BIG EAST And Xavier Announce League Portion Of Men’s Basketball Schedule

CINCINNATI --- Xavier University and the BIG EAST Conference unveiled the league portion of the 2021-22 men's basketball schedule today. Xavier opens the BIG EAST slate on Saturday, Dec. 18 vs. Marquette at Cintas Center. It's the second straight season XU will open the league slate at home vs. Marquette, which XU defeated 91-88 on Dec. 20, 2020. The Dec. 18 contest will be the earliest league opener in school history, including the last 42 seasons as members of the MCC Atlantic 10 and BIG EAST.

Xavier opens the road portion of the schedule at defending regular season champion Villanova on Tuesday, Dec. 21, the first of eight BIG EAST regular season games against 2021 NCAA Tournament teams. In addition to VU, XU plays home-and-away against 2021 BIG EAST Tournament Champion Georgetown, Connecticut and Creighton.

In all Xavier will have as many as 13 regular season games against 2021 NCAA Tournaments teams depending on results of the NIT in November, including non-conference foes Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, Morehead State and Norfolk State. XU could play 2021 NIT Champ Memphis in its second game in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Game times and television coverage will be announced at a later date.

TICKETS

Season tickets are on sale now and begin at $250. Season tickets are the only way to guarantee a seat for all 19 home games. 4- and 6-game mini-packs will go on sale Monday, September 27. The Ohio State game is only available as part of the full-season ticket package. Visit the ticket page on GoXavier.com or call 513-745-3411 for additional information.

TEAM OUTLOOK

Head coach Travis Steele welcomes back each of his top seven scorers from last season, including 2021 BIG EAST Second Team selections in junior Zach Freemantle and senior Paul Scruggs. Freemantle led XU in scoring at 16.1 ppg., which ranked fifth in the BIG EAST, and led the entire league in rebounding at 8.9 rpg. Scruggs led the BIG EAST and was 20^th in the nation in assists at 5.7 apg., while ranking second on the team and 11th in the BIG EAST in scoring at 14.0 ppg.

Freemantle is listed as a preseason First Team All-BIG EAST selection by Blue Ribbon Basketball Yearbook and Athlon Yearbook, while Scruggs is Blue Ribbon First Team and Athlon Second Team.

Steele also welcomes back 2021 BIG EAST All-Freshman Team selection Colby Jones and senior Nate Johnson, one of the nation's top 3-point shooters who missed the home stretch last season due to injury. In all, Xavier welcomes back nine scholarship letterwinners, including four starters from last year's team, and welcomes four talented newcomers.

Schedule

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