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How to watch, listen or stream
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU
Radio: 700 WLW AM
Live Stream: WatchESPN
The Stakes
A win and they’re in: Xavier and Clemson are both battling for the right to play in the Tire Pros Invitational Championship which is set to take place on Sunday evening.
The Musketeers and Tigers have met just once, per Sports-Reference.com’s play index. The meeting occurred during the 1999 NIT semifinals. Clemson got the better of Xavier on that day to the tune of a 79-76 victory.
What to watch for
Rebounding off a scare
The Musketeers faced a challenge they likely weren’t expecting to encounter with on Thursday as they were pushed to the limit by the lowly Missouri Tigers. The same Mizzou whose basketball team had lost 44 games total in the last two years before they entered this season. It wasn’t the most spirited of efforts for Xavier who will now hope that it was just a clunker as they face a tougher test on Friday. There’s still plenty of talent assorted on this team though, and it should shine through.
Jaron Blossomgame
The senior out of Alpharetta, Georgia is certainly worthy of his own column. Blossomgame is one of the most talented players in the country, and likely one you might not have on your radar. You probably should though as he will be the Tigers’ main source of offense for this upcoming encounter against Xavier. The Musketeers will have to do their damnedest to stop him, and while their Adj. Defensive Efficiency would give credence to the fact that they’ve played solid defensively, their marks as far as eFG%, 3-point FG% and 2-point FG% don’t give the same aspects. Blossomgame is plenty capable of taking a game over, and if he does on Friday, it could be curtains for the Musketeers.
More matchup issues down low?
Xavier doesn’t quite have the big bodies that it used to and they could run into some issues against Clemson because of that lack of presence. Sidy Djitte and Donte Grantham stand at 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-8 respectively and have been able to get to the rack with ease this season. Grantham especially as he has a 2-point FG% of 70 percent through Clemson’s first two games, while Djitte has made a gaudy 75 percent of his attempts as well. The Musketeers will have enough issues containing Blossomgame but they will have to make sure they key in on Clemson’s bigs as well.