GAME NOTES
https://goxavier.com/documents/2023/3/2/2022-23_NOTES_GAME_31_BUTLER.pdf
CINCINNATI — The No. 19/17 Xavier University Musketeers, 22-8 overall and 14-5 in the BIG EAST Conference, close out the regular season with a 7 p.m. game on Saturday against the Butler University Bulldogs at Cintas Center.
Xavier will honor three student-athletes and three managers prior to the game. Graduate students Souley Boum and Jack Nunge and senior Adam Kunkel will be part of the Senior Night festivities as will managers Mark Gaertner, Blake Kirchner and Jackson Nierste. Those festivities should start about 6:30 p.m.
THE MATCHUP
NO. 19/17 XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (22-8, 14-5 BIG EAST)
BUTLER UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (14-16, 6-13 BIG EAST)
“SENIOR NIGHT” ON SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 2023 AT 7:00 P.M. ET
AT CINTAS CENTER IN CINCINNATI, OHIO
TV, RADIO AND LIVE STATS
Television: FS1 with play by-play from Brandon Gaudin and analysis from Nick Bahe.
Xavier Radio: 700 WLW 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 134 or 201 and 964 on the SXM App.
Live Stats: Media stats at Stabroadcast.com and fan stats at GoXavier.com.
X FACTORS
Xavier, 22-8 overall and 14-5 in the BIG EAST Conference, clinched the No. 2 seed in the upcoming BIG EAST Tournament with its win at No. 20 Providence on Wednesday.
• Xavier is 19th in this week’s AP Poll and 17th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. XU is No. 17 in the KenPom rankings and No. 19 in the NCAA’s NET ranking.
• Xavier leads the BIG EAST in four major offensive categories: first in the nation in assists per game at 20.0 apg., fourth in the nation in overall field goal percentage (.499), fifth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.399) and ninth in the nation in scoring offense at 82.3 ppg. XU is second in the BIG EAST and 10th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.55.
• Xavier’s five BIG EAST losses include three one-point losses and a two-point setback. Only one loss the entire season (BIG EAST or non-conference) has been by more than seven points.
• Xavier graduate student Souley Boum, XU’s leading scorer at 17.0 ppg. (second in the BIG EAST), is coming off a Xavier career-high 33-point game (one shy of his collegiate high) at
Providence. Boum is fifth among active career scorers in NCAA Division I with 2,363 points.
• Xavier junior Colby Jones, who leads the team in assists at 4.6 apg. (fifth in the BIG EAST), is third on the team in scoring at 15.2 ppg. (ninth in the BIG EAST). He scored a career-high 29 points at Providence on 10-11 shooting from the field, including 3-3 on 3-pointers.
• Xavier senior Jerome Hunter, who has recorded 11 of his 12 double-figure scoring games in BIG EAST Conference play, is averaging 10.4 ppg., 6.4 rpg. and 2.0 apg. for the last eight games since entering the starting lineup to replace the injured Zach Freemantle.
• Xavier graduate student Jack Nunge is fourth on the team in scoring at 14.2 ppg. (13th in the BIG EAST) and is second on the team in rebounding at 7.9 rpg. (fourth in the BIG EAST rankings). Nunge is sixth in the BIG EAST in 3-pt. percentage at .410 (34-83).
• Xavier senior Adam Kunkel is fifth on the team in scoring at 10.0 ppg. Kunkel has 15 double-figure scoring games for the season.
COURTESY XAVIER ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
