Men's Basketball Returns Home On Wednesday Night To Host Providence

Wednesday, January 23

Cincinnati, Ohio

6:30 p.m.

Xavier University

Providence

Men's Basketball Returns Home On Wednesday Night To Host Providence

01.21.19 | Men's Basketball

Xavier Game Notes vs. Providence

Musketeers play two straight at Cintas Center.

By: Tom Eiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI --- Xavier, 11-8 overall and 3-3 in the BIG EAST Conference, returns to Cintas Center on Wednesday to host Providence, 11-7 overall and 1-4 in the BIG EAST.

Xavier is coming off an 85-75 loss at now-No. 18 Villanova on Friday despite a career-high 21 points with a game-high 12 rebounds from junior Tyrique Jones. PC is coming off a 79-68 loss at now-No. 12 Marquette on Sunday in a game that PC led 33-25 at halftime.

The Musketeers leads the series 8-6. The home team won each of the two regular season meetings last season, while PC beat XU in overtime in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals. XU is 5-0 vs. the Friars at Cintas Center. Xavier clinched at least a share of first place in the BIG EAST Conference with its 84-74 victory on Feb. 28, 2018 at Cintas Center, which was also Senior Day for Trevon Bluiett, J.P. Macura, Sean O'Mara and Kerem Kanter.

Xavier, 9-2 at home so far this season, returns home to host two straight games, Providence on Jan. 23 and Marquette on Jan. 26.

THE MATCHUP

Xavier University Musketeers (11-8, 3-3 BIG EAST)
Providence College Friars (11-7, 1-4 BIG EAST)
Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. ET
Cintas Center (10,224) in Cincinnati

TV, RADIO AND LIVE STATS

Television: FS1 with play-by-play from Thom Brennaman and analysis from Dickey Simpkins.
Xavier Radio: 700 WLW-AM, including via iHeart Radio, TuneIn and via Sirius (137), XM (207) and Internet (965) 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.

X FACTORS

• Xavier, 11-8 overall and 3-3 in the BIG EAST Conference, is coming off an 85-75 loss at then-No. 22/21 (now No. 18) Villanova on Saturday.
• Xavier has five players averaging in double figures in scoring through 19 games.
• Xavier sophomore Naji Marshall leads the team in scoring (17th in the BIG EAST at 13.3 ppg.) and rebounding (fifth in the BIG EAST at 7.4 rpg.) and is second in assists (13th in the BIG EAST at 3.4 apg.).
• Xavier sophomore Paul Scruggs, who has a team-high 14 double-figure scoring games, is second on the team in scoring (18th in the BIG EAST at 12.9 ppg.) and steals (10th in the BIG EAST at 1.3 spg.) and is third on the team in assists (15th in the BIG EAST at 3.2 apg.).
• Xavier junior Tyrique Jones, who had a career-high 21 points with 12 rebounds at Villanova, is second on the team in rebounding (sixth in the BIG EAST at 7.4 rpg. and just .05 rpg. behind teammate Naji Marshall, who is fifth). He is first in the BIG EAST and 19th in the nation in offensive rebounding (3.4 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 (.712) and is fourth in the BIG EAST in blocks (1.4 bpg.).
• Xavier junior Quentin Goodin, who returned at Villanova after missing two games due to a knee injury and contributed 12 points and three assists, leads XU in assists (second in BIG EAST at 5.3 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 on Jan. 13, 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.