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- Tipoff: 7 p.m. ET
- Television: ESPN2
- Announcing crew: Adam Amin (play-by-play), Len Elmore (analyst) and Seth Greenberg (sideline reporter)
- Radio: 700 WLW
- Announcing crew: Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Chuck Machock (analyst)
- Series history: Did you know these teams have played before? This will be the 84th matchup between Cincinnati and Xavier, with UC holding a 49-34 edge in the series. However, Xavier has won the last three and seven of the last nine. UC’s last win was a 60-45 victory during the 2012-13 season.
No buildup is needed for this one. Its the biggest game on the schedule for both teams. Its the effin’ Crosstown Shootout. This year’s version will pit the No. 19 and streaking Cincinnati Bearcats versus the No. 24 Xavier Musketeers at Fifth Third Arena.
With a 10-game winning streak in their back pocket, the Bearcats will be protecting their 11-0 home record and 17-2 overall mark. They will also be trying to beat Xavier for the first time during the tenure of Troy Caupain, Kevin Johnson and Zack Tobler. If the Bearcats can grab a win, they will set a record for the longest homecourt winning streak in the Mick Cronin era. They tied the previous record at 19 with an 81-74 win against Temple last Wednesday.
Xavier scooped up an 86-75 win over Georgetown to halt a three-game losing streak last time out. Now, before you get all excited that the X is crumbling, remember those three losses came against Villanova, Butler and Creighton, all mainstays in the AP Top 25 this season. Still, Xavier has fallen quite a bit from its preseason ranking of No. 7. Here’s hoping UC can drive them down even further.
So there’s where the two teams stand. Now we just have to wait for tip-off.
While you wait, we’ve got plenty of Crosstown Shootout coverage to keep you satiated.