Tyrique Jones has led Xavier in rebounding in each of the last eight games.
MBB Minute – The Stretch Drive Is On with a Three-Game Saturday
Twenty-three of the 90 conference games remain to be played. Saturday’s slate shows a FOX afternoon doubleheader and a night contest on FS1.
Providence hosts Marquette in the first game of the FOX twinbill at noon ET. The Friars and Golden Eagles tied for fourth place in the coaches’ preseason poll, an accurate prediction at the moment. Providence is in fourth place with an 8-6 league record, a half-game ahead of Marquette at 7-6. The Friars won the first meeting 81-80 in overtime on Jan. 7, despite Markus Howard’s 39-point performance for MU.
The second game on FOX has Xavier hosting Villanova at 2:30 p.m. The Musketeers (17-9, 6-7 BIG EAST) have won four of their last five games and beat St. John’s 77-74 at Madison Square Garden on Monday. Forward Tyrique Jones ranks first in rebounding in league play with a 12.5 average. The Wildcats (20-6, 9-4) have won three straight, including a 91-71 victory at DePaul on Wednesday. Villanova shot 69.2 percent from 3-point range, the best performance by a conference team in any game this season. Villanova won the first meeting between the teams 68-62 on Dec. 30.
Georgetown and DePaul meet at Wintrust Arena at 9 p.m. on FS1. The Hoyas (15-11, 5-8) have been hampered by the recent absence of starters Mac McClung and Omer Yurtseven. McClung missed four games before playing eight minutes in Tuesday’s loss to Providence. Yurtseven has missed the past two games. Guard Jahvon Blair has stepped up of late and had 20 points against the Friars. The Blue Demons (13-13, 1-12) want to end an eight-game losing skid.
Home teams are 37-30 (.552) in league games going into Saturday.