Xavier is peaking as it prepares to visit upset-minded Seton Hall on Sunday afternoon in Newark, N.J.
The Musketeers (17-10, 9-7 Big East) started 1-4 in conference play but have since won eight of 11 games, including their last three. Multiple bracket projections on Saturday listed Xavier as one of the first teams out of next month’s NCAA Tournament field.
“We have a hungry, veteran group that is playing well,” Musketeers coach Sean Miller said. “If I had to judge where we are in terms of level of play from the start of the season; I’d say we are playing some of our best basketball right now.”
Xavier knocked off Butler 76-63 on Tuesday, assisting on 21 of 29 made field goals. Ryan Conwell and Zach Freemantle scored 14 points apiece, while Dayvion McKnight and Dailyn Swain each chipped in 13 points.
Freemantle leads four Musketeers that score in double figures with 16.8 points per game.
“We rely on ball movement,” Miller said. “We want to play with tempo, share the ball and look for each other. When we do that it allows us to beat the best teams on our schedule.”
Xavier will try to avoid the type of upset the Pirates pulled off in their last home game.
Even though Seton Hall (7-19, 2-13) is only 5-8 at home and lost 80-56 at No. 16 Marquette on Tuesday, the Pirates snapped a nine-game skid with a 69-68 overtime win against visiting UConn last Saturday.
Isaiah Coleman leads Seton Hall in scoring (15.2 points per game) and rebounding (5.3) per game). The guard scored 23 points in the win over UConn and had 13 points against Marquette.
Chaunce Jenkins averages 11.4 points per game but has missed eight straight games with a knee injury.
In a radio interview after the Marquette game, Pirates coach Shaheen Holloway said he was unsure what Sunday’s lineup would look like.
“It all goes to the ability of who I can practice with,” Halloway said. “I can only do what I can do. If I have players in front of me, if I don’t have guys in front of me, I cannot prepare, I cannot play. These guys are playing. We have a couple of days. It is what it is. Whoever can go we will try to get it right for a very good Xavier team.”
–Field Level Media
