By Cord Rankin
Musketeers shooting to start the season 3-0.
CINCINNATI — The Xavier University Musketeers, 2-0, host the Jackson State University Tigers, 0-2, at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday night at Cintas Center. Xavier is playing the third game of a season-opening five-game homestand.
Xavier is looking to start the season 3-0 for the first time since the 2022-23 season.
BROADCAST AND LIVE STATS INFORMATION
TV/Stream: FS1 with Connor Onion and Phil Martelli on the call.
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 is also available on the Varsity Network and on Sirius XM.
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com and fan stats at GoXavier.com.
X FACTORS
• Xavier is playing the third of five-straight home games to open the 2024-25 regular season.
• Xavier graduate student Dayvion McKnight, a preseason Second Team All-BIG EAST selection, has averaged 18.0 points and 5.0 assists through the first two games, hitting 68.8 percent (11-16) from the field, including 83.3 percent (5-6) from 3-point range. McKnight, who earned a spot on the BIG EAST Honor Roll for his efforts, holds a gaudy 10.0 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Xavier graduate student Zach Freemantle, a preseason Second Team All-BIG EAST selection, recorded a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds to go with a career-high tying four steals vs. Texas Southern and followed that up with a 17-point game vs. IU Indy.
• Xavier junior newcomer Ryan Conwell, a preseason Third Team All-BIG EAST selection, leads Xavier in scoring at 20.0 ppg., while hitting 52.2 percent (12-23) from the field, including 50.0 percent (8-16) from 3-point range. Conwell’s 21 points vs. Texas Southern were the most by a Musketeer in his first game since Souley Boum in the 2022-23 season (23 points vs. Morgan State on Nov. 7, 2022).
• Xavier has five transfer newcomers on the active roster that are all expected to play key roles: Ryan Conwell, Cam Fletcher, Marcus Foster, John Hugley IV and Dante Maddox Jr.
• Xavier sophomore Dailyn Swain has started the first two games and contributed 10.0 ppg. and 5.0 rpg. The other four starters include a junior and three graduate students.
• Xavier had six freshmen and only one returning letterwinner on the active roster for the 2023-24 season. This season XU has zero scholarship freshmen.
• Xavier head coach Sean Miller is in his 20th season as a college head coach, including his eighth at Xavier. He was XU head coach for five seasons from 2004-09 and is in his third season in a second stint.
• Xavier has a senior graduation streak of 125 that traces back to 1986, including current scholarship players Brad Colbert, Zach Freemantle, Jerome Hunter and Dayvion McKnight.
COURTESY XAVIER ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
