Statement win on Thursday?

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

Marquette's next game is its first game against Xavier in Cincinnati since 2000.

Oh, and Xavier's gone 35-8 at Cintas over the last 3 years, including a 10-0 mark thus far this year, and as of the time of writing this post, are ranked #21 in the RPI. Any chance for a smash and grab/statement win?

[Windyplayer]

Marquette's next game is its first game against Xavier in Cincinnati since 2000.

Oh, and Xavier's gone 35-8 at Cintas over the last 3 years, including a 10-0 mark thus far this year, and as of the time of writing this post, are ranked #21 in the RPI. Any chance for a smash and grab/statement win?

Of course there is a chance. But I honestly don't know where the points are coming from which is scary thing to say after two conference games. Gardner needs to keep his momentum, Jamil needs to start playing like a senior (no more boneheaded TOs!), and Thomas (gulp) needs to drain some 3s. It would also be nice if one of the freshmen gave us 10 or combined for 15.

[The Lens]

A win at X coupled with a win at home vs SHU totally flips the season. 

Not sure if we're up for it tho.  At least the option is there.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

If we can elimanate their big fella (ala Otule against Pelcher or Davante against Depaul's entire frontcourt) we will dominate them on the glass. Just need to score enough to win.

They are as deep as us but shallow at center. That's their weakness

[Daniel]

Feed Ox and he can get their center in foul trouble. I feel like Marquette will win this one.

[PGsHeroes32]

I really don't think X is that great this year. Problem is they are at home.

If we can somehow not get off to a slow start and really bang them early, we can win.

This game could be a season saver

[NersEllenson]

I'd classify the game against X as a must win at this point if we want a good shot at making the NCAA.  However, I'd be really surprised if we won that game.  Only hope is that Buzz continues on with shortened rotation, and generally is playing Mayo, Jake (or JJJ/Burton) with Jamil and Ox for 30+ per game...

Since it appears Derrick is going to get 30 a game, this is what I think we need to be our best:

Jake 15-20 minutes
Mayo 28 minutes
JJJ 15-18 minutes
Burton 15 minutes
Jamil 25-30 minutes
Gardner - 35 minutes

Nobody else should see action other than for spot duty - 2-5 minutes per game - Otule and Juan.

[MUeng]

Road game so we'll lose by about 10 pts. I hope davante can bring the same intensity though.

[Sunbelt15]

Feed Ox and he can get their center in foul trouble. I feel like Marquette will win this one.

DG will get doubled, so guard play will be crucial.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'd classify the game against X as a must win at this point if we want a good shot at making the NCAA.  However, I'd be really surprised if we won that game.  Only hope is that Buzz continues on with shortened rotation, and generally is playing Mayo, Jake (or JJJ/Burton) with Jamil and Ox for 30+ per game...

Since it appears Derrick is going to get 30 a game, this is what I think we need to be our best:

Jake 15-20 minutes
Mayo 28 minutes
JJJ 15-18 minutes
Burton 15 minutes
Jamil 25-30 minutes
Gardner - 35 minutes

Nobody else should see action other than for spot duty - 2-5 minutes per game - Otule and Juan.

Our only legitimate three point shooter can't play less than half the game
Agreed
JJJ should only sub in for Mayo, they are the same kind of player
Agreed
I would say 30-35 for Jamil
I love Big Smooth but you have to give Otule more time than that. There's going to be times when we need more defense and DG can't deliver that.

Your estimates actually left 25 minutes unaccounted for. So I think if you take some time from JJJ and DG, gave 5 more minutes to Jake, and split the rest of the time between Juan and Otule, I think that's a solid rotation.

What I would like to see IMHO:
1: Derrick (25 mins), Jamil (15 mins)
2: Mayo (30 mins), JJJ (10 mins)
3: Thomas (25 mins), Burton (10 mins) Anderson (5 mins)
4: Jamil (20 mins), Anderson (10 mins) Burton (5 mins)
5: Gardner (25 mins) Otule (15 mins)

DNP: Taylor (unless he gets healthy and good in which case steal some of Anderson's and Burton's minutes) and Dawson

[Doo]

I really don't think X is that great this year. Problem is they are at home.

If we can somehow not get off to a slow start and really bang them early, we can win.

This game could be a season saver

I don't know how you define great but X is playing very good right now.  12-3 with an SOS rank of 21.  Outside of a terrible Thanksgiving tourney (3 losses in 3 stright nights) they look very solid including a nuetral sight manhandling of RPI #28 Cincy.  It would be a big win but one game does not change a season.

