Men's Basketball Opens BIG EAST Play On Sunday Vs. Marquette

CINCINNATI --- The Xavier University Musketeers, 7-0 overall, open BIG EAST Conference play against the Marquette University Golden Eagles, 5-3 overall and 1-1 in the BIG EAST, on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Cintas Center. Xavier has not played a game since beating Oklahoma 99-77 on Dec. 9. XU had its first three scheduled BIG EAST games postponed due to COVID-19 issues.

Xavier's 7-0 start is its best since starting the 2016-17 season at 7-0.

THE MATCHUP

XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (7-0, 0-0 BIG EAST)
MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN EAGLES (5-3, 1-1 BIG EAST)
SUNDAY, DEC. 20, 2020 AT 2:00 P.M. ET
CINTAS CENTER IN CINCINNATI, OHIO

TV, RADIO & LIVE STATS

Television: FS1 with play-by-play from Eric Collins and analysis from Dickey Simpkins.
Radio: 700 WLW-AM with play-by-play from XU Hall of Famer and former XU standout Joe Sunderman ('79) and analysis from XU Hall of Famer and all-time leading scorer Byron Larkin ('88); broadcast also available on Sirius XM 389 and Internet 979.
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com and fan stats at GoXavier.com.

X FACTORS

• Xavier is 29th (fourth among others receiving votes) in the latest Associated Press Poll and 31st (sixth among others receiving votes) in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

• Xavier, which is playing its BIG EAST Conference opener, had its first three scheduled BIG EAST games postponed due to COVID-19 issues.

• Xavier leads the BIG EAST in scoring margin (+17.1 ppg.), assists (20.7 apg.), free-throw percentage (.733) and field goal percentage defense (.364) and is second in scoring (83.1 ppg.), overall field goal percentage (.509) and 3-point percentage (.396).

• 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, who has earned BIG EAST honors two straight weeks, hit a Xavier career-high four 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 28 points vs. Oklahoma on Dec. 9.

• 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. (third 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 (15th in BIG EAST) in scoring (14.6 ppg.). Scrugg had 20-point efforts in the wins over UC and Oklahoma, XU's last two games.

• Xavier senior Nate Johnson, who leads the BIG EAST in 3-point percentage (.579) and is second in 3-point field goals at 3.1 per game, hit a Xavier career-high 7 3-pointers vs. Oklahoma and finished with a Xavier career-high 25 points.

• Xavier junior transfer Ben Stanley is now on the active roster. Stanley was tied for eighth in NCAA Division I in scoring at Hampton last season at 22.0 ppg.

STEELE PRESSER

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