Xavier Opens BIG EAST Conference Play At Providence On Saturday

Wednesday, February 24

Providence, R.I.

9:00 p.m.

Xavier University

Providence

Xavier Opens BIG EAST Conference Play At Providence On Saturday

12.10.20 | Men's Basketball

Xavier at Providence Notes

Musketeers finished the non-conference season at 7-0.

By: Tom Eiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI --- The Xavier University Musketeers, 7-0, open BIG EAST Conference play on Saturday vs. the Providence College Friars, 4-2, in Providence, R.I. Xavier, which is in its eighth season as a member of the BIG EAST Conference, is 5-2 in BIG EAST openers.

This marks the fourth straight season and the fifth time in six years that Xavier has opened BIG EAST play on the road.

THE MATCHUP

XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (7-0, 0-0 BIG EAST)
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE FRIARS (4-2, 0-0 BIG EAST)
SATURDAY, DEC. 12, 2020 AT 6:30 P.M. ET
ALUMNI HALL IN PROVIDENCE, R.I.

TV, RADIO & LIVE STATS

Television: FS2 with John Fanta and Andy Katz.
Radio: 700 WLW-AM 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). XU radio broadcast also available on Sirius XM Internet 983.
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com and fan stats at GoXavier.com.

X FACTORS

• Xavier plays five games in 12 days to open BIG EAST play, including road trips to Providence, DePaul and Creighton. This marks the fourth straight season and the fifth time in six years that Xavier has opened BIG EAST play on the road.
• Xavier leads the BIG EAST in scoring (83.1 ppg.), assists (20.7 apg.) and 3-point percentage (.396) and is second in scoring margin (+17.1 ppg.) and overall field goal percentage (.509).
• Xavier's 7-0 start is its best since starting the 2016-17 season at 7-0. This is Xavier's first perfect non-conference season since finishing 12-0 in the 2015-16 season.
• Xavier hit a school record 19 3-pointers vs. Oklahoma, breaking the old record of 16 set at Auburn (1-6-08), vs. Virginia (1-3-08) and vs. Charlotte (2-3-07).
• Xavier sophomore Zach Freemantle, the BIG EAST Player of the Week, hit a Xavier career-high four 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 28 points vs. Oklahoma.
• Xavier's Zach Freemantle leads the team in scoring at 18.7 ppg. (fourth in the BIG EAST) and is second in rebounding at 8.0 rpg. (sixth in the BIG EAST).
• Xavier senior Paul Scruggs, MVP of the Xavier Invitational, leads the BIG EAST in assists at 7.1 apg and is second on the team (13th in BIG EAST) in scoring (14.6 ppg.).
• Xavier's Paul Scruggs, who is 51st on XU's all-time scoring list with 1,055 career points, posted 20-point efforts in the wins over UC and Oklahoma this past week.
• Xavier senior Nate Johnson, who is second in the BIG EAST in 3-point field goals at 3.1 per game and sixth in 3-point percentage (.579), hit a Xavier career-high 7 3-pointers vs. Oklahoma and finished with a Xavier career-high 25 points.

STEELE PRESSER