No. 21 Xavier Prepares For Top 25 BIG EAST Showdown With No. 17 Providence

Wednesday, January 26

Cincinnati, Ohio

6:30 p.m.

Xavier University

Providence

No. 21 Xavier Prepares For Top 25 BIG EAST Showdown With No. 17 Providence

01.25.22 | Men's Basketball

Providence at Xavier notes

PC leads the BIG EAST Conference at 6-1.

By: Tom Eiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI --- The No. 21 Xavier University Musketeers, 14-4 overall and 4-3 in the BIG EAST Conference, host the No. 17 Providence College Friars, 16-2 overall and first in the BIG EAST at 6-1, on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Cintas Center.

Xavier is hosting an AP top 20 team for the third time this season. XU defeated then-No. 19 Ohio State and lost to then-No. 14 Villanova. A fourth top 20 team, No. 20 UConn, is slated to play at Cintas Center on Feb. 11 in a rescheduled tilt.

THE MATCHUP

NO. 21/23 XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (14-4, 4-3 BIG EAST)
NO. 17/17 PROVIDENCE COLLEGE FRIARS (16-2, 6-1 BIG EAST)
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 26, 2022 AT 6:30 P.M. ET
CINTAS CENTER (10,224) IN CINCINNATI, OHIO

TV, RADIO & LIVE STATS

Television: CBS Sports Network with play-by-play from Tom McCarthy and analysis from Bob Wenzel. AJ Ross is the game reporter.
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 on Sirius (138), XM (204) and the SXM App. (966).
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com and fan stats at GoXavier.com.

X FACTORS

• Xavier, 14-4 overall and 4-3 in the BIG EAST Conference, is shooting to bounce back from a loss at now-No. 22 Marquette on Sunday.
• Xavier is ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. XU is 19th in the NCAA NET and 23rd in KenPom.
• Xavier has four players averaging in double figures in scoring from 11.1 ppg. to 12.3 ppg. and have had eight different players lead the team in scoring this season.
• Xavier junior Jack Nunge leads the team in scoring at 12.3 ppg., including his 23-point effort at DePaul that included 13 points in the final seven minutes.
• Xavier senior Nate Johnson, who is third on the team in scoring at 11.3 ppg., is fifth in the BIG EAST in 3-point field goals at 2.4 per game.
• Xavier senior Paul Scruggs is 21st on Xavier's all-time scoring list with 1,446 points and ninth on Xavier's all-time assist leaders chart with 452.
• Xavier sophomore Colby Jones, who is fourth in the BIG EAST in rebounding (8.0 rpg.), is tied for sixth in the BIG EAST in offensive rebounding (2.9 rpg.).
• Xavier junior Zach Freemantle, preseason First Team All-BIG EAST, posted his first double-double of the season and ninth of his career with 13 points and 11 rebounds vs. Creighton on Jan. 15. He missed the first six games following foot surgery.

STEELE PRESSER