Butler (7-12, 6-10) vs. Xavier (11-4, 4-4)
Cintas Center, Cincinnati; Sunday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Xavier goes for the season sweep over Butler after winning the previous matchup in Indianapolis. The teams last played on Jan. 30, when the Musketeers outshot Butler 51 percent to 34.3 percent and hit five more 3-pointers en route to a 13-point victory.
VETERAN PRESENCE: Senior leadership could play a big role in the outcome of this game. Zach Freemantle, Paul Scruggs, Nate Johnson and Jason Carter have combined to account for 63 percent of Xavier’s scoring this season. For Butler, Bryce Nze, Jair Bolden, Chuck Harris and Aaron Thompson have collectively accounted for 62 percent of all Butler scoring.
KEY FACILITATOR: Scruggs has either made or assisted on 47 percent of all Xavier field goals over the last three games. The senior guard has 17 field goals and 21 assists in those games.
WINLESS WHEN: Butler is 0-8 when scoring fewer than 60 points and 7-4 when scoring at least 60.
PERFECT WHEN: Xavier is a perfect 7-0 when the team records nine or more steals. The Musketeers are 4-4 when they steal the ball fewer than nine times.
DID YOU KNOW: Xavier is rated second in the Big East with an average of 71.4 possessions per game.
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