Preview: Bearcats Travel to Norwood for the 89th Crosstown Shootout

Cincinnati leads the all-time series 51-37 but have dropped two in a row.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Dec 9, 2021 5:08 PM EST

CINCINNATI — The Crosstown Shootout is upon us as the Bearcats (7-2) try to shake a brutal trend at Xavier's (8-1) Cintas Center. Cincinnati has not won at the arena since 2001.

The two teams are meeting for the 89th time in a series that's been all Xavier of late. The Musketeers have won two straight against UC and seven of the last ten matchups. ESPN's matchup predictor gives the Musketeers an 81.2% chance to win. They rank 30th on KenPom.com, while the Bearcats sit at No. 70.

Xavier and Arkansas could end up being the two best teams Cincinnati faces this season, and Wes Miller isn't taking the Norwood squad lightly.

"There's a really good chance they're one of the top-10, -15 teams in college basketball at the end of the year," Miller said at his media availability on Wednesday. "They'll have a real opportunity to make a run in the NCAA tournament. We know that they're a great opponent. That doesn't mean we like them a whole lot over here. But I have a lot of respect for the type of team they are and how good of a team they are this year."

Travis Steele's squad is extremely well-balanced in 2021. The Musketeers rank 29th in KenPom's adjusted defense, and 41st in adjusted offense—attempting 33.4 two-point shots against 24.8 three-point attempts.

The Musketeers utilize a deep rotation like Cincinnati, with nine players averaging at least 15 minutes per game. Nate Jones (14.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG), Colby Jones (12.9 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 3.8 APG), and Jack Nunge (11 PPG, 6.7 RPG) lead the way for Xavier, but they can get explosions all over the roster.

Junior forward Zach Freemantle (9 PPG, 3.3 RPG) proved that on Wednesday in Xavier's 96-50 win over Ball State. The 6-foot-9 forward posted 24 points, seven rebounds, and two steals. Freemantle led the team in scoring and rebounding last year (16.1 PPG, 8.9 RPG).

He appears ready to pick up where he left off after missing the first six games of the season due to a foot injury. The junior is a masterful interior player on offense. He and Nunge (6-foot-11) will be the Bearcats' toughest tests inside since they slowed down Illinois big man Kofi Cockburn. The Bearcats' defense ranks eighth nationally in two-point shooting allowed (40%). Xavier is right behind them at No. 13 (41.3%).

The Musketeers communicate just as well as the Bearcats on defense, stifling passing lanes all season long. Xavier allows just 10 APG as a team (42nd nationally). They've also used that "no weak links" approach to put together great team efforts on the glass. Rebounds are pivotal in every game but even more so in this tense contest.

Both teams are outside the top-130 in field goal percentage, with Xavier ranked 134th (45.4%) and Cincinnati struggling at No. 263 (42.3%). There will be plenty of second-chance opportunities to be had; Cincinnati has to take advantage of those errant shots. Nunge and Freemantle won't be afraid of Cincinnati's length and size in the frontcourt.

Xavier is displaying great discipline on the defensive glass this season, ranking 23rd in that category (30 RPG). Jones (team-high 9.5 RPG) picked up the slack when Freemantle was out and is still keen on getting boards himself and immediately starting the offense through him or Paul Scruggs (team-high 3.8 APG).

Xavier's defense has done a great job on the glass, but they are merely average at creating turnovers (17.5% opp. turnover rate, 157th). Cincinnati needs to slow this game down with their veteran backcourt and find some semblance of a consistent outside shot.

The Musketeer's like to run (71.5 possessions/40 minutes, 116th) more than Cincinnati (68.1 poss./40 minutes, 261st), and both teams defend the three-point shot well. The Bearcats are one of the nation's best teams in that category, allowing opponents to hit 25.9% of their outside shots (15th nationally).

Meanwhile, Xavier slacked on that front to start the season but clamped down over the past three games. Central Michigan, Oklahoma State, and Ball State combined to shoot 22.7% on their deep attempts. The three-point shot is the great equalizer, and Cincinnati (29.2% from deep, 308th) could really use a hot performance in that facet at the Cintas Center.

Saturday's tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

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