By Oliver Thomas, Staff Writer

The Xavier men’s basketball team will attempt to win against crosstown foe, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, on Dec. 17 for the sixth year in a row.  

The Crosstown Shootout is a highly-anticipated game for Musketeer fans, but what does the team need to do to secure that sixth straight win against the Bearcats?

1. The bench needs to step up

Before the season, one of the strengths of this year’s Xavier team was their depth. Players like John Hugley, Dante Maddox, Trey Green and Jerome Hunter were all expected to come off the bench and give quality minutes, allowing Xavier to run a nine-man rotation. 

Through the first eight games, the bench has struggled both offensively and defensively. Coach Sean Miller spoke on the importance of the bench players finding their role as they have struggled through the games so far. Going up against a team as deep as the Bearcats, the Musketeers will need to match the depth that UC has. It will take a strong defensive performance from the subs because Cincinnati is ranked No. 25 in the nation in offensive efficiency according to Kenpom, with four players averaging double digits. 

The Bearcats offense is led by senior guard Simas Lukosius and junior forward Dillion Mitchell, both of whom are have big statured and athletic players. Xavier will need to utilize their bigs on the bench in order to stop Lukosius and Mitchell. The bench will need to have a great day defensively and find a way to slow down Cincinnati’s strong offensive attack.

2. A massive improvement in three-point defense

Three-point defense has been one of the main weaknesses of this year’s squad. With opponents averaging just under 40% from beyond the arc against the Musketeers, it will be vital that Xavier can force Cincinnati to shoot at a lower rate. The Bearcats are an elite shooting team, shooting 41% from three. 

The main shooting threat is Lukosius, who is shooting 58% from three. It will likely be sophomore guard Dailyn Swain’s job to match up with the 6’8” senior as Xavier looks for a strong defensive performance from the sophomore. Tyler Betsey, Jizzle James and Connor Hickman are also strong shooters. 

3. Speed the game up

The two rivals have a massive gap in their respective tempos, something Xavier will have the opportunity to expose. Cincinnati plays at a very slow tempo, averaging 66 possessions per 40 minutes, which puts them at 269th in the nation. The Musketeers rank 100th in the nation with about four more possessions compared to the Bearcats, so Xavier has a great opportunity to challenge Cincinnati at a speed they are not used to. 

This will come down, once again, to a strong performance from the bench, giving starters a break and allowing everyone to play at a fast speed.

4. Take the crowd out of the game

Without a doubt, Xavier will be facing one of the most intimidating environments they’ll see all year. Not only is there a lot of hype around UC basketball because of their success so far this year, but Cincinnati is looking to take away the streak from the Musketeers. 

It’s safe to say Fifth Third Arena is going to be loud and hostile to open the game as they look for their first win in the Shootout since 2018. In tough road environments, it becomes even more important to not fall behind early and give the home team even more momentum. It will be key for Xavier to get off to a strong start and stay consistent throughout the game in order to silence the Bearcat faithful.