Indiana basketball vs. Xavier: Three Musketeers to limit on Friday
No. 12 Indiana basketball takes on the Xavier Musketeers on Friday in the Gavitt Tipoff Games. It’s the first matchup between the two teams since 2007.
The Musketeers have started the season 3-0, with their most recent win coming against Fairfield on Tuesday, 78-65. Xavier had two players score 20+ points and four players scoring in double digits without Colby Jones.
Xavier is missing two of their top five scorers from a year ago (Paul Scruggs and Nate Johnson), but are returning plenty of players that can score the ball in Sean Miller’s first season in Cincinnati.
As of right now, the Musketeers have four players averaging 13.0 or more points per game and five players averaging double digits in scoring. Along with that, Sean Miller has a roster that knows how to pass the ball, with three players averaging at least 4.0 assists thus far.
Players not mentioned in the article that are worth noting are transfer senior guard, Souley Boum (#0), who recorded 23 points, four made threes, and five steals in his first game in a Xavier uniform, and senior guard, Adam Kunkel (#5), who scored 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting in Tuesday’s win.
Here are my three Xavier players that the Hoosiers need to limit to have a chance to pull off the tough road victory on Friday:
Three Musketeers to limit for No. 12 Indiana basketball
3. Colby Jones – Junior Guard – #3
2022-23 stats: 2 GP, 27.0 MIN, 13.5 PPG, 4.0 REB, 7.0 AST, 1.5 STL, 2.5 TOV
On Tuesday, Jones did not play against Fairfield due to an ankle injury and his status is questionable for the matchup against No. 12 Indiana on Friday in the Gavitt Tipoff Games. In the two prior games, Jones has combined for 27 points, 14 assists, three steals, three blocks, and 18 free throw attempts.
In his career, Jones has played against top-25 ranked opponents nine times and is averaging just 7.4 points on 33.9 percent shooting and 2.9 assists. The Musketeers are 3-6 (.333) against ranked opponents in games that Jones has played.
In his only game against a Big Ten opponent, Jones recorded seven points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks in 36 minutes played in a win against No. 19 Ohio State in November 2021.