It always sounds more simple than it is, but winning home games in February that a team is supposed to win is usually a sign that that team's moving in the proper direction.
Xavier's men's basketball team (15-5, 5-4 Big East) hosts Butler on Wednesday night (7 p.m., CBS Sports) in a game that falls well within those parameters.
The Musketeers beat Butler by 15 points at Hinkle Fieldhouse less than a month ago. Xavier's ranked No. 20 in the NET. Butler's ranked No. 132 in the NET.
Xavier needs some positive momentum and building off Saturday's second half at Creighton is a great place to start.
"I think you start with confidence," Xavier head coach Travis Steele said Tuesday when asked about carrying that momentum from Creighton into Wednesday's game against Butler. "Just seeing a few shots go in. We didn't look rushed on the offensive end, I thought we kind of played at our own pace and we got the ball where we wanted.
"... Defensively, I thought we were disruptive, we had a ton of deflections, we were flying around, playing hard. Those are the things that we gotta bottle up and take with us the rest of the season and obviously starting off here in the first half against Butler."
Four more: Analyzing games 17-20 for Xavier men's basketball
More:Xavier University modifies COVID-19 policy at home games: Proof of vaccination no longer required
The Bulldogs (11-10, 4-6) have won two in a row over Creighton and Georgetown and had a strong performance on the road in a 69-62 loss at Big East-leader Providence.
Despite its record, Butler's not a pushover, especially since Bo Hodges returned to the lineup.
"Butler is a way different team than they were earlier back in January when we played them," said Steele. "... From a health standpoint, they got one of their better players, Bo Hodges, who's playing now, 6-6, athletic wing, one of the best defenders in our league. He's a downhill driver, tough. He didn't play in game one."
Chuck Harris, Butler's leading scorer, is also playing a lot better recently.
Steele said that with Butler having the full strength of its lineup, the Bulldogs have increased their pace of play since the first meeting. But Butler's still a defensive-minded team that wants to force turnovers and decrease the number of possessions in the game.
The Game
- Tipoff: 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Cintas Center
- TV/Radio: CBS Sports Network with play-by-play from Tom McCarthy and analysis from Chris Walker. AJ Ross is the reporter. Byron Larkin and Joe Sunderman will have the radio call on WLW-AM (700). Broadcast is also available on Sirius (135), XM (201) and the SXM App (964).
- Series info: Xavier leads the all-time series 44-24
Xavier Musketeers (15-5, 5-4)
Coach: Travis Steele, fourth season (66-42 overall)
Offense: 73.9 ppg
Defense: 64.3 ppg
Projected lineup
Player (Position, Height, Key Stat)
Paul Scruggs (G, 6'5", 11.7 ppg)
Jack Nunge (F, 7'0", 12.7 ppg)
Colby Jones (G, 6'6", 10.7 ppg)
Zach Freemantle (F, 6'9", 9.0 ppg)
Nate Johnson (G, 6'4", 10.9 ppg)
Butler Bulldogs (11-10, 4-6)
Coach: LaVall Jordan, fifth season (80-65 overall)
Offense: 62.2 ppg
Defense: 64.0 ppg
Projected lineup
Player (Position, Height, Key Stat)
Bryce Golden (F, 6'9", 9.1 ppg)
Bryce Nze (F, 6'7", 8.2 ppg)
Aaron Thompson (G, 6'2", 7.5 ppg)
Bo Hodges (G, 6'5", 7.1 ppg)
Chuck Harris (G, 6'2", 10.6 ppg)
Players to watch
Bo Hodges
Butler's a different team with Hodges. He helps at both ends of the floor. He rebounds it really well (5.6), passes it well and he's a proficient scorer who takes what the game gives him.
Zach Freemantle
Butler likes to play two big men together. So does Xavier. Freemantle needs to win his matchup. He's been a lot better recently finishing around the rim and defending. The Musketeers need Freemantle to continue his progression on Wednesday night.
Key to the game
Confidence
After Xavier's win at Creighton, Steele pointed to confidence as a factor in the comeback. The Musketeers need to play with confidence all the time. Beating Butler starts with Xavier believing it's a better team, then playing like it for the entire game.
Rankings
KenPom.com: Xavier (22); Butler (132).
NET: Xavier (20); Butler (132).
Source link
