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No. 11 Xavier Musketeers (17-3, 5-2) vs. No. 19 Seton Hall Pirates (15-4, 4-2)
WHERE: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
WHEN: 2:30 p.m.
TV: FOX (Joe Davis, Len Elmore, Lisa Byington)
LINE: SHU -3
ALL-TIME: Pirates lead 10-6
Another tough matchup for the Seton Hall Pirates, however this time it will be from the friendly confines of the Prudential Center, a building the Pirates have yet to lose in this season.
Xavier has never had luck in Newark, as they have never won a game in the building.
In a conference that has proven to be tough to win road games in, this is a tough test for Xavier. They may have the higher number next to their name, but Seton Hall should come in fired up coming off a tough loss and playing in front of a sold out crowd.
Desi Rodriguez will be back in this game, according to Head Coach Kevin Willard. The team’s leading scorer sat for all but six minutes in Wednesday’s 80-63 loss at Creighton.
The obvious man to look out for on Xavier is Trevon Bluiett, who is averaging 18.6 PPG in conference play so far. Both Bluiett and J.P. Macura have shot 41 percent in Big East play so far, and will need to be guarded tightly in this one.
What Xavier brings to the table is superior length on their roster, with only two rotation players standing less and 6’5”.
The key for Seton Hall is getting the starting five back on track. Only one player (Myles Powell) eclipsed double digits in points on Wednesday, and both Angel Delgado and Khadeeen Carrington totaled four points. These three are who drive the truck for Seton Hall, and if they play to their best, the team follows suit.
Expect a close one that could go down to the wire, but with an angry and fired up Seton Hall team coming back home to a raucous crowd, they may have the edge they need to get back on track.