Scouting report: Xavier trying to split homestand vs. Winthrop in Skip Prosser Classic

The Skip Prosser Classic returns to Cintas Center on Saturday when the Xavier Musketeers host the Winthrop Eagles.

Winthrop head coach Mark Prosser is the son of former Xavier (1994-2001) and Wake Forest University (2001-2007) head coach Skip Prosser, who passed away in 2007 at 56 years old. Skip was also a Xavier assistant from 1985-2000 before taking the Musketeers to four NCAA tournaments in seven seasons as head coach.

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Wake Forest and Xavier began playing in the Skip Prosser Classic during the 2009-2010 season to honor their late head coach. Mark Prosser was the head coach at Western Carolina University when the series was last played in 2019 between Western Carolina and Xavier.

"Skip Prosser's impact on the Xavier basketball program and all of college basketball is still alive today," Xavier head coach Sean Miller said. "Skip was a great role model for everyone in the coaching profession. The inclusion of his son, Mark, and his team in the Skip Prosser Classic tradition is a way to keep his winning legacy front and center where it belongs."

Mark Prosser added in a statement: "My family, for decades, has had great affinity for Xavier University and their basketball program. We are so appreciative of the opportunity that they have provided us, both at Western Carolina, and now at Winthrop, to be a part of this tradition that bears my father's name. He truly loved being a Musketeer."

Xavier vs. Winthrop

Tip: Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Cintas Center (10,224)

TV/Radio: FS1/55 KRC (Xavier broadcast is also on the Varsity Network and SXM)

Ratings: Xavier is No. 44 in KenPom and Winthrop is No. 143.

History: Xavier is 2-0 all-time against Winthrop and this is the first meeting in over 30 years. The two schools played a home-and-home series during the 1990-1991 and 1991-1992 seasons, with Xavier winning 83-53 at Cincinnati Gardens on Dec. 22, 1990, and 83-56 on the road on Jan. 13, 1992.

Winthrop Eagles scouting report

Record: 8-3

Head coach: Mark Prosser (46-29 at Winthrop, third season)

Offense: 80.8 ppg

Defense: 67.5 ppg

Overview: Prosser replaced Elder graduate and former Xavier associate head coach Pat Kelsey in 2021 and won a Big South regular season title his first season. Last year, Winthrop suffered its first losing season (15-17) since 2013.

Winthrop brings a high-scoring offense to Cintas Center this weekend having scored 80-plus points in each of its four-straight wins. The Eagles have been held under 70 just twice this season in road losses to Georgia (78-69) and Clemson (78-56).

Per KenPom, Winthrop is ranked No. 321 in adjusted strength of schedule, ranking No. 80 in offensive efficiency and No. 248 in defensive efficiency.

Four of Winthrop's five projected starters are averaging in double figures, starting with guard K.J. Doucet. The Fort Valley State transfer has scored 20-plus points in three consecutive games. Off the bench, 6-foot-10 center Alex Timmerman is averaging 10.5 points per game. He's scored 69 points and grabbed 29 rebounds over Winthrop's four-game winning streak.

Avoiding foul trouble will be critical for Xavier. Winthrop ranks 10th in the nation in free-throw attempts per game (27.2) this season. The Eagles are shooting 72.9% from the charity stripe as a team.

Projected lineup

(Pos., Height, Stats)

K.J. Doucet (G, 6'3", 14.5 ppg)

Kelton Talford (F, 6'7", 11.9 ppg)

Kasen Harrison (G, 6'2", 11.5 ppg)

Nick Johnson (G, 6'4", 10.2 ppg)

Chase Claxton (F, 6'7", 2.2 ppg)

Xavier Musketeers scouting report

Record: 5-5

Head coach: Sean Miller (152-62 at Xavier, seventh season)

Offense: 76.4 ppg

Defense: 71.0 ppg

Overview: With less than two minutes left in the Crosstown Shootout, guard Dayvion McKnight hit a monumental three-pointer to help Xavier pull away from UC and snap a three-game skid. McKnight, a 1,000-point scorer at Western Kentucky, scored a game-high 20 points and knocked down a pair of treys. If Xavier can get that kind of production from its trio of starting guards, it could unlock the Musketeers' offense.

It could start from beyond the arc. Quincy Olivari etched his name in Shootout lore last Saturday, scoring a game-high 27 points with six triples. Desmond Claude and McKnight are a combined 12-of-52 from the perimeter (23.1%) and no Musketeer outside Olivari (30-of-65) has hit double-digit treys this year (freshman Trey Green has nine).

Down low, Abou Ousmane returned to the starting lineup last week and had a huge impact with a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) against UC. Ousmane is now Xavier's leading rebounder and is shooting a team-high 52.3% from the field.

Projected lineup

(Pos., Height, Stats)

Desmond Claude (G, 6'6", 15.6 ppg)

Quincy Olivari (G, 6'3", 17.2 ppg)

Dayvion McKnight (G, 6'0", 9.0 ppg)

Lazar Djokovic (F, 6'10", 3.6 ppg)

Abou Ousmane (F, 6'10", 8.0 ppg)

Can Xavier build momentum?

Xavier repaired some problems that have ailed them throughout the young season in its win over UC.

Xavier's offense finally had an answer in the second half when they fell behind, rallying when UC took a three-point lead and holding off a late Bearcat spurt in the final minutes. Next, Xavier avoided costly turnovers, committing just eight. Lastly, the Musketeers were 22-of-26 from the free-throw line to put the game away.

Moving forward, Xavier has to build on one of its strongest showings. With 10 new players, the Musketeers have been flat in spots after high-effort performances. Sustaining those levels of high play is imperative down the stretch with the nightly challenges of the Big East around the corner.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Scouting report: Xavier trying to split homestand before Big East play