Xavier is in Washington, D.C., to face No. 21 Georgetown on Tuesday (7 p.m. on FOX Sports 1), seeking its first road win of the Big East season. The Musketeers went to the Capitol earlier Tuesday seeking a little guidance from alumnus and House Speaker John Boehner.
Head coach Chris Mack and the Musketeers visited with Boehner -- who grew up in Greater Cincinnati and is a graduate of Moeller High School and Xavier (1977) -- during a tour of the Capitol building. Boehner represents Ohio's 8th District, which includes Butler, Clark, Darke, Miami and Mercer counties.
Xavier is 13-7 overall and 4-4 in the Big East. The Musketeers are coming off an 89-76 win against DePaul last Saturday at the Cintas Center, a game in which they came back from a 13-point deficit in the first half. Xavier is 11-0 at home this season, including a 70-53 win against Georgetown on New Year's Eve, when the Hoyas were ranked No. 25 in the country. Georgetown (14-5, 6-2) is in first place in the conference, a half-game ahead of No. 7 Villanova and Providence, who are 5-2 in league play.
The Musketeers are just 2-7 away from home this season, and their only win on an opponent's floor was at Missouri on Dec. 13, 74-58. They were just 6-11 away from home last season and 3-6 in Big East road games, including a 74-52 loss at Georgetown after beating the Hoyas in Cincinnati.
"Our challenge right now isn't here -- it's on the road," said sophomore guard Myles Davis after Saturday's win against DePaul. "It's this game and having it and taking it to Georgetown, and then taking it to Seton Hall on the road. We've got to get better coming out with energy. When we play our basketball and we play hard, we're a pretty tough team."
Xavier is ranked No. 34 in Tuesday's Daily RPI by the NCAA, and is one of seven Big East teams ranked in the top 51 of the RPI. Georgetown is No. 13 in the ratings, trailing only No. 6 Villanova among conference schools. The others are: Butler (15), Providence (20), Seton Hall (43) and St. John's (51).
