The No. 5-ranked Xavier Musketeers (25-3) visit Seton Hall to play the Pirates (20-7) in what should be a low-scoring game. The game begins at 12:30 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 28 and will air on FS1.
The Pirates won big over Providence 70-52 on Thursday. Isaiah Whitehead was the team’s leading scorer with 25 points on 8-for-12 shooting. The Musketeers are coming off a 90-83 win over Villanova on Wednesday. Edmond Sumner led the team in scoring by registering 19 points on 4-for-12 shooting.
Whitehead has really been playing well as of late for the Pirates, averaging 19.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.8 steals, 2.2 blocks, and 3.4 three-pointers over the last five games.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. Seton Hall ranks 13th in the nation in defensive efficiency (94.4), while Xavier is 29th (96.4).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Musketeers winning the first matchup 84-76. James Farr put up 24 points and 15 rebounds.
The Pirates enter the game with records of 20-7 Straight Up (SU) and 18-8 Against The Spread (ATS). Seton Hall has averaged 81.8 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 73.5. The Seton Hall defense has been struggling to keep points off the board during its most recent matchups. The Pirates have given up an average of 72.8 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 66.0 PPG. The Pirates have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking 27th in the country with a .398 opponent field-goal percentage. Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Pirates, ranking 47th in the country in blocks per game with 4.7.
Over on the other bench, the Musketeers head into the game with records of 18-10 ATS and 25-3 SU. Most recently, Xavier is 8-2 ATS over the last 10 games. The Musketeers have been struggling of late. In their most recent 10 games, their scoring has dropped to 72.8 PPG, compared to 73.5 for the duration of the season. The Musketeers convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking 45th in the nation at .736. Moving on to the Xavier defense, the Musketeers allow just 69.6 points per road game, ranking them 50th in the nation. Xavier’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .407 from the field. The Musketeers have established a reputation of cleaning up the defensive glass with 28.5 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the top teams in the nation.
In their previous meeting this season, Xavier beat Seton Hall, taking the head-to-head record to an even 3-3 SU over their most recent meetings. The Pirates lead the matchup ATS with a record of 4-2. Seton Hall held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time in the last five games, while Xavier wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Xavier, ATS Winner – Xavier
Notes
Seton Hall averages 73.5 points per game, placing the team just 135th in the nation. Xavier ranks 97th in points allowed, giving up 69.0 points per game.
Seton Hall scores just 74.0 points per home game (ranked 169th). Xavier ranks 50th in points allowed on the road, giving up 69.6 points.
In its last game, Seton Hall won by a margin of 18 points. Xavier is 9-1 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Seton Hall has a 5-0 record in blowouts.
Ranked 13th, the Seton Hall Pirates have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 94.4 points per 100 possessions. The Xavier Musketeers rank 41st in offense, scoring 113.3 points in the same number of possessions.
Seton Hall has an average field goal percentage of 44.1%. Xavier is a superb 6-2 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Seton Hall Pirates and the Xavier Musketeers both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Seton Hall is 231st and 181st in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Xavier ranks 118th and 102nd in these categories.
Xavier ranks 29th in assists, recording 16.3 per game. Seton Hall performs worse at 161st with 13.6 assists per game.
Seton Hall, the 47th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.7 per game. Xavier does worse, ranked 207th with 3.2.
Xavier is one of the top defensive rebounding teams, ranking 21st. Seton Hall ranks 31st in offensive rebounding.
On average, Seton Hall makes 7.3 steals per game. Xavier has an outstanding 8-1 record when it gives up at least 7 steals.
