Xavier vs. Georgetown: College basketball game preview, TV schedule

The Big East could very well get two teams on the top seed line in the NCAA tournament. Of course, that depends on not losing to teams you’re not supposed to.

TV schedule: Wednesday, February 21, 6:30 p.m. ET. Check Local Listings

Arena: Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

The latest edition of Bracketology has been released, and there’s  been a shakeup at the top of the seed lines. When it comes to the No. 1 seeds, Villanova, Kansas and Virginia aren’t surprises.

But it’s the edition of Xavier 24-4 (12-3), at the very top has been somewhat unexpected, as the Musketeers have just quietly climbed the ranks behind the Wildcats. Although the beatdown suffered at the hands of Jay Wright’s team over the weekend was anything but quiet. Still, the nine game win streak combined with Xavier’s overall resume did warrant a one seed to this point.

One of those wins came nearly three weeks ago against Georgetown 15-10 (5-9), in a 96-91 victory in overtime. Trevon Bluiett had a game-high 31 points, while Tyrique Jones chipped in with 15 points off the bench. On the Hoyas side, four players had at least 19 points, led by Jessie Govan’s 23 points. Marcus Derrickson had a big game as well, with 19 points and 15 rebounds.

Georgetown seems to have found the team’s stride as of late, winning their last two games – versus Seton Hall and Butler. Considering the expectations Patrick Ewing and his team had beforehand, this has been a successful run in the Big East.

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Xavier is in a great position come March, but the team’s chances at a deep run will depend on their ability to get defensive stops. In four of the last five games, the Musketeers have surrendered at least 90 points. That’s just not going to cut in against quality teams. This could be another tricky one, but Xavier should have the offense capable of sweeping Georgetown.

Prediction: Xavier 86 – Georgetown 80