By G. Wesley Garrison

3 19 2025

GAME NOTES

https://goxavier.com/documents/2025/3/17/2025_NOTES_GAME_33_NCAA_GAME_1.pdf

Musketeers played the Longhorns in their last NCAA game in 2023.

CINCINNATI — The No. 11 seed Xavier University Musketeers, 21-11 overall and 13-7 in the BIG EAST Conference, take on the No. 11 seed University of Texas Longhorns, 19-15 overall and 6-12 in the SEC, on Wednesday night in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio. This is the fourth time that Xavier and Texas have met in the NCAA Tournament. The first three meetings were in the Regional Semifinals, including 2023.

Xavier opened the 2024-25 season with an October charity exhibition vs. the Dayton Flyers. This is the third time that Xavier has played an NCAA game at UD Arena. XU played Alcorn State in the 1983 Opening Round and North Carolina State in the 2014 First Four.

TV: truTV with Spero Dedes (pbp), Jim Spanarkel (analyst) and Jon Rothstein (reporter).
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 available on the Varsity Network and on Sirius XM.
National Radio: Westwood One with Nate Gatter (pbp) and King McClure (analyst).

• Xavier is making its 30th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, 29 of which have come since 1983. XU has reached at least the NCAA Sweet 16 nine times, including seven times since 2008 (one of only 13 schools that can say that). XU advanced to the Elite Eight in 2004, 2008 and 2017.
• Xavier, 21-11, had a seven-game win streak snapped by No. 25 Marquette on March 13, 89-87.
• Xavier is 12-3 this season when it has 10 or fewer turnovers, including 9-1 with less than 10.
• Xavier leads the BIG EAST in fastbreak points (ninth in the nation in at 15.2 ppg.) and is second in free throw pct. (sixth in the nation at .794) and 3-point pct. (seventh in the nation at .388). Xavier is third in the BIG EAST in assists per game (15th in the nation at 16.9 apg.).
• Xavier is second in the BIG EAST and sixth in the nation in free throw pct. at .794. XU has four players in the top 10 in the BIG EAST in free throw pct. Dailyn Swain (fifth at .830), Ryan Conwell (sixth at .825), Dayvion McKnight (seventh at .806) and Zach Freemantle (10th at .761).
• Xavier graduate student Zach Freemantle and junior Ryan Conwell were voted All-BIG EAST by the league coaches. Freemantle is on the Second Team and Conwell is on the Third Team. Freemantle is on the NABC All-East District First Team and Conwell is on the Second Team.
• Xavier’s Zach Freemantle leads the team in scoring (fifth in the BIG EAST at 17.3 ppg.) and rebounding (sixth in the BIG EAST at 7.1 rpg.). He has averaged 19.3 ppg. over the last eight games, while shooting 59.3 percent (64-108) from the field, and leading XU to a 7-1 record.
• Xavier’s Zach Freemantle is 10th on XU’s all-time scoring list (1,729 points) and is ninth on the all-time rebounding list (883 rebounds). He is now one of only four XU players in the top 10 for career scoring and rebounding along with David West, Tyrone Hill and Romain Sato

• Xavier’s Ryan Conwell recorded his fifth-straight 20-point+ game with a collegiate career-high 38 points on the strength of a collegiate career-high seven 3-pointers vs. Marquette on March 13. The effort earned him a spot on the 2025 BIG EAST All-Tournament Team.
• Xavier’s Ryan Conwell, who is seventh in the BIG EAST in scoring at 16.8 ppg., ranks third in the BIG EAST in 3-point pct. at .418 and second in 3-point field goals made at 3.0 per game.
• Xavier sophomore Dailyn Swain, who posted his third double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds at Butler on March 5, averaged 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.8
assists per game in BIG EAST play.
• Xavier graduate student Dayvion McKnight leads XU in assists at 4.3 apg. (eighth in the BIG EAST) and is second in the BIG EAST and 21st in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.74.

COURTESY XAVIER ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

TEXAS GAME NOTES

https://texaslonghorns.com/documents/2025/3/17/Texas_notes_for_NCAA_First_Four__Xavier_.pdf

Game 35: No. 11 seed Texas (19-15, 6-12 SEC) vs. No. 11 seed Xavier (21-11, 13-7 BIG EAST)