One of the vital country’s maximum intense rivalries renews Saturday afternoon as No. 22 Cincinnati welcomes its crosstown rival Xavier.
The Musketeers (8-2) input the sport after posting their largest margin of victory in class victory, a 61-point house blowout of Morgan State, 119-58, on Tuesday.
The Bearcats (7-1) have had an additional two days of leisure, having closing performed on Sunday in an 84-67 house win over Howard. Cincinnati bounced again from its simplest lack of the season, a setback to Villanova on Dec. 3.
Cincinnati leads the all time sequence, 51-40, however Xavier has ruled of past due, successful the closing 5 conferences, six of 7 and 9 of the closing 11 matchups.
The 2 groups had been constructed very another way getting into the season, with Cincinnati led through a gaggle of returning starters, together with sharp-shooter Simas Lukosius, megastar level guard Jizzle James and wing Dan Skillings Jr.
Within the win over Howard, Skillings noticed his first motion for the Bearcats since Nov. 4 after a minor knee process. He performed simply 14 mins, with two issues, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Skillings was once Cincinnati’s main scorer from a 12 months in the past at 12.9 issues a recreation.
“You simply really feel other about our group with him in the market,” Bearcats trainer Wes Miller mentioned. “Dan Skillings has the facility to make performs even in unhealthy scenarios. We are a significantly better group with Dan. We ignored him dearly. Now it is about getting him again in rhythm and getting his recreation again.”
Texas switch Dillon Mitchell is new to the Xavier competition this season. Mitchell has added scoring and rebounding punch to the Cincinnati lineup, averaging 11.9 issues. Lukosius is main the Bearcats this season at 16.3 issues a recreation.
James had a team-high 19 issues in closing season’s 84-79 loss at Xavier and is averaging 13.6 issues and 5.1 assists in keeping with recreation this marketing campaign.
Xavier rebuilt its roster with a number of transfers, together with Ryan Conwell from Indiana State and Marcus Foster from Furman.
Zach Freemantle scored a season-best 27 issues within the rout of Morgan State and is main Xavier in scoring at 16.8 issues a recreation whilst Conwell is scoring at a clip of 16.4 issues in keeping with contest.
“It was once for sure essential,” Freemantle mentioned. “You return via our non-conference, there hasn’t been a recreation the place we in point of fact put it to any one. We gained maximum of them however there hasn’t been that blowout or us dominating some other group. It was once a super signal for us transferring ahead.”
Foster added 18 for the Musketeers, who made 12 in their 18 makes an attempt from past the arc.
“It was once just right to look Marcus Foster be so assertive,” Xavier trainer Sean Miller mentioned. “We are a a lot more tough group to protect and play towards when he is extra assertive.”
The Crosstown Shootout is the primary of a difficult three-game stretch for the Musketeers, who will play at No. 18 UConn subsequent Wednesday ahead of returning house to play No. 6 Marquette on Dec. 21.
Xavier introduced that backup level guard Trey Inexperienced is on an indefinite go away of absence with the group because of a “heath-related” factor.
–Box Stage Media
