Xavier vs Cincinnati: 2024-25 College basketball game preview, TV schedule

Cincinnati hosts Xavier in the latest matchup between these two bitter rivals; can the Musketeers get a fantastic road victory or will the Bearcats continue a hot start to their season?

TV schedule: Saturday, December 14, 2:00 pm ET. ESPN+

Arena: Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio

The first few weeks of the season for Xavier (8-2) were quite prosperous, though the Musketeers have taken a slight step back in recent weeks. They looked great at home against weaker competition, albeit with wins over South Carolina and Wake Forest but lost by 25 points to Michigan right before Thanksgiving and haven’t looked the part of a Big East contender since then.

One thing that’s definitely gone right is the return of senior forward Zach Freemantle (16.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg), the team’s leading scorer and rebounder who missed all of last season with injury. After great work last year at Indiana State, Ryan Conwell (16.4 ppg, 2.5 apg) fits nicely with the Musketeers, and the junior is a prominent scoring weapon in this backcourt. Also, keep an eye on  (11.1 ppg, 4.3 apg), the talented point guard in his second year with Xavier, who can affect the game in a myriad of ways.

Though they were ranked during that unbeaten start to the season, Xavier is far from the national rankings, sitting just 61st in KenPom and 75th in the NET. They’ve had their fair share of standout efforts to begin this season, especially on offense, though much of that success has come against mid-majors. This team shot the cover off the ball in several wins, scoring 119 against Morgan State this week, but only put up 53 in that drubbing by Michigan.

It’s something of a similar story for Cincinnati (7-1), though the Bearcats remain in the national rankings despite recently rocky results. This program has been extremely underwhelming over the last five seasons but this looks like the team that gets them back into prominence, or at least postseason success. However, the Bearcats failed their first test last week at Villanova and don’t really have any amazing wins on their resume.

Among the talent on Wes Miller’s roster, the leading scorer is Simas Lukosius (16.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.6 apg), a senior guard from Lithuania who does a bit of everything in leading the charge for these Bearcats. A popular rising name is sophomore Jizzle James (13.6 ppg, 5.1 apg), a backcourt phenom who’s continuing to build on last year’s rookie success. The biggest offseason addition was likely Dillon Mitchell (11.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg), the former Texas forward establishing himself again as a prominent weapon in the Big 12.

That loss to Villanova saw Cincinnati’s ranking drop to #22 in the AP Top 25, though they still come in at 17th in KenPom. They’re just 30th in the NET likely as a result of their weak schedule to open the season, though the Bearcats do have a pair of road wins already. This team doesn’t really blow you away in any regard, though they’ve yet to allow more than 68 points in a game and have the ability to be one of the Big 12’s best defenses this season.

A bitter rivalry returns to action with both teams likely vying for the NCAA Tournament three months from now. The Musketeers look rather different than they have in past seasons but they have the firepower to win games in the Big East and this is a great chance to make a statement. However, Cincinnati’s defense is no slouch and it’s going to require an efficient performance from Freemantle and Xavier’s outside shooters.

With the way these teams are playing right now, both certainly need a great performance in this game. Cincinnati has the edge because they’re at home, but they also have a more talented roster. We’re expecting the Musketeers to give them a significant challenge, though a low scoring game will lean towards the Bearcats. However, it’s important to remember that anything can happen in rivalry games, and Xavier's hot-shooting night might be all it takes.

Prediction: Cincinnati 70, Xavier 64