No. 22 in this week's AP Poll and No. 21 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. The Wildcats won their fifth straight game with a 90-78 victory at Creighton on Sunday.
Villanova leads the series 26-5, including wins in the last four meetings. Xavier's last win in the series was a 90-83 victory over then-No. 1 Villanova at Cintas Center (2-24-16).
Xavier University Musketeers (11-7, 3-2 BIG EAST)
No. 22/21 Villanova University Wildcats (13-4, 4-0 BIG EAST)
Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Wells Fargo Center (21,000) in Philadelphia
Television: FS1 with play-by-play from Joe Davis and analysis from Len Elmore.
Xavier Radio: 700 WLW-AM, including via iHeart Radio, TuneIn and via Sirius XM (382) and Internet (973) with play-by-play from XU Hall of Famer and former Musketeer standout Joe Sunderman ('79). Analysis will be provided by Xavier Hall of Famer and XU all-time leading scorer Byron Larkin ('88).
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com. Fan stats at GoXavier.com.
• Xavier, 11-7 overall and 3-2 in the BIG EAST Conference, is coming off a second straight come-from-behind victory, 70-69 over Butler on Sunday.
• Xavier has five players averaging in double figures in scoring through 18 games.
• Xavier sophomore Paul Scruggs earned a spot on the BIG EAST Conference Weekly Honor Roll after averaging 16.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steals in the wins over Georgetown and Butler this past week.
• Xavier's Paul Scruggs, who has a team-high 14 double-figure scoring games, leads XU in scoring (17th in the BIG EAST at 13.2 ppg., is second in steals (tied for 10th in the BIG EAST at 1.3 spg.) and is third in assists (15th in the BIG EAST at 3.1 apg.).
• Xavier sophomore Naji Marshall leads the team in rebounding (fifth in the BIG EAST at 7.5 rpg.) and is second on the team in scoring (18th in the BIG EAST at 13.2 ppg.) and in assists (14th in the BIG EAST at 3.2 apg.).
• Xavier junior Tyrique Jones, who had a career-high tying 19 points with 10 rebounds vs. Georgetown, is second on the team in rebounding (eighth in the BIG EAST at 7.1 rpg.) and is first in the BIG EAST in offensive rebounding (3.1 rpg.).
• Xavier graduate transfer Zach Hankins, who scored a Xavier career-high 23 points to go with 10 rebounds vs. Georgetown on Jan. 9, leads the BIG EAST Conference in field goal percentage (.709) and is second in the BIG EAST in blocks (1.4 bpg.).
• Xavier junior Quentin Goodin, who has missed the last two games, leads XU in assists (second in BIG EAST at 5.4 apg.) and steals (sixth in BIG EAST at 1.6 spg.).
• Xavier graduate transfer Kyle Castlin scored a Xavier career-high 12 points vs. Butler, all in the second half, including a game-tying 3-pointer with 54 seconds left.
• Xavier played in its fifth straight NCAA Tournament and its 12th in 13 years in 2018. XU earned a No. 1 seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
• Xavier has graduated 109 straight men's basketball seniors dating back to the 1985-86 school year.
Xavier is coming off a 70-69 win over Butler on Sunday. The Musketeers erased double-digit deficits in each of the last two games, picking up wins over Georgetown on Jan. 9 and Butler on Jan. 13. XU trailed Georgetown by 17 points in the first half. XU trailed Butler by as many as 12 points in the second half, including a 10-point deficit with under four minutes left. Xavier has played the last two games without injured point guard Quentin Goodin.
Villanova is No. 22 in this week's AP Poll and No. 21 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. The Wildcats won their fifth straight game with a 90-78 victory at Creighton on Sunday.
Villanova leads the series 26-5, including wins in the last four meetings. Xavier's last win in the series was a 90-83 victory over then-No. 1 Villanova at Cintas Center (2-24-16).
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THE MATCHUP |
Xavier University Musketeers (11-7, 3-2 BIG EAST)
No. 22/21 Villanova University Wildcats (13-4, 4-0 BIG EAST)
Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Wells Fargo Center (21,000) in Philadelphia
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TV, RADIO AND LIVE STATS |
Television: FS1 with play-by-play from Joe Davis and analysis from Len Elmore.
Xavier Radio: 700 WLW-AM, including via iHeart Radio, TuneIn and via Sirius XM (382) and Internet (973) with play-by-play from XU Hall of Famer and former Musketeer standout Joe Sunderman ('79). Analysis will be provided by Xavier Hall of Famer and XU all-time leading scorer Byron Larkin ('88).
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com. Fan stats at GoXavier.com.
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X FACTORS |
• Xavier, 11-7 overall and 3-2 in the BIG EAST Conference, is coming off a second straight come-from-behind victory, 70-69 over Butler on Sunday.
• Xavier has five players averaging in double figures in scoring through 18 games.
• Xavier sophomore Paul Scruggs earned a spot on the BIG EAST Conference Weekly Honor Roll after averaging 16.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steals in the wins over Georgetown and Butler this past week.
• Xavier's Paul Scruggs, who has a team-high 14 double-figure scoring games, leads XU in scoring (17th in the BIG EAST at 13.2 ppg., is second in steals (tied for 10th in the BIG EAST at 1.3 spg.) and is third in assists (15th in the BIG EAST at 3.1 apg.).
• Xavier sophomore Naji Marshall leads the team in rebounding (fifth in the BIG EAST at 7.5 rpg.) and is second on the team in scoring (18th in the BIG EAST at 13.2 ppg.) and in assists (14th in the BIG EAST at 3.2 apg.).
• Xavier junior Tyrique Jones, who had a career-high tying 19 points with 10 rebounds vs. Georgetown, is second on the team in rebounding (eighth in the BIG EAST at 7.1 rpg.) and is first in the BIG EAST in offensive rebounding (3.1 rpg.).
• Xavier graduate transfer Zach Hankins, who scored a Xavier career-high 23 points to go with 10 rebounds vs. Georgetown on Jan. 9, leads the BIG EAST Conference in field goal percentage (.709) and is second in the BIG EAST in blocks (1.4 bpg.).
• Xavier junior Quentin Goodin, who has missed the last two games, leads XU in assists (second in BIG EAST at 5.4 apg.) and steals (sixth in BIG EAST at 1.6 spg.).
• Xavier graduate transfer Kyle Castlin scored a Xavier career-high 12 points vs. Butler, all in the second half, including a game-tying 3-pointer with 54 seconds left.
• Xavier played in its fifth straight NCAA Tournament and its 12th in 13 years in 2018. XU earned a No. 1 seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
• Xavier has graduated 109 straight men's basketball seniors dating back to the 1985-86 school year.
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VIDEO: TRAVIS STEELE |
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