Preview: Georgetown at No. 6 Xavier

Game 22: Georgetown Hoyas (13-8, 3-7) at No. 6 Xavier Musketeers (20-3, 8-2)

When & Where: Saturday 6pm, Cintas Center

Series: Xavier leads 11-4

Last Meeting: Jan 22, 2017 - Xavier 86, Georgetown 75

TV: CBS Sports Network (Rich Waltz, Jordan Cornette, Tina Cervasio)

KenPom: Xavier 86, Georgetown 71, 91 percent

Line: Xavier -14.5, o/u 155.5

The Georgetown Hoyas - who are back in action after a full week off - are looking to avoid a season long three game losing streak when they face No. 6 Xavier on Saturday.

The game in Cincinnati marks the middle game of a season long three game roadtrip for the Hoyas who are currently 3-3 away from Capital One Arena this season. The trip will conclude at Providence on Tuesday.

Last time out Georgetown dropped an 85-77 decision at Creighton despite a career high 21 points from Jahvon Blair. The Canada native knocked down five 3-pointers while Marcus Derrickson added 17 points and five rebounds for the Hoyas. Jamorko Pickett followed up his career high 19 point game against DePaul with a nine point, six rebound performance as Georgetown cut their 13-point halftime deficit twice down to a single point before ultimately falling in Omaha to the Bluejays.

Leading scorer Jessie Govan has just a combined 12 points on 4 for 15 shooting in the last two games for the Hoyas - both losses. The junior - who averages 16.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game - had scored in double figures in 18 of Georgetown’s first 19 contests. Govan last hauled in double figure rebounds back on Jan 9 at St. John’s when he grabbed 13.

As seen on this site, Coach Patrick Ewing spent much of the past week recruiting out on the West Coast as he looks to rebuild the program.

Scouting Xavier: Last time out the Musketeers completed the season sweep at St. John’s although both games were tight down the stretch. Xavier returns home to the Cintas Center where it is a perfect 14-0 this season including five wins against BIG EAST foes.

Chris Mack’s team is led by three seniors scoring in double figures. Trevon Bluiett leads the Musketeers at 18.7 points per game while JP Macura adds 13 points per game. Green Bay transfer Kerem Kanter chips in with 10.2 points per game. Five other players average between 7 and 9 points per game for a balance Xavier team that has won five straight since a 24-point loss at Villanova.

Xavier is first in the BIG EAST in rebounding, with Bluiett leading the way with 5.7 per contest. The Musketeers are second in assists and steals. Sophomore Quentin Goodin leads Xavier with over five assists per game while coming in second on the team- behind only Macura - with one steal per game.

By the Numbers: Georgetown last beat a Top 10 team - on the road or otherwise - a little over two years ago on Jan 19, 2016 at then-No. 8 Xavier. It stands as Georgetown’s lone win on the road against the Musketeers. The Hoyas are 6-11 all-time against teams ranked No. 6 with the last win coming in the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament against second seeded Ohio State in Dayton.

After today, Georgetown only has two more games against schools currently ranked. The Hoyas are 0-2 against Top 25 teams this season with those losses coming against Villanova and Seton Hall. The last time Georgetown failed to beat at least one ranked foe was during the 2003-04 season under Craig Esherick when they went 0-3.

Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Georgetown is 9-3 against St. John’s and DePaul in regular season league play and 6-28 against the rest of the BIG EAST. As mentioned above, one of those six wins did, however, come in Cincinnati.

Prediction: No. 6 Xavier 92, Georgetown 77