During the grind of a college basketball season, especially once conference play begins, teams will take a confidence boost wherever they can find it.
Xavier got just that in its trip to Chicago over the weekend. The Musketeers arrived in the Windy City having lost seven of their last 10 games. Xavier left Wintrust Arena with its first road win in 315 days and just its second victory in a month.
While it was a Quadrant 2 victory for Xavier, there’s still a ton of work that needs to be done if the Musketeers want to make a run at the NCAA Tournament (16.3% chance, according to TeamRankings.com).
With 14 Big East games left on the schedule, Xavier has to stack some quality wins, fast. Like many teams in mid-January, Xavier controls its own destiny with formidable foes lined up on the schedule over the next three weeks.
Xavier will play it next seven games against the six teams currently above .500 in Big East play, beginning on Tuesday when Villanova visits Cintas Center.
|
Date |
Opponent |
Opponent’s Record/NET Ranking |
Quadrant |
|
Jan. 14 |
vs. Villanova |
11-6 (4-2 Big East)/ No. 50 |
2 |
|
Jan. 18 |
at No. 7 Marquette |
14-2 (5-0 Big East)/ No. 12 |
1 |
|
Jan. 22 |
at St. John’s |
14-3 (5-1 Big East)/ No. 28 |
1 |
|
Jan. 25 |
vs. No. 14 UConn |
13-4 (5-1 Big East)/ No. 25 |
1 |
|
Jan. 29 |
at Creighton |
10-6 (3-2 Big East)/ No. 54 |
1 |
|
Feb. 4 |
vs. Georgetown |
12-4 (3-2 Big East)/ No. 69 |
2 |
|
Feb. 9 |
at Villanova |
11-6 (4-2 Big East)/ No. 50 |
1 |
Welcome back
In Xavier’s last home game, the Musketeers were embarrassed by St. John’s in an 82-72 loss. There was little energy in the building with the student section still on Christmas break and some fans skipping out on the matchup with heavy snowfall in Greater Cincinnati.
Xavier will get part of its home-court advantage back on Tuesday with the students returning to campus.
“I think all of us, to some degree, are excited to see our students back at Cintas Center,” Xavier head coach Sean Miller said in Chicago Saturday. “They make such a big difference for us.”
More: ‘It’s what we’re here to do.’ Xavier students take basketball fandom to the X-Treme
Villanova at Xavier
Tip: Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Cintas Center (10,212)
TV/Radio: FS1/700 WLW
Ratings: Xavier is No. 53 in KenPom and Villanova is No. 48. Villanova (No. 50) is 12 spots ahead of Xaver (No. 62) in the NCAA NET Rankings.
History: Villanova has dominated this rivalry with a 34-8 all-time series lead. The Wildcats went 16-2 against Xavier from 2013-2022. The two teams have split four contests over the last two seasons with the last three matchups all decided by three points or less.
Xavier missed a pair of game-winning attempts in a 66-65 loss at Finneran Pavilion last January, then got a late stop to beat Villanova, 56-53, at Cintas Center in February.
Villanova Wildcats Scouting Report
Record: 11-6 (4-2 Big East)
Head coach: Kyle Neptune (46-39 at Villanova, third season)
Offense: 78.6 PPG
Defense: 67.6 PPG
Overview: Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune looked like a dead man walking with one of the hottest seats in the country after Villanova started 3-4 with losses to Columbia and Saint Joseph’s.
Since then, the Wildcats have gone 8-2 with wins over then-No. 14 UC Dec. 3 and a 68-66 victory over No. 9 UConn Jan. 8. Villanova is coming off a 12-point loss to St. John’s at Madison Square Garden.
When scouting Villanova, it starts with veteran Eric Dixon. The fifth-year forward leads the nation in scoring at 25.3 points per game. He scored at least 23 points in eight straight games before being held to 18 in Saturday’s loss to St. John’s.
Xavier is very familiar with Dixon and vice versa. In six career games against the Musketeers, Dixon has averaged 13.8 points and 6.8 rebounds.
Villanova is one of the nation’s top three-point shooting teams. Five Wildcats have made at least 24 triples this year, led by Dixon (54). Guards Wooga Poplar and Jhamir Brickus are both double-digit scorers. Brickus is shooting over 50% from downtown (34-for-66) and Poplar is the team’s leading rebounder (6.6).
Projected lineup
(Pos., Height, Stats)
Jhamir Brickus (G, 5’11”, 11.2 PPG)
Wooga Poplar (G, 6’5″, 14.5 PPG)
Jordan Longino (G, 6’5″, 10 PPG)
Eric Dixon (F, 6’8″, 25.3 PPG)
Enoch Boakye (F, 6’11”, 4.5 PPG)
Xavier Musketeers Scouting Report
Record: 10-7 (2-4 Big East)
Head coach: Sean Miller (173-82 at Xavier, eighth season)
Offense: 78.9 PPG
Defense: 69.8 PPG
Projected lineup
(Pos., Height, Stats)
Dayvion McKnight (G, 6’0″, 10.5 PPG)
Ryan Conwell (G, 6’4″, 16.1 PPG)
Marcus Foster (G, 6’5″, 8.4 PPG)
Jerome Hunter (F, 6’8″, 6.9 PPG)
Zach Freemantle (F, 6’9″, 17.4 PPG)
Players to watch
Jerome Hunter
It will take a collective effort from Xavier’s frontcourt to keep Dixon from taking over the game. Last year, Xavier’s inexperienced frontcourt was able to hold Dixon to a combined 7-of-22 from the field and 2-of-8 from deep.
It will be interesting to see if Miller leaves Hunter in the starting lineup or inserts sophomore Dailyn Swain. Either way, the frontcourt of Freemantle, Hunter and Swain will get big minutes in trying to contain the nation’s top scorer.
Keys to a Xavier victory over Villanova
This is not your father’s Villanova Wildcats
Villanova has long been viewed as a squad that slows the game down and uses its physical defense to set the tone. Last season, the Wildcats were No. 13 in KenPom in defensive efficiency.
This season, the Wildcats are No. 178 on the defensive side of the ball but have one of college basketball’s best offenses (No. 11).
Can Xavier win in the halfcourt?
Tuesday could come down to which team can get quality looks through its halfcourt sets. Both defenses do not force a lot of turnovers (Xavier is No. 224 and Villanova is No. 265) and the Wildcats still play at one of the slowest tempos in the country (No. 348).
On paper, Xavier and Villanova are similar. Each defense is better defending inside the arc than beyond and each offense thrives from 3-point range (Villanova No. 4; Xavier No. 14) and are top 15 at the free-throw line.
Can Xavier keep its toughness? In its last home game, Xavier allowed 20 offensive rebounds. Villanova is No. 50 in offensive rebound percentage, so keeping the Wildcats off the glass will be imperative for the Musketeers to grab a second-straight Quadrant 2 win.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Big East basketball: Xavier hosts Villanova at Cintas Center Tuesday
