Game Thread: Xavier v Butler (2/18/2025)

[paulxu]

VS.

CINCINNATI --- The Xavier University Musketeers, 16-10 overall and 8-7 in the BIG EAST Conference, host the Butler University Bulldogs, 12-13 overall and 5-9 in the BIG EAST, on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. at Cintas Center. Xavier has won two-straight games, while Butler is riding a three-game win streak.

Butler is the only BIG EAST team that Xavier has not yet played this season. XU visits Butler on March 5.

Xavier University graduate student Zach Freemantle has been named BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week, his third BIG EAST honor this season, after averaging 21.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in a pair of wins this past week. Freemantle had 23 points and nine rebounds at Providence on Feb. 15 and 19 points and nine rebounds vs. DePaul on Feb. 15. This is the first BIG EAST Player of the Week this season for Freemantle, who previously earned BIG EAST Honor Roll honors twice in December.

THE MATCHUP

XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (16-10, 8-7 BIG EAST)
BUTLER UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (12-13, 5-9 BIG EAST)
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2025 AT 8:00 PM ET
AT CINTAS CENTER IN CINCINNATI, OHIO

TV, RADIO AND LIVE STATS

TV/Stream: Peacock with play-by-play from Paul Burmeister and analysis from Austin Rivers.

Xavier Radio: 700 WLW-AM with play-by-play from Xavier Hall of Famer Joe Sunderman ('79) and analysis from XU all-time leading scorer and Hall of Famer Byron Larkin ('88). XU broadcast is also available on the Varsity Network and on Sirius XM.

Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com and fan stats at GoXavier.com.

[paulxu]

ACK

[Xavier]

See X has a 7’1 center from Germany coming to the game. He’s also being recruited by BYU and Villanova.

[GoMuskies]

See X has a 7’1 center from Germany coming to the game. He’s also being recruited by BYU and Villanova.

Well, if he's really good I don't think we can compete with BYU money. He has to decide whether freedom to engage in premarital sex trumps NIL.

[Xavier]

I don’t know anything about him. BYU does have the number one player (center) and a really good PF already committed. But enough $ can trump playing time, too.

Anyways, Butler is 12-13. But seemingly plays everyone close. It’s gonna be a battle all night I think.

[bleedXblue]

Well, if he's really good I don't think we can compete with BYU money. He has to decide whether freedom to engage in premarital sex trumps NIL.

they already are paying a guy 7mil for next year, so I dont know......

[GoMuskies]

they already are paying a guy 7mil for next year, so I dont know......

Probably a topic for another thread, but I think BYU is a special case where they have just a huge war chest for this sort of thing. BYU athletics being good and prominent is important not just for the school itself but for the LDS church as a whole. It's the definition of sportswashing, and the church is absolutely loaded and has a VERY wealthy alumni base. And I know lots of Mormons who went to BYU and with kids at BYU, and I really like all those guys and I'm all for it as a strategy. No issues from my perspective. But I just think it's the reality and will make them very difficult to recruit against in the NIL era if kids are willing to go to school there and be willing to deal with some of the limitations on personal freedom that go along with being a student there.

It's a bit like Liberty, except Liberty has far less money, and I'm not nearly as supportive.

[paulxu]

Now that we've agreed to what you are...we're just negotiating the price.

[XUMIOH12]

let's just not lose this game...

[Xville]

I don’t know anything about him. BYU does have the number one player (center) and a really good PF already committed. But enough $ can trump playing time, too.

Anyways, Butler is 12-13. But seemingly plays everyone close. It’s gonna be a battle all night I think.

I expect a battle at Hinkle. I really hope it's not a battle tonight. It shouldn't be. Butler sucks, but I know if X doesn't play defense like they are capable of, that it could be a battle. I'd rather just have a nice 15 point victory....we can all hope :)