No. 22 Xavier Returns To Action After Long Layoff With Game At Butler On Friday

Friday, January 7

Indianapolis, Ind.

8:30 p.m.

Xavier University

Butler

No. 22 Xavier Returns To Action After Long Layoff With Game At Butler On Friday

01.05.22 | Men's Basketball

Xavier at Butler Notes

Musketeers have not played a game since Dec. 21.

By: Tom Eiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI --- The No. 22/24 Xavier University Musketeers, 11-2 overall and 1-1 in the BIG EAST Conference, play their first game since Dec. 21 on Friday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. XU takes on the Butler University Bulldogs, 8-5 overall and 1-1 in the BIG EAST.

Xavier, which last played Dec. 21 at Villanova, had its last two games vs. UConn and at Georgetown canceled due to COVID issues in those programs.

THE MATCHUP

NO. 22/24 XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (11-2, 1-1 BIG EAST)
BUTLER UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (8-5, 1-1 BIG EAST)
FRIDAY, JAN. 7, 2022 AT 8:30 P.M. ET
HINKLE FIELDHOUSE (9,100) IN INDIANAPOLIS, IND.

TV, RADIO & LIVE STATS

Television: FS1 with pbp from Noah Eagle and analysis from Casey Jacobsen.
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 (84), XM (84) and the SXM App. (84).
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com and fan stats at GoXavier.com.

X FACTORS

• Xavier, 11-2 overall and 1-1 in the BIG EAST Conference, is ranked No. 22 in the
Associated Press Poll and No. 24 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. XU is 23rd in the NCAA NET and 24th in KenPom.
• Xavier, which had its seven-game winning streak snapped at Villanova on Dec. 21, has been idle since that game because of a pair of cancellations (Dec. 28 and Jan. 4) due to Covid issues in the UConn and Georgetown programs.
• Xavier has four players averaging in double figures in scoring and two others over 8.0 ppg. Sophomore Dwon Odom, XU's leading scorer in each of the last two games, is one of seven different players to lead XU in scoring this season.
• Xavier leads the BIG EAST and is 17th in the nation in rebound margin (+8.8 rpg.). XU is second in the BIG EAST (31st in the nation) in field goal percentage defense (.387).
• Xavier junior Jack Nunge, second on the team in scoring at 12.5 ppg. and
rebounding at 7.3 rpg. (10th in the BIG EAST), posted his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds vs. Marquette on Dec. 18.
• Xavier senior Nate Johnson, who leads the team in scoring at 13.2 ppg., is second in the BIG EAST and 18th in the nation in 3-point percentage (.458).
• Xavier senior Paul Scruggs is in the top 25 on Xavier's all-time scoring list with 1,381 points and the top 10 on Xavier's all-time assist leaders chart with 430.
• Xavier sophomore Colby Jones is fourth in the BIG EAST in rebounding (8.2 rpg.). He is tied for second in the BIG EAST in offensive rebounding at 3.0 rpg.
• Xavier junior Zach Freemantle, preseason First Team All-BIG EAST selection who led XU in scoring and rebounding last season, started the last three games. He missed the first six games while recovering from foot surgery.

STEELE PRESSER