Who’s Playing
Villanova Wildcats @ Xavier Musketeers
Current Records: Villanova 11-6, Xavier 10-7
How To Watch
- When: Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Cintas Center — Cincinnati, Ohio
- TV: Fox Sports 1
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
What to Know
We’ve got another exciting Big East matchup on schedule as the Xavier Musketeers and the Villanova Wildcats are set to tip at 6:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Cintas Center. The Musketeers are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they’ve averaged 78.9 points per game this season.
Xavier is returning to their home court after beating DePaul on theirs, despite the fact DePaul has dominated at home this season. Xavier came out on top against DePaul by a score of 77-63 on Saturday.
Xavier’s win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ryan Conwell, who posted 19 points. Conwell’s performance made up for a slower matchup against St. John’s on Tuesday. The team also got some help courtesy of Zach Freemantle, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and ten rebounds.
Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, Villanova’s good fortune finally ran out on Saturday. They fell 80-68 to St. John’s. The Wildcats haven’t had much luck with the Red Storm recently, as the team’s come up short the last two times they’ve met.
The losing side was boosted by Wooga Poplar, who went 7 for 13 en route to 22 points.
Xavier’s victory ended a six-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 10-7. As for Villanova, their loss dropped their record down to 11-6.
Tuesday’s game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Xavier has been dynamite from deep this season, having made 39.2% of their threes per game. However, it’s not like Villanova struggles in that department as they’ve drained 41.2% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Xavier skirted past Villanova 56-53 when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Does Xavier have another victory up their sleeve, or will Villanova turn the tables on them? We’ll have the answer soon enough.
Series History
Villanova has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Xavier.
- Feb 07, 2024 – Xavier 56 vs. Villanova 53
- Jan 03, 2024 – Villanova 66 vs. Xavier 65
- Feb 21, 2023 – Villanova 64 vs. Xavier 63
- Jan 07, 2023 – Xavier 88 vs. Villanova 80
- Jan 12, 2022 – Villanova 64 vs. Xavier 60
- Dec 21, 2021 – Villanova 71 vs. Xavier 58
- Feb 22, 2020 – Villanova 64 vs. Xavier 55
- Dec 30, 2019 – Villanova 68 vs. Xavier 62
- Mar 15, 2019 – Villanova 71 vs. Xavier 67
- Feb 24, 2019 – Xavier 66 vs. Villanova 54
