Xavier @ Wake Forest preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 17, 2016 ) Wake Forest 65, Xavier 69

Xavier takes aim at extending a three-game winning streak and Wake Forest looks to end a three-game skid Saturday in a non-conference matchup in Winston-Salem, N.C. The teams are playing for the seventh time as part of the Skip Prosser Classic, named in honor of the late coach who guided both programs during his career.

In the six previous meetings, Xavier has won four including the last three, and based on this season's early season results should continue to have its way in a series that started during the 2009-10 season. The Musketeers return to action after a one-week break from games for fall semester final exams. Xavier's last outing resulted in a confidence-building 73-66 victory over arch-rival Cincinnati in the annual Crosstown Shootout. Wake Forest had won three in a row before dropping consecutive road games to Arizona and Penn State, and at home against North Carolina State.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, ACC Network

ABOUT XAVIER (9-1): Saturday's game will be Xavier's first this season in another team's home arena and one of two remaining non-conference road contests (Dec. 22 at TCU) before beginning Big East play Dec. 30 at No. 20 Villanova. Junior forward Naji Marshall is driving the Xavier bus on the court, leading the team in scoring this season at 17 points per game after averaging 27.5 points, six rebounds and 2.5 steals in the last two games. Coach Travis Steele used senior forward Tyrique Jones (13.8 points, 9.4 rebounds) and freshman forward Zach Freemantle (seven points, four rebounds) together against Cincinnati and hopes to continue to put the two big men on the court at the same time.

ABOUT WAKE FOREST (5-5): The Demon Deacon's two leading men are senior guard Brandon Childress (16.6 points per game) and 7-foot junior Olivier Sarr 13.1 points, 9.5 rebounds). Sarr has given opponents' big men trouble, ranking among the top players in the country at drawing fouls and resulting in Wake Forest leading the ACC in free throw attempts per game. A combined 39 turnovers in the last two losses have hurt Wake Forest, which is averaging 14.8 per game.

TIP-INS

1. Marshall, Jones and Paul Scruggs (14.2 points per game) account for 59.2 percent of Xavier's points.

2. The Musketeers will play another game in the Skip Prosser Classic at home Dec. 18 against Western Carolina, which is coached by Prosser's son, Mark.

3. Wake Forest has lost nine straight games to ranked opponents. Xavier is No. 23 in the Associated Press poll this week.

PREDICTION: Xavier 70, Wake Forest 63