No. 16 Xavier Hosts No. 17 Providence In A BIG EAST First-Place Showdown On Wednesday

Wednesday, February 1

Cincinnati, Ohio

6:30 p.m.

Xavier University

Providence

Tickets

No. 16 Xavier Hosts No. 17 Providence In A BIG EAST First-Place Showdown On Wednesday

01.30.23 | Men's Basketball

NOTES: GAME 23 vs. PROVIDENCE

Musketeers are 11-1 at home this season, including 5-0 in conference play.

By: Tom Eiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI --- The Xavier University Musketeers, 17-5 overall and tied for first place at 9-2 in the BIG EAST Conference, host the Providence College Friars, 17-5 overall and tied with XU at 9-2 in the BIG EAST, on Wednesday night at Cintas Center. Xavier is 16th in the latest Associated Press Poll and 15th in the USA Today Coaches Poll, while Providence moved up to 17^th in both polls.

Providence is the defending BIG EAST Regular Season Champions, while Xavier won the title in 2018.

The games between Providence and Xavier at Cintas Center the last two seasons have been decided by a 3-pointer in the closing seconds. PC's Jared Bynum hit the game-winner last season, while XU's Colby Jones hit the game-winner in 2021.

THE MATCHUP

NO. 16/15 XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (17-5, 9-2 BIG EAST)
NO. 17/17 PROVIDENCE COLLEGE FRIARS (17-5, 9-2 BIG EAST)
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 1, 2023 AT 6:30 P.M. ET
AT CINTAS CENTER IN CINCINNATI, OHIO

TV, RADIO & LIVE STATS

Television: FS1 with play by-play from Jason Benetti and analysis from Bill Raftery.
Xavier Radio: 55KRC 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 also available on Sirius XM channel 84 and 84 on the SXM App.
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com and fan stats at GoXavier.com.

X FACTORS

• Xavier, 17-5 overall, is tied with Marquette and Providence for first place in the BIG EAST Conference at 9-2. Xavier, which won the title in 2018, is in its 10th BIG EAST season.
• Xavier is 16th in this week's AP Poll and 15th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. XU is No. 27 in the NCAA's NET ranking and No. 22 in the KenPom rankings.
• Xavier graduate student Souley Boum, XU's leading scorer at 16.1 ppg. (eighth in the BIG EAST), is second on the team and fifth in the BIG EAST in assists at 4.9 apg. Boum leads the team and is fourth in the BIG EAST in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.7-to-1.0 for all games. For league games only he leads the BIG EAST in assist-to-turnover ratio at 4.1-to-1.0.
• Xavier junior Colby Jones was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Monday after averaging 16.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals for games at UConn and at Creighton this past week. XU has had an honoree in all 12 weeks of BIG EAST awards this season. Jones leads XU in assists at 5.0 apg. (fourth in the BIG EAST) to go with 14.5 ppg. (15th in the BIG EAST).
• Xavier graduate student Jack Nunge is fourth on the team in scoring at 14.1 ppg. (16th in the BIG EAST) and is second in rebounding at 7.8 rpg. (fifth in the BIG EAST). Nunge has grabbed 29 offensive rebounds over the last six games and is third in the BIG EAST at 3.0 orpg.
• Xavier senior Zach Freemantle leads the team in rebounding at 8.1 rpg. (fourth in the BIG EAST) and is second in scoring at 15.2 ppg. (11th in the BIG EAST), including a career-high tying 30 points vs. Georgetown on Jan. 21.
• Xavier's scoring attack boasts four players in the top 20 in the BIG EAST: Souley Boum (eighth at 16.1 ppg.), Zach Freemantle (11th at 15.2 ppg.), Colby Jones (15th at 14.5 ppg.) and Jack Nunge (16th at 14.1 ppg.). Adam Kunkel is a fifth double-figure scorer at 10.3 ppg.
• Xavier leads the nation in assists per game at 20.7 apg. In addition, XU is second in the BIG EAST and fifth in the nation in overall field goal percentage (.502) and is first in the BIG EAST and fifth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.398). XU leads the BIG EAST in scoring at 83.2 ppg., which ranks seventh in the nation.

MILLER PRESSER