Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
Marquette
No. 22/25 Men's Basketball Opens BIG EAST Conference Play On Saturday Vs. Marquette
12.16.21 | Men's Basketball
Xavier is playing the final game of a four-game homestand.
CINCINNATI --- The No. 22/25 Xavier University Musketeers, 10-1, host the Marquette University Golden Eagles, 8-3, on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the BIG EAST Conference opener for both teams.
Xavier is 6-2 in BIG EAST Conference openers, including wins in four of its last five league openers. Xavier opened BIG EAST play last season with a thrilling 91-88 win over Marquette at Cintas Center. Paul Scruggs led Xavier with 29 points and six assists, while Adam Kunkel came off the bench to score 22 points, including the buzzer-beating, game-winning 3-pointer that earned him the top play on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10.
 |
THE MATCHUP |
No. 22/25 XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (10-1, 0-0 BIG EAST)
MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN EAGLES (8-3, 0-0 BIG EAST)
SATURDAY, DEC. 18, 2021 AT 4:00 P.M. ET
CINTAS CENTER (10,224) IN CINCINNATI, OHIO
|
|
TV, RADIO & LIVE STATS |
Television: FS1 with play by-play from Brock Bowling and analysis from Dickey Simpkins.
Radio: 700 WLW-AM with play-by-play from Xavier Hall of Famer Joe Sunderman ('79) and analysis from XU all-time leading scorer and Hall of Famer Byron Larkin ('88). XU broadcast is also available on Sirius XM (385) and the SXM App. (975).
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com and fan stats at GoXavier.com.
|
|
X FACTORS |
• Xavier, 10-1, is ranked No. 22 in this week's Associated Press Poll and No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. XU is 13th in the NCAA NET and 23rd in KenPom (12-16-21).
• Xavier, coming off its sixth straight win, is closing out a four-game homestand.
• Xavier is 6-2 in BIG EAST Conference openers, including wins in four of its last five BIG EAST openers.
• Xavier is second in the BIG EAST (20th in the nation) in field goal percentage defense (.375) and leads the BIG EAST (15th in the nation) in rebound margin (+9.8 rpg.).
• Xavier junior Jack Nunge, who leads the team in scoring at 13.0 ppg. and is second on the team in rebounding at 7.5 rpg. (eighth in the BIG EAST), was named BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week after posting collegiate career highs in scoring (31) and rebounding (15) vs. Cincinnati last Saturday.
• Xavier's balanced lineup has four players averaging in double figures in scoring ranging from 13.0 ppg. to 11.3 ppg. Senior Nate Johnson, who is second on the team in scoring just behind Jack Nunge at 12.9 ppg., is second in the BIG EAST and 25th in the nation in 3-point percentage (.463).
• Xavier senior Paul Scruggs is in the top 25 on Xavier's all-time scoring list with 1,370 points and the top 10 on Xavier's all-time assist leaders chart with 421.
• Xavier sophomore Colby Jones is fourth in the BIG EAST in rebounding (8.2 rpg.) and leads the team in steals (ninth in the BIG EAST at 1.6 spg.). He leads the BIG EAST and is 19th in the nation in offensive rebounding (3.4 rpg.).
• Xavier junior Zach Freemantle, preseason First Team All-BIG EAST selection who led XU in scoring at 16.1 ppg. and rebounding at 8.9 rpg. last season, played his first action of the season in the last five games following foot surgery.
|
|
STEELE PRESSER |
