Game Thread: Xavier v Butler (2/18/2025)

[paulxu]

https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/2a1f45a0-e1cc-4202-89d7-1b7b5c27f309_1.3c18d8e111cdcd7e8a271effb6000907.jp eg?odnHeight=612&odnWidth=612&odnBg=FFFFFFVS.https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/TeoAAOSw101fsFoH/s-l200.jpg

CINCINNATI --- The Xavier University Musketeers, 16-10 overall and 8-7 in the BIG EAST Conference, host the Butler University Bulldogs, 12-13 overall and 5-9 in the BIG EAST, on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. at Cintas Center. Xavier has won two-straight games, while Butler is riding a three-game win streak.

Butler is the only BIG EAST team that Xavier has not yet played this season. XU visits Butler on March 5.

Xavier University graduate student Zach Freemantle has been named BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week, his third BIG EAST honor this season, after averaging 21.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in a pair of wins this past week. Freemantle had 23 points and nine rebounds at Providence on Feb. 15 and 19 points and nine rebounds vs. DePaul on Feb. 15. This is the first BIG EAST Player of the Week this season for Freemantle, who previously earned BIG EAST Honor Roll honors twice in December.

THE MATCHUP

XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (16-10, 8-7 BIG EAST)
BUTLER UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (12-13, 5-9 BIG EAST)
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2025 AT 8:00 PM ET
AT CINTAS CENTER IN CINCINNATI, OHIO

TV, RADIO AND LIVE STATS

TV/Stream: Peacock with play-by-play from Paul Burmeister and analysis from Austin Rivers.

Xavier Radio: 700 WLW-AM with play-by-play from Xavier Hall of Famer Joe Sunderman ('79) and analysis from XU all-time leading scorer and Hall of Famer Byron Larkin ('88). XU broadcast is also available on the Varsity Network and on Sirius XM.

Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com (http://Statbroadcast.com) and fan stats at GoXavier.com (http://GoXavier.com).

[paulxu]

ACK

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[Xavier]

See X has a 7’1 center from Germany coming to the game. He’s also being recruited by BYU and Villanova.

[GoMuskies]

See X has a 7’1 center from Germany coming to the game. He’s also being recruited by BYU and Villanova.

Well, if he's really good I don't think we can compete with BYU money. He has to decide whether freedom to engage in premarital sex trumps NIL.

[Xavier]

I don’t know anything about him. BYU does have the number one player (center) and a really good PF already committed. But enough $ can trump playing time, too.

Anyways, Butler is 12-13. But seemingly plays everyone close. It’s gonna be a battle all night I think.

[bleedXblue]

Well, if he's really good I don't think we can compete with BYU money. He has to decide whether freedom to engage in premarital sex trumps NIL.

they already are paying a guy 7mil for next year, so I dont know......

[GoMuskies]

they already are paying a guy 7mil for next year, so I dont know......

Probably a topic for another thread, but I think BYU is a special case where they have just a huge war chest for this sort of thing. BYU athletics being good and prominent is important not just for the school itself but for the LDS church as a whole. It's the definition of sportswashing, and the church is absolutely loaded and has a VERY wealthy alumni base. And I know lots of Mormons who went to BYU and with kids at BYU, and I really like all those guys and I'm all for it as a strategy. No issues from my perspective. But I just think it's the reality and will make them very difficult to recruit against in the NIL era if kids are willing to go to school there and be willing to deal with some of the limitations on personal freedom that go along with being a student there.

It's a bit like Liberty, except Liberty has far less money, and I'm not nearly as supportive.

[paulxu]

Now that we've agreed to what you are...we're just negotiating the price.

[XUMIOH12]

let's just not lose this game...

[Xville]

I don’t know anything about him. BYU does have the number one player (center) and a really good PF already committed. But enough $ can trump playing time, too.

Anyways, Butler is 12-13. But seemingly plays everyone close. It’s gonna be a battle all night I think.

I expect a battle at Hinkle. I really hope it's not a battle tonight. It shouldn't be. Butler sucks, but I know if X doesn't play defense like they are capable of, that it could be a battle. I'd rather just have a nice 15 point victory....we can all hope :)

[Xavier]

I expect a battle at Hinkle. I really hope it's not a battle tonight. It shouldn't be. Butler sucks, but I know if X doesn't play defense like they are capable of, that it could be a battle. I'd rather just have a nice 15 point victory....we can all hope :)

It will be a good look at what X is made of and if they can really push to win last 5. If they come out aggressive like DePaul it’s a good sign.

Butler is 12-13, only 2 of its conference losses are by double digits. (Marquette by 10, and Providence smoked em). No one is running away with it against them so far. I expect a win. But I think it will be tight for 32-34 min. If I’m wrong it’s a good sign

[drudy23]

Win please.

[SkyWalker]

Win please.

This!

[HenryMuto]

This goes without saying but I will say it anyway.

If Xavier wants any chance to make the NCAA tournament this is a MUST WIN.

I think Xavier needs to win 4 out of the last 5 and that starts here.

[X-band '01]

There's no margin for error anymore. Butler is coming in on a winning streak themselves, so they're not going to completely roll over and play dead for this one.

[GoMuskies]

You guys all seem to be trying to talk me into Butler +6.5....but I WON'T do it!

[GoMuskies]

Just settled in to watch the game and remembered it's on Peacock tonight. Shit. I'm not subscribing to another service to watch this team play.

[Xville]

Just settled in to watch the game and remembered it's on Peacock tonight. Shit. I'm not subscribing to another service to watch this team play.

