Musketeers Beat: Xavier looks for revenge at home against Georgetown

CINCINNATI — The benefit of playing two Big East games before Christmas is that teams get a week off during the grind of conference play from early January through early March. Xavier hasn’t played since last Wednesday coming into Tuesday night’s home game with Georgetown, and a week off in the Big East can be crucial going into February.

This is a crucial game for the Musketeers on Tuesday night. They’re tied with Georgetown at 5-6 in the Big East, and the Musketeers are looking for revenge against the Hoyas from a loss to them in January in Washington D.C..

The Hoyas are only 2-6 since they beat Xavier back on January 3rd, so this is a game Xavier should win. But this is a solid Hoyas team, one that plays hard and will look to make this a battle for 40 minutes on Tuesday night.

Let’s look at the Players to Watch on the Georgetown Hoyas on Tuesday night.

Players to Watch

1.  #10  Jayden Epps  6’2″  190 lbs.  Jr.  Guard  Norfolk, Va.  Illinois Transfer
12.3 pts, 2 rebs/gm., 41.5 FG%, 37.4 3-PT FG%, 77.5 FT%, 29 mpg

Epps only has one double-digit scoring in Georgetown’s eight games since beating Xavier in Washington D.C. in early January. He has missed a few games in that stretch, which may be a key reason why his scoring average has dropped a few points per game. Epps missed Georgetown’s last game, a win last Friday night at Butler.

2.  #35  Thomas Sorber  6’10”  255 lbs.  Fr.  Forward/Center  Trenton, N.J.
14.7 pts, 8.9 rebs, 46 blk, 51.6 FG%, 17.6 3-PT FG%, 75.5 FT%, 31.6 mpg

Sorber has three double-doubles since the Hoyas win over Xavier on January 3rd. He also has four games with three or more blocks. With five games pulling down double-digit rebounds, Sorber has scored in double figures three times in Georgetown’s last four games including 25 points and 15 rebounds at Providence. Sorber is a big man that can do a lot on the court. Despite only having 12 points and five rebounds in his last game against Xavier, the Musketeers have to limit him to those numbers and not any more on Tuesday night.

3.  #5  Micah Peavy  6’8″  220 lbs.  Gr.  Guard/Forward  Cibolo, Texas  TCU Transfer
14.4 pts, 5.4 rebs, 51 stl, 45.9 FG%, 32.4 3-PT FG%, 65.5 FT%, 36 mpg

Peavy has scored 20+ points three times since Georgetown’s win at Xavier, including 27 points at Providence back on January 25th. More impressively, perhaps, Peavy has attempted more than 15 shots in four of his last six games and has played 40 minutes five times. Peavy also has multiple steals in five games, including three games with three steals.

4.  #2  Malik Mack  6’2″  175 lbs.  So.  Guard  Oxon Hill, Md.  Harvard Transfer
13.1 pts, 4 rebs/gm., 91 ast.-55 TO, 38.5 FG%, 35.1 3-PT FG%, 69.8 FT%, 35.1 mpg

Mack has scored in double figures five times since the Hoyas beat Xavier, and he also has four games with five or more assists. In addition, Mack has three games with three three-pointers since the Hoyas win over Xavier on January 3rd.

5.  #20  Drew Fielder  6’11”  235 lbs.  So.  Forward/Center  Boise, Idaho
7.1 pts, 5.4 rebs, 52.7 FG%, 26.8 3-PT FG%, 68.8 FT%, 23.3 mpg

Fielder has scored in double figures just once since the Hoyas win over Xavier, a 19-point game performance against DePaul, and he pulled down 12 rebounds against St. John’s. He’s also played 30+ minutes twice and 20+ minutes five times.

6.  #23  Jordan Burks  6’9″  205 lbs.  So.  Forward  Decatur, Ala.  Kentucky Tansfer
4 pts/gm., 2.4 rebs, 58.7 FG%, 5-17 3-PT FG, 10-15 FT, 13.6 mpg

Burks has played double-digit minutes four times since the Hoyas win over Xavier three days after New Year’s.

7.  #4  Caleb Williams  6’7″  230 lbs.  Fr.  Forward  Washington, D.C.
4 pts/gm., 3.9 rebs, 43.8 FG%, 32.1 3-PT FG%, 9-15 FT, 19.2 mpg

Williams has four games with five+ rebounds in Georgetown’s last eight games, and he had 10 points against DePaul back in mid-January. He’s played 20+ minutes six times and 35+ minutes twice with five starts in that span.

8.  #11  Curtis Williams Jr.  6’6″  205 lbs.  So.  Guard  Detroit, Mich.  Louisville Transfer
3.9 pts, 1.5 rebs, 43.3 FG%, 34.1 3-PT FG%, 10-12 FT, 12.1 mpg

Williams scored in double figures in each of Georgetown’s next four games after the win over Xavier, and he also had three games of multiple three-pointers in the Hoyas last eight games. Williams also has five games playing 20+ minutes.

 

Head Coach: Ed Cooley (2nd season)
You may know Ed Cooley from CBS Sports College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein referring to him as “The American Dream.” In 12 seasons at Providence, Cooley led the Friars to seven NCAA Tournaments that culminated in a No. 4 seed and a Sweet 16 in 2022. The Friars also won the Big East regular-season title that season, which came eight years after they won the Big East Tournament.

Cooley’s players won two Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards in his 12 seasons at Providence while also seeing three Big East Most Improved Player of the Year awards.

 

Keys to the Game

1.  Win the first four minutes: Having not played since last Wednesday, the first four minutes Tuesday night will be crucial for the Musketeers in setting the tone for the game.

2.  Rebounding: Georgetown is a solid rebounding team, so the Musketeers are going to have to be relentless on the glass at home Tuesday night. Xavier can’t let the Hoyas get too many extra possessions on the offensive glass in a game they need to win to keep their at-large bid hopes alive.

3.  Make the crowd a factor: Sean Miller had high praise for the Cintas Center crowd after the Musketeers win  against UConn. The Musketeers need to make the crowd a factor again Tuesday night in a battle between two similar teams, in terms of the standings, in the Big East.

Score Prediction: Musketeers 73 – Hoyas 67

The Musketeers are well-rested and have momentum on their side. Even after losing two of their last three games,  Xavier has momentum after rebounding from a 1-4 start in the Big East. They should continue that momentum into tonight and get back to .500 in Big East play.