By Marisol Nicholson
3 6 2024
GAME NOTES
https://goxavier.com/documents/2024/3/4/2023-24_NOTES_GAME_30_VS._BUTLER.pdf
CINCINNATI — The Xavier University Musketeers, 15-14 overall and 9-9 in the BIG EAST Conference, finish off the road portion of their league schedule when they visit the Butler University Bulldogs, 17-13 overall and 8-11 in the BIG EAST, on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. Xavier is looking for its third-straight win, while Butler is shooting for its second-straight victory.
Xavier leads the series vs. Butler 47-26, including two straight victories and a 16-9 mark since the two teams became BIG EAST rivals in the 2013-14 season. Xavier won the first meeting this season in Cincinnati, 85-71 on Jan. 16, while Butler won last year’s meeting at Hinkle Fieldhouse 69-67 on Feb. 10.
XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (15-14, 9-9 BIG EAST)
BUTLER UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (17-13, 8-11 BIG EAST)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2024 AT 7:30 P.M. ET
HINKLE FIELDHOUSE IN INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
Television: CBS Sports Network with play-by-play from Andrew Catalon and analysis from Steve Lappas.
Xavier Radio: 700 WLW-AM with play-by-play from Xavier Hall of Famer Joe Sunderman (’79) 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 leads the BIG EAST and is third in the nation in fastbreak points at 16.4 ppg.
• Xavier sophomore Desmond Claude was named to the BIG EAST Conference Honor Roll after averaging 23.5 points and 3.0 assists in a pair of Xavier wins. Claude scored a career-high 36 points in the win at Georgetown, the second-highest total by a BIG EAST player this season. Teammate Quincy Olivari had 43 points at DePaul on Feb. 3.
• Xavier’s Desmond Claude is second on the team in scoring at 16.0 ppg. (11th in the BIG EAST) and assists at 3.3 apg. (14th in the BIG EAST).
• Xavier graduate student Quincy Olivari, who leads the BIG EAST in scoring at 19.3 ppg., passed the 2,000-point mark for his collegiate career during his 32-point game vs. DePaul on Feb. 28. He has 2,046 points including his totals at Rice and Xavier.
• Xavier’s Quincy Olivari leads the BIG EAST and is 17th in the nation in 3-point field goals at 3.1 made per game and is second in the BIG EAST and 11th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage at .429.
• Xavier senior Dayvion McKnight is first in the BIG EAST and 16th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.22. He leads the team and is fifth in the BIG EAST in assists at 5.0 apg. and leads the team and is eighth in the league in steals at 1.5 spg. McKnight, who has averaged 15.7 ppg. for the last 13 games, is third on the team in scoring at 12.3 ppg.
• Xavier senior Abou Ousmane is fifth in the BIG EAST in offensive rebounding (2.9 rpg.) and is sixth in blocks (1.3 bpg.).
Xavier has 10 newcomers on the 2023-24 roster, including six freshmen who have logged 29.7 percent of the minutes played this season, the most for XU since 1995-96.
• Xavier freshman Kachi Nzeh, one of four Xavier freshman to start at least one game this season, contributed a career-high 13 points to go with a career-high tying six rebounds at Georgetown. Saturday’s game marked his second-straight start.
COURTESY XAVIER ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
