How and what to watch for Texas vs. Xavier in Sweet 16 of 2023 NCAA Tournament

The Sweet 16 of the 2023 NCAA Tournament will conclude on Friday, March 24, and will feature a matchup between the No. 2 Texas Longhorns and the No. 3 Xavier Musketeers. This Midwest Region semifinal will take place at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Game date: Friday, March 24
Game time: After conclusion of Miami-Houston (est. 9:45 p.m. ET)
TV channel: CBS
Location: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City

Odds

Spread: Texas -4
Over/Under: 150.5
Moneyline: Texas -190, Xavier +160

No. 2 Texas 28-8 (12-6 Big 12)

First Round: Defeated No. 15 Colgate 81-61
Second Round: Defeated No. 10 Penn State 71-66
KenPom rating: 5 Overall, 16 Offense, 10 Defense
Leading scorer: Marcus Carr (15.9 PPG)
Key stat of tournament: Shooting 52.1% from the field in the tournament

Texas was able to hold off a late surge by Penn State on Saturday to come away with the close second-round victory and advance. The Nittany Lions held a three-point lead with just under five minutes to go before Dylan Disu and Marcus Carr led the Longhorns on a 10-0 to re-establish control. Disu dropped 28 points and 10 rebounds in the win.

No. 3 Xavier

First Round: Defeated No. 14 Kennesaw State 72-67
Second Round: Defeated No. 11 Pitt 84-73
KenPom rating: 16 Overall, 8 Offense, 73 Defense
Leading scorer: Souley Boum, 17 ppg
Key stat of tournament: Averaging 19 assists per game, leads the nation

Xavier didn’t have to go through the Kennesaw State nerve-wracking comeback this time. The Musketeers took an early lead, up 48-34 at the half, and held off a late-game effort from Pittsburgh. Jack Nunge has been the star of this team and added a team-high 18 points in the second round, but in an assist-heavy offensive scheme, everyone’s getting scoring looks. Nunge was one of six Musketeers to make it into the double digits in scoring.