By Marisol Nicholson

1 13 2024

XAVIER GAME NOTES

https://goxavier.com/documents/2024/1/11/2023-24_NOTES_GAME_16_VS._PROVIDENCE.pdf

Both teams are coming off tough Wednesday losses.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Xavier University Musketeers, 7-8 overall and 1-3 in the BIG EAST Conference, take on the Providence College Friars, 11-5 overall and 2-3 in the BIG EAST, on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. Both teams are looking to bounce back from Wednesday losses. Xavier lost 80-75 to No. 4 UConn, while Providence lost 75-73 to St. John’s.

Xavier won both meetings last season. Two of the last three meetings have gone to overtime, including a triple overtime marathon in 2022.

XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (7-8, 1-3 BIG EAST)
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE FRIARS (11-5, 2-3 BIG EAST)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2024 AT 2:00 P.M. ET
AT AMICA MUTUAL PAVILION IN PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Television: FS1 with play-by-play from Dave Sims and analysis from Dickey Simpkins.
Xavier Radio: 700 WLW AM 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 is also on the Varsity Network and on SXM.
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com and fan stats at GoXavier.com.

• Xavier has 10 newcomers on the 2023-24 roster, including six freshmen. The six freshmen have logged 31 percent of the minutes played this season, the most for a Xavier team since the 1995-96 season with Lenny Brown, Gary Lumpkin and Darnell Williams.
• Xavier is second in the BIG EAST and 27th in the nation in assists at 17.1 apg. XU leads the BIG EAST and is 18th in the nation in fast break points at 15.9 ppg.
• Xavier, which is No. 25 in adjusted defensive ranking in the latest KenPom rankings, is ranked fourth in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage defense at 40.5 percent and fourth in 3-point percentage defense at 30.8 percent.
• Xavier has the 11th-toughest strength of schedule in the latest KenPom rankings.
• Xavier graduate student Quincy Olivari leads in the BIG EAST in scoring at 18.3 ppg., including 23.3 ppg. over the last seven games. He is third in the BIG EAST in 3-point field goals per game at 2.73 and second in 3-point percentage at 41.0 percent (41-100).
• Xavier senior Dayvion McKnight leads the BIG EAST and is 13th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.50. He is fifth in the BIG EAST in assists at 5.1 per game.
• Xavier sophomore Desmond Claude is second on the team in scoring at 14.8 ppg. (14th in the BIG EAST), second in assists at 3.8 apg. (11th in the BIG EAST) and tied for second in rebounding at 4.9 rpg.
• Xavier senior Abou Ousmane, who leads Xavier in rebounding at 6.7 rpg. (12th in the BIG EAST), has averaged 9.3 rpg. over the last six games. Ousmane, who is fourth in the BIG EAST in offensive rebounding (3.1 rpg.), is fifth in the BIG EAST in blocks (1.6 bpg.).

COURTESY XAVIER ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS