Xavier Can Edge Butler In Big East Tournament

Xavier vs. Butler, 4:00 ET

College hoops saw us only go 1-1 yesterday as I was able to get the win with ease on Boston College taking down Miami. On the other side was Cincinnati who took care of winning the game, but they couldn't close the door completely and the cover didn't happen. Cincinnati was clearly the better team, but the competition was a bit better than I expected. Either way, the day wasn't a complete loss and sometimes that's just as important. Today, we will focus on an afternoon game with Xavier taking on Butler in a Big East Conference Tournament game. 

Some years the only time I think about Xavier is when they start to win a couple of March games. This year probably will not see that outcome as the team has struggled most of this season, never getting more than three games above .500 on the season. They ended the year with a 15-16 record overall, and just 9-11 in the conference. They were somewhat streaky this year, very rarely winning or losing just one game in a row. When conference play started, they were 6-5 with two of their losses coming against ranked opponents. Within the conference, they were able to tread water until about February. Since that month started, they are just 4-6. They were able to beat a decent Villanova team at home and blow out DePaul. The other wins were on the road against Georgetown and DePaul once again. Xavier is very guard heavy with all three of their double-digit per game scorers being guards. Their best player, Quincy Olivari, is averaging almost 20 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, and two assists in each game. His shooting percentages are what really stand out. It wouldn't be that surprising to see him carry Xavier to victory. He might be the best player in this game and with such a close spread, it is possible that he makes the difference tonight. 

The Butler Bulldogs huddle on the court during a game with the New Orleans Privateers at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

In order to stop Olivari from taking over and advancing, the Butler Bulldogs need to key in on him. This hasn't been the best season for Butler either, with them ending with an 18-13 record. They matched Xavier's conference record at 9-11 this season, so it isn't like they lit the Big East on fire either. They also went 4-6 in their last ten games, including a five-game losing streak. During that losing streak there was only one game where they kept the game within 10 points. Their four wins in that stretch came against DePaul, Providence, Creighton, and tonight's opponent Xavier. They were able to win that game by six points. It was fairly surprising that they were able to win that game because they had a lower 3-point shooting percentage and almost ten fewer rebounds than Xavier. Perhaps the difference was that Butler was able to have a few less turnovers in the game. They allowed 43 points to the three guards on Xavier, but their quartet of guards were able to put up 59 points. The first time the two squads played Butler only shot 35% from the floor. They were outrebounded and had fewer turnovers as in this game as well. In this one Xavier's trio put up 61 points, while Butler's four guards put in 55 points. 

To me, the first two games between these two show that the guards are going to cancel each other out so we need to rely on the other role players. I think we can once again expect Xavier to outrebound Butler, and Butler to have fewer turnovers. As the lights get bright in Madison Square Garden, which team is likely to have their bench or other starter step up in the game? In my opinion, it will be Xavier. I think this team is more likely to have the crowd behind them as well. I'm going to take Xavier on the moneyline at -125. 

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