3 keys for Xavier Musketeers to beat Butler Bulldogs at Cintas Center

WATCH: Pitino, English, Milicevic on Xavier win vs. Providence

Xavier shot 49.3% from the field and led for nearly 39 minutes in its 97-84 victory over Providence Jan. 10.

• Xavier men’s basketball will face Butler after snapping a 3-game losing streak, vs. Providence Jan. 10.
• Butler is a top 20 offensive rebounding team in the country and ranks third in the Big East in scoring.
• Butler has not won at Cintas Center since 2020.

Xavier men’s basketball will try to build off its skid-snapping 97-84 win over Providence when Butler visits Cintas Center on Wednesday, Jan. 14.

Xavier had been outscored by a combined 64 points in its two Big East home games (Creighton, UConn) before turning in one of its most complete performances against the Friars.

“What I’m most proud of is giving our fans a good moment in this building,” Xavier head coach Richard Pitino said Jan. 10.

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Out of the Big East basement and in a tie with DePaul for sixth, Xavier will try to climb within a game of .500 in league play and win back-to-back games for the first time in a month when they battle Butler.

Watch: Two Xavier men’s basketball walk-ons surprised with scholarships

1. Can Xavier’s offense build off Providence performance?

Xavier checked just about every box imaginable in a stellar offensive performance against Providence. The Musketeers had five players in double figures, shot 49% overall, hit a dozen 3-pointers, committed just four turnovers, outscored the Friars in the paint (44-42) and had 30 fast-break points.

Butler will be a taller task, but the Bulldogs are allowing opponents to shoot 44.1% from the field, which ranks ninth in the Big East.

It’s also a Butler defense that has allowed a lot of points around the rim, which is not necessarily Xavier’s strong suit. Butler is giving up 57.8% of its points from inside the arc, which is the fifth-highest rate in the nation. Xavier is No. 301 in KenPom in 2-point shooting.

2. Xavier must battle on the boards vs. Butler

The biggest thing that stands out for Butler this season is its ability to get second chances.

Butler is No. 19 in the nation in offensive rebounding, grabbing 14 per game. Xavier allows the fewest offensive rebounds per game in the Big East (9.5), but that is mostly due to the Musketeers ranking last in the conference in opposing field goal percentage (46.3%).

There haven’t been many second-chance opportunities with how teams have shot against Xavier until the Marquette loss. The Golden Eagles grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, including several in crunch time, which led to a one-point defeat on the road.

Xavier is 5-0 this season when it wins the rebounding battle, but it’s happened just once in Big East play (at Georgetown).

3. Will Xavier’s defense slow down another high-scoring Big East offense?

Xavier’s defense was far from perfect against Providence, allowing 49 second-half points. But Xavier’s defensive work in the first half was encouraging against the Big East’s highest-scoring offense. Xavier held the Friars to just 37.1% shooting and 4-of-18 from 3-point range.

“The defense, I do think, in the last game against Marquette and this game (vs. Providence), has gotten better,” Pitino said. “You’re seeing a commitment to it.”

Xavier will try to contain a Butler offense that ranks third in the Big East in scoring (84.1 points per game) and free-throw attempts per game. Butler’s going to put pressure on Xavier’s defense to foul. The Bulldogs get fouled at the highest rate in the Big East (21.4 per game).

Tip: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 14 at Cintas Center (10,224)

TV/Radio: FS1/55KRC (550-AM)

Ratings: Xavier is No. 104 in KenPom and Butler is No. 58. Xavier is No. 107 in the NCAA NET Rankings and Butler is No. 54.

History: Xavier leads the all-time series, 50-27, and have won four of the last five meetings.

Butler Bulldogs scouting report

Record: 10-6 (1-4 Big East)

Head coach: Thad Matta (81-67 at Butler, fifth season)

Offense: 84.1 ppg

Defense: 75.4 ppg

Overview: Butler has dropped five straight at Cintas Center with its last win coming on Kamar Baldwin’s game-winning 3-pointer in the 2020 regular-season finale.

Butler has respectable metrics as one of six teams in the top 60 in KenPom with six losses. Creighton (No. 44) has seven. Butler is 5-5 since senior guard Jalen Jackson went down with a season-ending ankle injury in November.

The Bulldogs sit at 1-4 in Big East play. They beat Providence in a double-overtime thriller Dec. 13, but have lost their last four league contests to arguably the top four teams in the conference (UConn, Creighton, Villanova, St. John’s). Butler is 0-3 on the road.

Projected starting lineup

(Pos., Height, Stats)

Azavier Robinson (G, 6’2″, 5.6 ppg)

Finley Bizjack (G, 6’4″, 16.3 ppg)

Jamie Kaiser Jr. (G, 6’6″, 9.9 ppg)

Michael Ajayi (F, 6’7″, 16.1 ppg)

Drayton Jones (C, 6’11”, 7.3 ppg)

Xavier Musketeers scouting report

Record: 10-7 (2-4 Big East)

Head coach: Richard Pitino (10-7 at Xavier, first season)

Offense: 76.8 ppg

Defense: 75.7 ppg

Projected starting lineup

(Pos., Height, Stats)

All Wright (G, 6’3″, 7.6 ppg)

Malik Messina-Moore (G, 6’5″, 10.5 ppg)

Tre Carroll (F, 6’8″, 15.9 ppg)

Filip Borovicanin (F, 6’9″, 9.5 ppg)

Jovan Milicevic (F, 6’10”, 10.9 ppg)

Xavier vs. Butler: Players to watch

Butler has two of the Big East’s top three scorers in Finley Bizjack (16.3 points per game) and Michael Ajayi (16.1). Bizjack’s averages have dipped since last season. The junior is shooting 42.6% from the field and 33.6% on 3-pointers.

Ajayi averages a double-double as the No. 2 rebounder in the nation (12.1). He had 19 points and 20 boards in a win over Northwestern Dec. 20.

Speaking of double-doubles, Filip Borovicanin recorded his seventh in 12 games with 15 points and 10 rebounds vs. Providence. He also hit a season-high three 3-pointers, giving him 7 triples over the last three games.

Named to the Big East Honor Roll this week, Malik Messina-Moore’s tear continued vs. Providence with 23 points. He is averaging 17.2 points per game during Big East play.