Xavier gets good test in Marquette
By Shannon Russell • srussell@enquirer.com • November 25, 2009
After Xavier thumped Sacred Heart by 40 points Nov. 21 to end a three-game, season-opening homestand, coach Chris Mack told players in the locker room that spring training was over.
Indeed, the Musketeers are about to enter a crucial stretch that will reveal a great deal about themselves as they strive to build a strong non-conference resume.
Their first test is at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, where they face Marquette (4-0) at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.
"We know that we're in for some awfully tough games during the next five to six weeks of non-conference play, and hopefully we're ready to go," Mack said.
Xavier's success in last season's Puerto Rico Tip-Off – where it beat Missouri, Virginia Tech (on the Dante Jackson buzzer beater in overtime) and Memphis – laid the foundation for a 27-8 effort and Sweet 16 finish.
If Xavier can have similar success in Orlando, it would put itself in a good position to tackle a tough spate of December opponents, including Kansas State, Cincinnati and Butler.
Jackson considers the journey south a business trip and said XU's goal is to leave with three wins. Because the games will be televised before ESPN audiences, the junior is also eager to enlighten the program's critics.
XU was regarded by some outlets as a preseason Top 10 program before it lost its head coach and NBA-bound Derrick Brown. The Muskies haven't cracked the Associated Press Top 25 this season, although they have received votes and this week are tied at No. 30.
"I think so much has been talked about the lack of talent or the lack of ... I guess the lack of respect that we've gotten," Jackson said. "We see this as an opportunity to take some of that respect back."
So what's it going to take for XU to emerge victorious in this Classic? Senior Jason Love said the key is defense.
"Last year it was well documented that our defense really carried us. At the beginning of the season it really is an important part," Love said.
Mack had more than defense on his to-do list. He said he wanted to see better offensive rebounding with more consistency from the three, four and five positions.
He wanted fewer silly fouls around the basket.
And he said XU needed to be a team that got back in transition, especially against a foe with as much speed as the wing-dominated Golden Eagles.
XU will have its hands full with scoring leader Lazar Hayward (17.3 points), a versatile forward unlike any it has faced thus far. Mack said Hayward, a preseason Big East first-team selection, plays the three and four positions and will be defended by committee.
"I think you'll see two or three different guys on him at times. The important thing is it's not a one-on-one battle," Mack said. "Our team defense sort of takes hold with the four guys around him when he has the ball, making it tough on him to score and get easy looks."
Marquette, like XU, steamrolled its early opponents and has similarly lopsided stats. But the Golden Eagles have averaged 11 steals to XU's 6, making communication and ball-handling crucial for the Muskies as the Classic starts.
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