Cincinnati Basketball: Preview for the upcoming Crosstown Shootout at Xavier

Make sure to preview the Cincinnati Bearcats annual Crosstown Shootout against the Xavier Musketeers including pregame odds, players to watch and more!

Players to watch are Cincinnati veteran guards CJ Fredrick and DaVeon Thomas, and frontcourt mates Aziz Bandaogo, Viktor Lakhin and Daniel Skillings Jr.

The Bearcats are coming off a blowout victory over Florida Gulf Coast, while Xavier has lost three games in a row including a recent loss against Delaware.

With a chance to keep the unblemished record intact, Cincinnati must avoid costly turnovers and protect the paint against rival Xavier on Saturday evening.

Cincinnati Basketball: Preview for the upcoming Crosstown Shootout at Xavier

• Date: Saturday, December 9 at 6:30 PM
• Location: Cintas Center in Cincinnati
• Series History: Bearcats lead 51-39
• TV Broadcast: FS1 and fuboTV

After starting the regular season with a 7-0 record, the Bearcats are aiming to remain undefeated at Xavier in the annual rivalry game this weekend!

Both programs are hoping to secure a memorable win in non-conference play as the long-time rivals prepare to meet on Saturday night at Cintas Center.

During a recent press conference earlier this week, Bearcats head coach Wes Miller looked ahead to the Crosstown Shootout via Cincinnati Athletics.

Lakhin leads the Bearcats with 15.4 points and 8.4 rebounds on 61.8 percent shooting from the field with five consecutive double digit scoring outings.

Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats take on Xavier with chance to snap skid in rivalry

It will be important for the Bearcats to get off to a quality start in the opening minutes and neutralize the crowd as Xavier tries to protect their building.

Stay tuned for coverage as the Bearcats get ready for the Crosstown Shootout with an opportunity to end a 4-game losing streak on the road at Xavier.

The annual clash against Xavier is a heated battle that extends beyond the court and captivates the attention of the entire city of Cincinnati every year.

Xavier is fueled by dynamic backcourt trio Desmond Claude, Dayvion McKnight and Quincy Olivari, along with forwards Gytis Nemeiksa and Abou Ousmane.