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Game 18 - Georgetown (8-9) @ Xavier (9-8)
Nuts & Bolts
Date: January 19, 2024
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Cintas Center - Cincinnati, OH
How to Watch: FS1
Matchup History: Xavier leads all-time series 19-6
Last Meeting: Xavier def. Georgetown 95-82 on 1/21/23
Betting Lines: Via DraftKings
Spread: Georgetown +12.5
Over/Under: 149.5
Prediction: Georgetown 71, Xavier 79
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Head Coach: Ed Cooley (1st season, 8-9 record at Georgetown)
Record: 8-9 (1-5, 10th in Big East)
Last Time Out: Lost @ #4 UConn 80-67 on 1/14/24
Player to Watch: Jayden Epps
Georgetown basketball has won just 3 of its last 46 Big East Conference games entering Friday night’s contest on the road against Xavier.
The Hoyas most recent disappointment came on Sunday afternoon on the road against #4 UConn, which is now ranked as the #1 team in the country.
A tall task to begin with, Georgetown played well in a game they were outmatched across the floor, led by Supreme Cook, who had his best game as a Hoya, finishing with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Jayden Epps, who is 2nd in the Big East in scoring, finished with 16 points, but was 5-19 from the field, including 0/5 from three.
It’ll be another tall task for Ed Cooley’s team on the road once again. Xavier has a wonderful home court advantage and has become a different team since conference play began.
With the losing streak now up to two games, including five of the last six, can this Georgetown team be different from past years and win a game it’s not supposed to?
Head Coach: Sean Miller (2nd season, 36-18 record at Xavier - 2nd stint)
Record: 9-8 (3-3, 7th in Big East)
Last Time Out: Won vs. Butler 85-71 on 1/16/24
Player to Watch: Quincy Olivari
The Xavier Musketeers were a 27 win team a season ago and earned a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament before being bounced in the Sweet 16.
This year’s team does not have the same talent and depth as last years, but Sean Miller’s team has proved to be a pesky Big East opponent after a shaky first month or so of the season.
In the non-conference slate, Xavier played #2 Purdue tough but lost on the road, defeated St. Mary’s and Cincinnati, but also lost at home to Oakland and Delaware.
In conference play, Xavier is 3-3, including back-to-back wins entering Friday’s game against Georgetown, first winning on the road against Providence by 20 and following it up with a 14 point home win over Butler.
This comes after beating the top team in the Big East, Seton Hall, by 20, and losing by 1 at Villanova and by 5 vs. UConn.
The Big East is one of the toughest in the country, and Xavier is a much different team across the roster than it was last year. And yet, the Musketeers are hanging tough in the opening month of the conference slate.
Don’t be surprised if this team makes more noise as the season goes on and surprises by making the NCAA Tournament.