The two teams split the regular season meetings.
GAME NOTES
https://goxavier.com/documents/2023/3/11/XAVIER_NOTES_2023_BIG_EAST_CHAMPIONSHIP_GAME.pdf
NEW YORK — The No. 2 Seed Xavier University Musketeers, 25-8 overall, battle the No. 1 Seed Marquette University Golden Eagles, 27-6, tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament Championship game. XU is ranked No. 15 in both major polls, while Marquette checks in at No. 6. The two teams split the regular season meetings.
Xavier is playing in its second BIG EAST Tournament Championship game in its 10th year in the league. XU is looking for its first BIG EAST Tournament crown, although the Musketeers won 10 conference tournament titles combined while a member of the MCC and Atlantic 10. XU’s last conference tourney championship was the 2006 Atlantic 10 Championship under head coach Sean Miller.
THE MATCHUP
NO. 2 SEED XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (25-8)
VS. NO. 1 SEED MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN EAGLES (27-6)
BIG EAST TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2023 AT 6:30 P.M. ET AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
TV, RADIO, LIVE STATS
Television: FOX, including FOX19 in Cincinnati, with play by-play from Gus Johnson and analysis from Jim Jackson. Kristina Pink is the sideline reporter.
National Radio: Westwood One with Scott Graham and Austin Croshere.
Xavier Radio: Simulcast on 700 WLW and 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, 25-8 overall and 15-5 in the BIG EAST Conference regular season, is playing in the BIG EAST Tournament Championship Game for the second time in its 10 years in the league.
• Xavier has won 10 conference tournament championships, including four in the Atlantic 10 and six in the MCC (now Horizon League). XU’s last conference tourney championship was the 2006 Atlantic 10 Championship under head coach Sean Miller.
• Xavier is 15th in the latest Associated Press Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll. XU is No. 14 in the KenPom rankings and No. 19 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 has held eight of its last 10 opponents to 71 points or less, including seven under 70 points. XU held Creighton’s high-powered offense to 60 points last night in an 82-60 win.
• Xavier leads the BIG EAST in four major offensive categories: first in the nation in assists per game at 19.5 apg., fourth in the nation in overall field goal percentage (.499), fourth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.400) and ninth 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 1.54.
• Xavier’s Souley Boum, the BIG EAST’s leading scorer at 17.0 ppg., scored a game-high 23 points in last night’s win over Creighton. Boum, a Third Team All-American (Field of 68, Stadium and College Hoops Today), is fifth among active career Div. I scorers with 2,413 points.
• Xavier’s Colby Jones is second on the team in scoring at 15.5 ppg. (eighth in the BIG EAST) and second in assists at 4.5 apg. (sixth in the BIG EAST). Jones has averaged 20.8 ppg. and shot .635 (40-63) from the field during the current five-game win streak.
• 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 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Nunge is third on the team in scoring at 14.4 ppg. (13th in the BIG EAST) and leads the team in rebounding at 7.8 rpg. (fourth in the BIG EAST).
COURTESY XAVIER ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
