Xavier v. Creighton: Preview, matchups, keys to the game

This isn’t the first time these teams have met this season. Yes, that nightmare you had back at the start of Big East play was real. Xavier lost that one by 41 in a game that wasn’t as close as the scoreboard indicated.

Since then, the teams have had results that aren’t in keeping with what they thought they’d be this season. Creighton is now a disappointing 5-3 in Big East play. They just lost to Providence, a result that kept Kim English hanging on to a job and threw off what the Jays had built by beating Villanova.

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Xavier, on the other hand, lost three straight then rode a supportive home crowd to wins over Butler and that same Providence team. The Musketeers are 3-4 in the Big East but almost unquestionably happier with their recent results. That’s what happens when expectations start differently.

Team Fingerprint

This Creighton team is just the same one you are used to, but the Diet version. They still shoot well, shoot a ton of threes, and play semi-quickly on offense. They just don’t do any of those things as well as they have for Coach McDermott’s better teams. Except, you know, that one time.

On defense it’s a focus on limiting three point attempts that sets this team apart. They are top 10 nationally in denying the arc. They get in serious trouble when team shoot more than 35% of their attempts from deep. They don’t send teams to the line much, because they don’t try to block shots. They don’t force a ton of turnovers either. It’s play solid defense, challenge shots, and rebound.

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Players

 

Starting matchups

 

Austin Swartz

Point Guard

Roddie Anderson III

Sophomore

Class

Senior

6’4″, 205

Measurements

6’3″, 195

11.3/2.8/1.5

Game line

12.8/3.2/2.7

45/38.9/60

Shooting line

37.7/28/77.3

 

Swartz got off to a slow start this season, but has been blistering hot since Big East play started, currently sitting 5th in the league at 17.3 points per game and sporting a gaudy 61.1 EFG% in that time. His free throw percentage is shockingly…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/xavier-v-creighton-preview-matchups-230609010.html

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Publish date : 2026-01-21 23:06:00

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