I’m not doing it either. I love x, but f all these platforms. Following along with box score won’t kill me. Being up 8 helps, keep that up lol

[Xville]

So does butler suck or are we playing that well?

[KabeX]

So does butler suck or are we playing that well?

Yes

[GoMuskies]

So does butler suck or are we playing that well?

Gotta be both.

[KabeX]

Yes

And it's just a shame for such as classy program ...

[Xville]

Let’s just hold a lead please and not give me heartburn in the 2nd half :)

[GoMuskies]

Love having 48 and no one in double digits.

[Xville]

Beat them by 40. No mercy

[bjf123]

Neither team got to the bonus in the first half. You know what that means! RefShow in the 2nd half. [emoji2357]


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[Three Point Pete]

Conwell is playing tough through contact and finishing in the paint.


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[xudash]

Let’s just hold a lead please and not give me heartburn in the 2nd half :)

My thought exactly. I really want to see these guys playing 40 minutes of basketball from here on out.

[KabeX]

My thought exactly. I really want to see these guys playing 40 minutes of basketball from here on out.

Yep, yep and yep.

[noteggs]

Some what a slow start in 2nd. Put the medal down!

[xukeith]

This McKnight I like. When he is fast and uses his quickness, he and others improve.

[bjf123]

Neither team got to the bonus in the first half. You know what that means! RefShow in the 2nd half. [emoji2357]


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Called it. [emoji2357]


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[noteggs]

Shoot them out of the zone! We got conwell and Maddox in!

[Three Point Pete]

Shoot them out of the zone! We got conwell and Maddox in!8/24 from downtown

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[noteggs]

With this team, never seems like a big is enough. Especially watching live

[Xville]

I asked for a nice comfortable 15 point win. Close enough lol.

On to the next…. 4 more

[Section 200]

Xavier wins! Great first half, nice to start that strong. Kudos to Quincy for taking a ton of selfies - great guy

[Three Point Pete]

Amazing only 3 turnovers with 12 assists, until the final few minutes

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[Section 200]

Any idea why we had a new announcer tonight? Odd not hearing “3 point field goal, 3 point field goal”

[X-band '01]

If Xavier turns over Butler like they did tonight in Indy, they'll finally get their first win at Hinkle in what feels like 10 years.

[XUGRAD80]

I’ve a feeling that X is going to see a lot more zone against them when they next play Butler.

[murray87]

Not a thing of beauty but a comfortable win. Was great seeing Quincy and Stanley Burrell in the house.

[bleedXblue]

I’ve a feeling that X is going to see a lot more zone against them when they next play Butler.

Yeah and would expect that the next time around we handle it better. I dont think weve seen any zone this year so its always an adjustment.

[Smails]

Yeah and would expect that the next time around we handle it better. I dont think weve seen any zone this year so its always an adjustment.

Swain was getting a wide open 8-10 foot look against the zone but was reluctant to shoot it. I wonder if he was caught off guard with being in that situation. I imagine he'll work on that range leading up to the next Butler game because it was there all the time.

[Xavier]

Yeah I thought we got good looks out of it. I wouldn’t worry much about the zone from butler. I know saying it now will bite me when we play at butler but hard to believe they have had the best offense in Big East play, at least that’s what the broadcast was saying.

[paulxu]

....and Stanley Burrell in the house.

If he hasn't graduate yet, get him a jersey.

[Xville]

Yeah I thought we got good looks out of it. I wouldn’t worry much about the zone from butler. I know saying it now will bite me when we play at butler but hard to believe they have had the best offense in Big East play, at least that’s what the broadcast was saying.

I always worry about the game at butler. I know it’s silly to say but I literally think they (fans mostly) act like it’s their Super Bowl every year and just pack the house. They see us as a rival, which I don’t at all but whatever.

[murray87]

I always worry about the game at butler. I know it’s silly to say but I literally think they (fans mostly) act like it’s their Super Bowl every year and just pack the house. They see us as a rival, which I don’t at all but whatever.

Butler has become the equivalent of Dayton from the A-10 days.

[muskiefan82]

Butler has become the equivalent of Dayton from the A-10 days.

Yes. This is correct.

[Xavier]

I actually did consider Dayton a rival. Not UC rival but a big conference one I looked forward to. Butler isn’t even that.

[Three Point Pete]

Yeah and would expect that the next time around we handle it better. I dont think weve seen any zone this year so its always an adjustment.Zone does not bother me. X shot 42% and 8/25 from 3pt. range. The good shots just missed. The numbers will even out.
Byron had a good observation about the zone: when getting the ball inside the foul line, the player must shoot immediately without hesitation. Need a quick trigger sometimes.

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[muskieindent]

This McKnight I like. When he is fast and uses his quickness, he and others improve.

I bet he was licking his chops when he saw that Bizjack guarding him. Butler is a horrible defensive team but the zone did slow X down.Granted we were missing a lot of easy close in shots.The return game at Hinkle will be a tough one. Butler has some guys who can score.

[xudash]

I always worry about the game at butler. I know it’s silly to say but I literally think they (fans mostly) act like it’s their Super Bowl every year and just pack the house. They see us as a rival, which I don’t at all but whatever.

I was thinking the exact same thing. I actually checked on the Indy Star's coverage of the game and there it was - the writer referred to us as their rival.

It's just like MURRAY87 noted about Butler taking VD's place.

LB II.

[muskiefan82]

I actually did consider Dayton a rival. Not UC rival but a big conference one I looked forward to. Butler isn’t even that.

I do not think of Butler as a rival. I simply dislike them on the same level now that I dislike Dayton.

[bjf123]

If he hasn't graduate yet, get him a jersey.

And be sure to let Phil Martelli know.


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