Xavier, Providence, and Marquette sit fairly clear at the top of the Big East table about a third of the way through the season. They’ve played a combined total of 19 games and won 18 of them; only the matchup between Marquette and Providence - which went into two overtimes - necessarily marred the otherwise unblemished record of the top three.
Xavier comes into this game on a ten-game winning streak, having not lost since falling to Gonzaga on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. They’ve used a high-octane offense to plow through whatever opponent is in their path, ranking in the top ten in the nation in both offensive efficiency and tempo in that time.