Men's Basketball Opens BIG EAST Tournament Play On Wednesday Vs. Butler At MSG

Wednesday, March 10

New York, N.Y.

6:00 PM

Xavier University

Butler

Men's Basketball Opens BIG EAST Tournament Play On Wednesday Vs. Butler At MSG

03.08.21 | Men's Basketball

Xavier vs. Butler BET Notes/Stats/Records package

Musketeers swept the two games vs. Butler in the regular season.

By: Tom Eiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI --- The No. 7 seed Xavier University Musketeers, 13-7 overall, open BIG EAST Tournament play on Wednesday night vs. the No. 10 seed Butler University Bulldogs at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Xavier is 8-7 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament play, including 2-0 against Butler.

THE MATCHUP

NO. 7 SEED XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (13-7)
NO. 10 SEED BUTLER UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (9-14)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021 AT 6 P.M. ET
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN IN NEW YORK

TV, RADIO & LIVE STATS

Television: FS1 with play-by-play from Tim Brando and analysis from Bill Raftery.
Radio: 55KRC-AM with play-by-play from XU Hall of Famer Joe Sunderman ('79) and analysis from XU Hall of Famer and all-time leading scorer Byron Larkin ('88).
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com and fan stats at GoXavier.com.

X FACTORS

• Xavier is 1-1 in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament.
• Xavier head coach Travis Steele and special assistant Matthew Graves are both Butler graduates. Senior captain Paul Scruggs is an Indianapolis native.
• Xavier started three freshmen (Colby Jones, Dwon Odom and C.J. Wilcher) and a sophomore (Zach Freemantle) in its last game along with senior Paul Scruggs. XU had not started three freshmen in a game since Trevon Bluiett, J.P. Macura and Larry Austin Jr. were freshmen in the 2014-15 season and started a game at Villanova.
• Xavier leads the BIG EAST in assists (seventh in the nation at 17.8 apg.). Xavier is
second in the BIG EAST (fifth in the nation) in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.56, second in field goal percentage (.458) and field goal percentage defense (.412).
• Xavier senior Paul Scruggs, a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection, leads the BIG EAST and is 15th in the nation in assists at 5.8 apg, including career-high 12 vs. UConn on Feb. 13. He is second on the team and 11th in the BIG EAST in scoring (14.2 ppg.) and is fourth in the BIG EAST in assist-to-turnover at 2.23. He is tied for fourth in the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage (.836).
• Xavier sophomore Zach Freemantle, a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection and BIG EAST Most Improved Player Award winner, leads the team in scoring at 16.3 ppg. (fifth in the BIG EAST) and leads the entire BIG EAST in rebounding (34th in the nation at 9.0 rpg.). Freemantle, who also leads XU in field goal percentage (ninth in the BIG EAST at .510), has improved from his numbers of 7.5 ppg. and 4.3 rpg. as a freshman.
• Xavier's Zach Freemantle has posted six double-doubles in his last seven games, including career highs and game highs for scoring (30) and rebounding (15) vs. UConn on Feb. 13. He leads XU with eight double-doubles this season.
• Xavier freshman Colby Jones, a member of the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team, has started the last five games and 10 games overall this season.
• Xavier freshman Dwon Odom is first in the BIG EAST and 13th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.11; second on team and 14th in BIG EAST in assists at 3.1 apg.

STEELE PRESSER