The No. 5-ranked Xavier Musketeers (24-3) will bring the regular season to an end when they take on the No. 1-ranked Villanova Wildcats (24-3) at Cintas Center. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 24 and can be seen on FS1.
The Musketeers enter this game hoping for similar success after blowing out Georgetown 88-70 on Saturday. Edmond Sumner was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points on 6-for-9 shooting. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are coming off a 77-67 win against Butler on Saturday. Josh Hart claimed his eighth double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 rebounds.
Daniel Ochefu has been hot over the last five games for the Wildcats, averaging 14.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks.
Baskets could be hard to come by as Xavier ranks 26th in the nation, allowing just 95.8 points per 100 possessions, while Villanova is eighth (92.2).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Wildcats winning the first matchup 95-64. Ryan Arcidiacono had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 27 points, one rebound, eight assists, two steals, and seven three-pointers.
Notes
In its last game, Xavier won by a margin of 18 points. Villanova is 10-1 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Xavier has a 9-1 record in blowouts.
The Villanova Wildcats rank 36th for their offensive rating of 113.6. The Xavier Musketeers have a defensive rating of 95.8 (ranked 26th).
The Xavier Musketeers average a field goal percentage of 45.3% this season. The Villanova Wildcats have split their games this season (3-3) when opponents have a FG% of 45.3% or greater.
The Xavier Musketeers rank higher based on their field goal percentage (111th) than their effective field goal percentage (125th). The Villanova Wildcats rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (48th) than their field goal percentage (74th).
Xavier ranks 38th in assists, recording 16.0 per game. Villanova ranks 46th with 15.8 assists per game.
The Xavier Musketeers are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 41.1 per game (ranked 17th). The Villanova Wildcats are outside the top 100 with 36.6 rebounds per game (ranked 160th).
Villanova ranks 243rd in offensive rebounds, while Xavier ranks at 21st in defensive rebounds.
On average, Xavier forces a turnover rate of 19.9%. When Villanova turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a formidable 7-1 record.
