Gonzaga vs. Xavier: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

December 10 has completely sunk the Xavier Musketeers once promising season. The Crosstown Shootout against Cincinnati turned into a brawl, and the aftermath has crippled a team that was on the brink of the top team at the time. They lost three straight games to mid-major opponents before finally notching a win against Southern Illinois on Christmas.

Now the 9-3 Muskies are unranked and simply looking to collect a quality win before entering the tissue paper soft Atlantic 10 portion of the schedule.

They will get the opportunity with the 9-2 Gonzaga Bulldogs coming to town. The ‘Zags will be coming to town riding an impressive four-game winning streak, including two wins over teams that made the Sweet 16 a year ago. Here is everything you need to know about one of the last sporting events in the year 2011. 

Where: Cintas Center

When: Saturday December 31, 8:00 PM EST

Watch: ESPN2

Stream: Catch the game in it's entirety on ESPN3.com

Key Injuries

Gonzaga: Robert Sacre, C- Probable (thumb)

Xavier: Dezmine Wells, G- Out (suspension), Landen Amos, G- Out (suspension)

Gonzaga Player To Watch: Elias Harris

The junior has been a force for the ‘Zags early on. He is averaging 13.8 points on a 48 percent shooting clip, which is the exact same percentage that he connects on from three-point land.

What makes the 6'7", 240-pound German native special is his ability to rebound. He leads the team with 8.1 per game and serves as the best big man Gonzaga has. The Xavier front line is not a strength of the team, and a big game by Harris will be the difference if the Bulldogs can pull off the minor upset.

Xavier Player To Watch: Mark Lyons

The junior guard was one of four players suspended after the brawl and missed two Xavier losses before returning for an overtime loss to Hawaii on December 24..

While he has averaged 17.5 points in two games since returning, he has turned the ball over seven times and seems to be struggling with getting back into the flow of the offense.

The Muskies need a big game out of Lyons to take the pressure of star backcourt mate Tu Holloway.

Key Matchup: Kevin Pangos vs. Tu Holloway

Holloway has made a concerted effort to take the ball to the rack of late and the result is 27 free-throw attempts in his last two games. If he can continue to reach the line at that pace, the Muskies will be in terrific shape.

That’s going to put a lot of pressure on the freshman Pangos. The Canadian native has been extremely streaky thus far in his collegiate career and his frame (6'1", 180 pounds) suggests that Holloway will be able to bully his way into the lane at will.

Pangos must keep the future first-round pick in front of him and cut off his penetration to the paint. In turn, Pangos must force Holloway to exert effort on the defensive side of the floor to gradually wear him down.

Prediction

While Xavier has struggled mightily of late, they are finally back at home after the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii, and I think the home cooking is going to go a long way in getting their season back on track. This group is chock full of upperclassmen, and they are more than aware that this game is enormous for their resume down the line.

The Bulldogs are lacking in the experience department and have yet to really establish anything that they do well. They are between 110-162 in the nation in field goal percentage, rebounds and assists. They don’t have an identity and I think that is a huge advantage of Xavier.

Behind their two stars in Lyons and Holloway, the Musketeers get back on track and get back into the top 25.

Xavier 75 Gonzaga 69