Xavier @ Butler preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 13, 2019 ) Butler 69, Xavier 70

Things suddenly are looking up for Xavier, which will take aim at its sixth straight victory Tuesday when it faces Butler in American Athletic Conference play. The visiting Musketeers defeated Butler in mid-January and then lost six in a row before beginning their surprising late-season surge.

The Musketeers trailed by 10 with under four minutes left in the first meeting before Paul Scruggs (23 points) led the late comeback, which Naji Marshall capped with the decisive foul shot in the final seconds. "When your guys play with that much spirit and that much energy and don't come out with a victory, it's hard to swallow," Butler coach LaVall Jordan said after the 70-69 defeat. Marshall had another big performance Thursday, registering a career-high 31 points in an 11-point road win against St. John's. Butler, meanwhile, has lost three in a row, most recently a 21-point home loss to Villanova.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

ABOUT XAVIER (16-13, 8-8 American): Marshall has made multiple 3-pointers in six straight games and has knocked down at least five 3-pointers in three of those outings. He leads the team at 15 points per game, although four other Musketeers average double-figure points, including top rebounder Tyrique Jones (11.3 points, 7.8 rebounds), who has three double-doubles in the last four outings. Ryan Welage leads the team in 3-pointers made (49) and has committed a total of 13 turnovers in 533 minutes this season.

ABOUT BUTLER (15-14, 6-10): The Bulldogs shot 5-of-26 from 3-point range against Villanova and attempted only five foul shots in falling for the fourth time in five games. Leading scorer Kamar Baldwin (17.4 points) managed only 10 points - matching his lowest point total of the new year - and failed to attempt a free throw in a game for the first time since Jan. 22. Paul Jorgensen (11.4 points) has scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games and only has four turnovers in the last six games.

TIP-INS

1. Scruggs averages 11.8 points but has scored six or fewer in five of the last seven outings.

2. Butler F Sean McDermott, who averages 10 points per game on 41 percent 3-point shooting, is 1-of-10 from long range in the last two games for a total of seven points.

3. Xavier outrebounded Butler 40-29 in the first matchup.

PREDICTION: Xavier 64, Butler 60