Part of Xavier’s strong finish in non-conference play was its ability to respond to adversity. In November, after back-to-back 19-point losses, Xavier returned home and delivered its “best performance” of the short season in a blowout of Old Dominion.
Following a gut-wrenching, last-second loss to Georgia in the Charleston Classic, Xavier returned to TD Arena two days later and began a five-game winning streak with an impressive 78-68 victory over West Virginia.
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That defined Xavier’s 8-3 non-conference record. How it responds to a historical 98-57 loss to Creighton at Cintas Center in the Big East opener Dec. 17 will define the rest of the season.
More: ‘It’s gonna get real now.’ Keys for Xavier success in Big East play
More: Takeaways from Xavier’s blowout loss to Creighton in Big East opener
Xavier opened conference action with a new outlook on the season. Forty minutes later, Xavier walked out of a near-empty home arena with a humbling 41-point loss.
“We’re gonna have to swallow our pride tomorrow and watch the film,” Xavier head coach Richard Pitino said. “There’s nothing we can do about it but learn from it and get back to work.”
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Thankfully, the Big East calendar permits one chance to get right before the Christmas break. It comes on the road Saturday, Dec. 20 when Xavier visits Georgetown.
Xavier head coach Richard Pitino after 98-57 loss to Creighton to open Big East play: “We were as bad as we’ve been all year.”
Tip: 8:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 20, at Capital One Arena (20,356)
TV/Radio: FS1/700 WLW
Ratings: Xavier is No. 103 in KenPom and Georgetown is No. 93. Xavier dropped to No. 137 in the NCAA NET Rankings and Georgetown is No. 111.
History: Xavier leads the all-time series 22-7 with each team winning at home last season. Xavier is 7-3 at Capital One Arena.
Ed Cooley is in his third season as Georgetown’s head basketball coach after a 12-year run at Providence. He is 11-13 all-time against Xavier.
Record: 8-3 (1-0 Big East)
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Head coach: Ed Cooley (35-42 at Georgetown, third season)
Offense: 78.2 ppg
Defense: 73.6 ppg
Overview: Georgetown enjoyed a nine-win improvement last year in the second season of the Ed Cooley era, finishing 18-16 with a trip to the College Basketball Crown tournament.
Georgetown turned heads in the preseason after a 14-point exhibition road win over Kentucky at Rupp Arena before a 5-0 start that included wins over Maryland and Clemson.
Georgetown big man Vince Iwuchukwu needed an undisclosed medical procedure in mid-November after averaging 11.8 points over the first five games. Since he went down, Georgetown is 3-3 but opened Big East play with a 78-69 road win over Marquette at Fiserv Forum Dec. 17.
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Georgetown still has guard Malik Mack running the show. The former Ivy League Rookie of the Year at Harvard averaged 12.9 points for the Hoyas last season that included a 26-point outing against Xavier in D.C.
Georgetown guard Malik Mack had 26 points in a 69-63 win over Xavier at Capital One Arena on Jan. 3, 2025.
Projected lineup
(Pos., Height, Stats)
Malik Mack (G, 6’2″, 14.6 ppg)
Jeremiah Williams (G, 6’4″, 5 ppg)
Isaiah Abraham (F, 6’7″, 5.5 ppg)
Caleb Williams (F, 6’7″, 11.7 ppg)
Julius Halaifonua (C, 7’0″, 11.3 ppg)
Xavier Musketeers scouting report
Record: 8-4 (0-1 Big East)
Head coach: Richard Pitino (8-4 at Xavier, first season)
Offense: 76.6 ppg
Defense: 73.7 ppg
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Projected lineup
(Pos., Height, Stats)
All Wright (G, 6’3″, 10.2 ppg)
Malik Messina-Moore (G, 6’5″, 7.4 ppg)
Tre Carroll (F, 6’8″, 16.1 ppg)
Filip Borovicanin (F, 6’9″, 8.6 ppg)
Jovan Milicevic (F, 6’10”, 11.8 ppg)
Xavier center Jovan Milicevic (24) was held scoreless in the Musketeers’ loss to Creighton in the Big East opener.
Players to watch
Jovan Milicevic
Milicevic’s first Big East game was one to forget. One of the main anchors of Xavier’s 6-1 stretch, Milicevic was held scoreless over 18 minutes against Creighton, finishing 0-for-8 from the field with two rebounds.
Milicevic had scored in double figures in seven of the previous eight games. Xavier will need his shooting if it wants to compete in the Big East.
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Malik Messina-Moore
Messina-Moore was just 4-of-24 from 3-point range over the last nine games before connecting twice from the perimeter early against Creighton. It was perhaps the only bright spot of the Creighton loss as Messina-Moore finished in double figures (14 points) for the first time since a Nov. 6 win over Le Moyne.
Messina-Moore was a 40.9% 3-point shooter last season at Montana. Xavier needs him to be aggressive while continuing to assist (4.1 per game) and rebound (3.2).
Georgetown center Julius Halaifonua (11) is coming off back-to-back 20-point games.
Julius Halaifonua
Less than two years ago, the X-Treme Fans in the Cintas Center student section were waiving the New Zealand flag with Halaifonua on a visit to Xavier for a game against Creighton.
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Halaifonua eventually committed to Georgetown. His freshman season was cut short (six games) due to a fractured left ankle, but the 7-footer is now starting for the Hoyas and averaging 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per night.
He’s scored 20-plus points in back-to-back games, including a 21-point performance in Wednesday’s win over Marquette.
Keys to a Xavier victory over Georgetown
Xavier can’t afford to beat itself
There were plenty of concerning stats for Xavier to throw around after the loss to Creighton. One of the more uncharacteristic box-score figures was Xavier’s 14 turnovers, which led to 16 Creighton points.
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Xavier was ranked No. 1 in the nation in turnover percentage. They have since dropped to No. 5 and the No. 1 spot now belongs to Georgetown. Xavier struggles in other areas (1-on-1 scoring, defending the rim, on-ball defense). It can’t survive lapses in ball security.
Guard Roddie Anderson III (0) is Xavier’s leading scorer off the bench at 12.6 points per game.
Can Xavier keep Georgetown away from the rim?
There are plenty of things to fix from a defensive perspective after Xavier gave up a Cintas Center record 98 points to Creighton, which shot 60.3% overall.
Xavier’s small lineup has been punished defensively in the paint this season, but the Musketeers were better defending the perimeter until Creighton came to town and buried 16 3-pointers.
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Unlike Creighton, Georgetown doesn’t want to settle for the 3-point shot. Only 35% of the Hoyas’ field-goal attempts are from 3-point range (No. 274). Xavier’s defense is tasked with bringing more physicality down low and forcing Georgetown to attack from downtown, where they’re shooting just 28.8% this season.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Scouting report, keys to victory for Xavier vs. Georgetown on the road
