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Xavier v. Villanova: Stats, Stream, and Keys to the Game

This is as big as games not in March get.

By Brad D
NCAA Basketball: Seton Hall at Xavier Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

Xavier Musketeers

Per Game Table
Player MP FG% 3P% FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
Trevon Bluiett 34.4 .460 .443 .836 0.8 4.9 5.7 2.7 0.7 0.3 1.9 2.0 19.6
J.P. Macura 29.2 .461 .347 .830 1.4 3.0 4.3 3.0 1.4 0.4 2.0 2.1 12.3
Kerem Kanter 16.3 .561 .319 .760 1.4 3.6 5.0 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.9 1.4 10.4
Quentin Goodin 29.5 .435 .318 .803 0.3 2.7 3.0 5.0 0.9 0.2 2.2 2.0 8.4
Tyrique Jones 16.0 .664 .571 1.4 3.7 5.1 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.9 2.3 8.1
Naji Marshall 20.2 .553 .344 .743 1.0 2.6 3.6 1.5 0.6 0.2 1.5 1.5 8.1
Kaiser Gates 25.2 .412 .392 .826 1.0 4.0 5.0 1.0 0.5 0.2 0.5 2.5 8.0
Sean O'Mara 15.0 .661 .804 1.2 2.1 3.3 0.9 0.3 0.7 0.9 1.4 7.3
Paul Scruggs 16.3 .443 .265 .710 0.2 1.6 1.7 1.8 0.5 0.3 1.5 1.7 4.5
Elias Harden 7.5 .250 .125 1.000 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.5 0.5 0.8
Leighton Schrand 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.0
Matt Singleton 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0
Nick Vanderpohl 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 2/17/2018.

Villanova Wildcats

Per Game Table
Player MP FG% 3P% FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
Jalen Brunson 31.6 .542 .438 .807 0.3 2.7 3.1 4.7 0.8 0.0 1.7 1.8 19.8
Mikal Bridges 32.3 .490 .403 .837 1.4 4.1 5.5 2.2 1.6 1.2 1.3 2.0 16.5
Donte DiVincenzo 29.3 .483 .390 .699 1.2 3.3 4.5 3.0 1.3 0.2 2.0 2.3 14.0
Phil Booth 28.2 .490 .430 .764 0.4 2.9 3.3 3.2 1.2 0.3 1.3 1.8 11.6
Omari Spellman 27.7 .484 .440 .635 2.2 5.6 7.7 0.6 0.6 1.5 1.0 2.1 10.9
Eric Paschall 28.8 .518 .310 .852 1.6 3.0 4.5 2.3 1.0 0.8 1.8 2.3 10.0
Collin Gillespie 14.7 .483 .422 .667 0.1 1.1 1.2 1.3 0.4 0.1 0.4 1.6 4.6
Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree 12.9 .764 .600 1.0 1.7 2.7 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.5 1.8 3.6
Jermaine Samuels 7.6 .300 .231 .643 0.3 1.2 1.5 0.4 0.0 0.2 0.6 1.3 1.6
Matt Kennedy 1.4 1.000 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2
Tim Delaney 2.7 .000 .000 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.8 0.0
Denny Grace 1.4 .000 .000 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.3 0.0
Peyton Heck 1.4 .000 .000 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Tom Leibig 1.6 .000 .000 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 2/17/2018.

FOX SPORTS STREAM

Three keys

  • Paul Scruggs off the bench. Xavier gave up 18 points off of 15 turnovers at Villanova, and Paul Scruggs had 5 of those turnovers in 20 minutes of play. His confidence hit an absolute nadir that day, but it seems to have swung all the way back around of late. Nova doesn’t have a reserve guard who has the swaggering athleticism Paul does; his play could well be key for Xavier.
  • Home Tre advantage. Everyone loves playing at home (unless they just thrive on being hated, like JP does), but Tre especially has been a different guys under the lights at Cintas. His respectable 44.3% mark from deep on the year jumps to 49.6% at home, and he absolutely scalded Seton Hall last time out. If he comes out hitting from the word go again today, watch out.

Post presence. Villanova’s defense inside the arc remains solid, but they ride freshman big man Omari Spellman like Seattle Slew at center. He’s averaging 33 minutes a game in February because the Wildcats just don’t have anyone else; when he’s out, 6’7” Eric Paschall plays center. Foul trouble for Spellman would hamper Nova, but even beyond that, Xavier needs to make him work on the defensive end every time down. Post touches for Xavier’s bigs will open up options for the perimeter guys and should lead to heavy legs for Spellman in winning time.