Xavier is playing in its seventh semifinal in 10 years
GAME NOTES
https://goxavier.com/documents/2023/3/10/XAVIER_NOTES_2023_BIG_EAST_SEMIFINAL.pdf
NEW YORK — The No. 2 Seed Xavier University Musketeers, 24-8, take on the No. 3 Seed Creighton University Bluejays, 21-11, on Friday night at 9 p.m. in the BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals at Madison Square Garden. Xavier and Creighton split the regular season series.
Xavier is playing in the BIG EAST Conference Tournament Semifinals for the seventh time in 10 years in the league.
THE MATCHUP
NO. 2 SEED XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (24-8)
VS. NO. 3 SEED CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY BLUEJAYS (21-11)
BIG EAST TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS
FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023 AT 9:00 P.M. ET AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
TV, RADIO & LIVE STATS
Television: FS1 with play by-play from Gus Johnson and analysis from Jim Jackson. Kristina Pink is the sideline reporter.
National Radio: Westwood One with play by-play from Scott Graham and analysis from Austin Croshere.
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).
Live Stats: Media stats at Stabroadcast.com and fan stats at GoXavier.com.
X FACTORS
Xavier, 24-8 overall and 15-5 in the BIG EAST Conference regular season, is playing in the BIG EAST Conference Tournament Semifinals for the seventh time in 10 years in the league.
• Xavier is 15th in the latest Associated Press Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll. XU is No. 16 in the KenPom rankings and No. 25 in the NCAA’s NET ranking.
• Xavier had four players selected by the league coaches for postseason All-BIG EAST Awards. Graduate student Souley Boum is on the All-BIG EAST First Team, junior Colby Jones is on the Second Team and graduate student Jack Nunge earned All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention. Desmond Claude is on the All-Freshman Team.
• Xavier leads the BIG EAST in four major offensive categories: first in the nation in assists per game at 19.7 apg., third in the nation in overall field goal percentage (.500), fifth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.400) and 10th in the nation in scoring offense at 82.3 ppg. XU is second in the BIG EAST and 11th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.55.
• Xavier’s Souley Boum, the BIG EAST’s leading scorer at 16.8 ppg., scored an XU career-high 33 points at Providence. Boum, a Third Team All-American (Field of 68, Stadium and College Hoops Today), is fifth among active career scorers in Division I with 2,390 points.
• Xavier’s Colby Jones, who leads the team in assists at 4.5 apg. (sixth in the BIG EAST), is second on the team in scoring at 15.5 ppg. (seventh in the BIG EAST). Jones has averaged 22.5 ppg. and shot .660 (33-50) from the field during the current four-game win streak.
• Xavier’s Colby Jones scored 22 points vs. DePaul last night, including 18 in the second half, and became the 59th member of the Xavier 1,000 Point Club.
• Xavier’s Jack Nunge, who holds a 3.97 G.P.A. as a M.B.A.student, is the BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Sholar-Athlete of the Year. Nunge is third on the team in scoring at 14.3 ppg. (13th in the BIG EAST) and leads the team in rebounding at 7.8 rpg. (fourth in the BIG EAST). He recorded his 10th double-double of the season with 23 points and 10 rebounds vs. DePaul.
• Xavier senior Adam Kunkel is fourth on the team in scoring at 10.5 ppg. Kunkel has 17 double-figure scoring games for the season, including 16 points last night vs. DePaul.
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