After about a week off, the 23rd ranked Cincinnati Bearcats will head across town to face the #12 and undefeated Xavier Musketeers in the 83rd Crosstown Shootout. Here’s a preview of this game.
KEY NUMBERS
It’s rather incredible Xavier is a top 50 scoring team because they shoot just 48.5% from inside the arc (161st nationally, 110 spots worse than UC) and 36.6% from three (95th nationally, the exact same rate as UC). The key for the Musketeers is their ability grab rebounds and turn them into second chance points. Xavier averages 12 offensive boards per game, compared to 13 for Cincinnati if anyone’s comparing (we definitely are), and turning them into 9.1 immediate extra scoring chances, which is good for 6th best in college basketball.
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That’s how the Musketeers kill opponents. Xavier isn’t a particularly fast team, possessions-wise, but aren’t afraid to launch the ball if they have an open shot. If it goes in, Chris Mack creepily smiles on. If it doesn’t, the Musketeers’ talented big men James Farr, Jaylen Reynolds, and even wing Trevon Bluiett muscle their way to the ball and put up an easy shot. It’s that kind of offensive mentality, the knowledge that they undoubtedly the better team in the paint no matter the opponent, that the Bearcats need to break on Saturday.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Trevon Bluiett (#5): Unlike his name suggests, the sophomore guard is about as clutch as they come. Bluiett leads Xavier in scoring averaging 15.9 points per game and is their best three point shooter, knocking down over 47% from beyond the arc. As alluded to above, he’s also a very adept rebounder, averaging 8.1 per game. That’s what his 6’6″ lanky frame can do for the Musketeers defensively from the perimeter in. Only James Farr has more rebounds than Bluiett and he has about four inches and 40 lbs on the young guard. But if there’s any weakness to his game it’s his free throw shooting, which is an abysmal 69% considering all of his other scoring abilities.
That’s something UC should consider in this game. If forced to foul or if a foul is Cincinnati’s best option, going after Bluiett isn’t necessarily a terrible idea.
BEST MATCHUP
James Farr (#2) v. Octavius Ellis: Given Ellis’ history of, let’s call it, losing his cool in critical games and stress inducing situations, this is easily the best battle to watch tomorrow night. Farr is Xavier’s best rebounder on the team. Really he and Reynolds need to be accounted for on Saturday but it’s best to leave him to Gary Clark. Ellis v. Farr is the one to keep an eye on if only for the extra curricular activities we’ll probably hear and see after the play.
FINAL THOUGHTS AND PREDICTION
The most difficult opponent the Bearcats have faced this season seems even more difficult considering they have to play them on their home court, a hornet’s nest for most visiting teams and especially Cincinnati. But it’s not like UC’s chopped liver, they simply had a last second stumble against a very, very good Butler team. The Bearcats have more than a puncher’s chance tomorrow and I couldn’t call myself a UC fan if I didn’t pick the good guys.
Cincinnati: 67
Xavier: 65