One of the greatest rivalries in college basketball will take center stage tonight at 7PM. We take you inside the most important stats and show you who has the edge in this one.
KenPom Rank: Cincinnati 19th Xavier 29th
I consider KenPom.com as one of the best sites to get college basketball rankings from and Cincinnati has the advantage in it. KemPom takes into account who you played and how well you played against them. These rankings are basically strictly on stats unlike most polls where it is just someone's opinion.
Field Goal Percentage: Cincinnati 48% Xavier 45%
Who is going to make their shots? This one is big for Cincinnati because Xavier will double on Gary Clark and Kyle Washington so when they kick it out the guards have to make shots. Good news for Cincinnati is that their guards in Kevin Johnson, Jacob Evans, and Troy Caupain have been making shots lately. We all know Xavier is talented on offense, but the question is how will they get open shots against one of the best defenses in the nation?
Turnover Margin: Cincinnati +2.5 Xavier +1.2
This one is obvious. Every time you here of a big game and you are reading a preview the turnover battle will always come up. Both teams are forcing more than their giving it up, but Mick Cronin and that fierce defense have the edge in this one.
Rebounding: Xavier +8 Cincinnati +5
Both teams get a lot of chances at 2nd points. This is where players for UC like Gary Clark have made their shots this year. This stat shows just how physical this game will be and UC coach Mick Cronin said "It's amazing how they are +7 on the boards in the Big East." "That's tough to do." The Musketeers have 8 players who are averaging at least 3 rebounds a game. Trevon Blueitt and Rashid Gaston are both grabbing over 6 a game. This could be a huge stat and ultimately provide who wins this game.
Getting To The Line:
Xavier is one of the best teams in the nation at getting to line. They took almost 50 free throws against Georgetown on Sunday. On the flipside, Cincinnati does a great job not fouling. Teams do not get to the line to much against the Bearcats. Xavier has a lot of guards who can drive to the basket.
Free Throw Percentage: Xavier 69% Cincinnati 66%
If this game is close this could be the biggest stat of them all. Both teams have struggled big time with this. Cincinnati's Troy Caupain and Jacob Evans used to be automatic, but their struggling this year. Although Cincy has gotten better of late, they still rank 271st in the nation in Free Throw Percentage. For Xavier, this probably cost them the game against Butler and Creighton, but seemed to find their stroke back against Georgetown.
Home Court Advantage: Cincinnati
Bearcats getting to play in front of a huge sold-out 5/3rd arena is huge. The last 8/10 shootout meeting have gone to the team who played at home. Throw in the fact that Cincinnati has won 17 straight home games is something that Bearcat fans should be happy about. (This does not include the years it was played at US Bank Arena.)
History: Xavier
Has Won 3 in A Row and 7/10. Although Cincinnati has the all-time advantage 49-34, the Muskies have dominated as of late.
Prediction: Cincinnati 67 Xavier 63:
It really would not shock if Xavier won this game at all and I think they very easily could. Cincy just needs this game so much. If they lose this one, X fans may have the right to say "It's not a rivalry if one team wins all the time..." With that being said, I think Gary Clark will be too much Xavier as puts up 20 points and 12 rebounds. Enjoy the best rivalry in college hoops tonight.
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