[john31]

No

[Coleman]

This season is what it is. We aren't gonna turn around and beat Xavier at Cintas. I'm sort of resigned at this point. I'm not giving up, won't stop cheering for MU and will attend the games I have tickets for, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

I feel a lot better for the future though, now that we have landed Fischer. Life will go on, and we will make the NCAA, if not this year, then next year, or the year after. Buzz won't be kept down forever.

Buzz has proven seasons like this will be the exception, not the rule. So I'm ok with it once every 6 or so seasons if we can make runs like we have the  last 3.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

We've lost to 5 great teams and one pretty good one (on the road), we've beaten all the teams we are supposed to, and one really good team (GW). We are not a bad team, no where close to giving up on this season.

We can beat X on thursday

[real chili 83]

We've lost to 5 great teams and one pretty good one (on the road), we've beaten all the teams we are supposed to, and one really good team (GW). We are not a bad team, no where close to giving up on this season.

We can beat X on thursday

Agreed.

[PGsHeroes32]

I don't know how you define great but X is playing very good right now.  12-3 with an SOS rank of 21.  Outside of a terrible Thanksgiving tourney (3 losses in 3 stright nights) they look very solid including a nuetral sight manhandling of RPI #28 Cincy.  It would be a big win but one game does not change a season.

I've watched them play a lot and they just don't seem to be much. The problem is they are really good at home and considering we haven't shown anything to suggest being able to win there, it's tough.

Just looking at Xavier though, they are not scary at all.

[Knight Commission]

I know Xavier well.  I know Chris Mack well.  They are a 125 RPI type team that over performs at home.   If we don't win I will be disappointed.  We match up well this year as we did in the tourney three years ago.  Bet to cover at a minimum.

[MU82]

X is the second-best 3-pt shooting team in the league. As usual, we are at the bottom. X doesn't bomb away from downtown like Creighton (they have attempted only 3 more than we have this season) but they are better when they do take them than we are (made 15 more this season).

If we can avoid losing the 3-point battle by double-digit margin, can control the boards and can make our FTs, I think we at least have a chance to take a defensive struggle.

[GoldenWarrior11]

I cannot stress it enough, but the reconfigured Big East is such a strong league.  Xavier, Creighton and Butler have each been welcome additions to the conference, and I see new exciting rivalries with all these schools going forward.  I am so thankful we ended up on the positive side of realignment, rather than what happened with UCONN and Cincinnati with the AAC.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

X is the second-best 3-pt shooting team in the league. As usual, we are at the bottom. X doesn't bomb away from downtown like Creighton (they have attempted only 3 more than we have this season) but they are better when they do take them than we are (made 15 more this season).

If we can avoid losing the 3-point battle by double-digit margin, can control the boards and can make our FTs, I think we at least have a chance to take a defensive struggle.

What makes them the second best 3 point shooting team? As a team they shoot 36%, not bad certainly but not elite. Myles Davis is the only one who averages more than 1 three pointer a night (28 through 15 games). They only have 6 players who have ever hit a three and 1 of them shoots at a 18% clip. They only have two guys who hit above 37% (M Davis and Farr). Really, it seems like if you shut M Davis down, their three point shooting is pretty mediocre.

[JakeBarnes]

Marquette's next game is its first game against Xavier in Cincinnati since 2000.

Oh, and Xavier's gone 35-8 at Cintas over the last 3 years, including a 10-0 mark thus far this year, and as of the time of writing this post, are ranked #21 in the RPI. Any chance for a smash and grab/statement win?

I think it's an important game, as are pretty much all conference games from here on out.  That is a great pic of McIlvaine, btw.

[MU82]

What makes them the second best 3 point shooting team?

League stats make them the second-best 3-point shooting team.

It wasn't an opinion, it was a statement of fact.


3-POINT FG PCT   G   3FGM   3FGA   Pct
1.   Creighton   14   159   373    .426
2.   Xavier   15   79   216    .366
3.   Butler           14   92   259    .355
4.   DePaul   15   86   245    .351
5.   Seton Hall   15   113   326    .347
6.   Georgetown   13   72   208    .346
7.   Villanova   14   125   367    .341
8.   St. John's   14   68   200    .340
9.   Providence   15   85   257    .331
10.   Marquette   15   65   213    .305

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

League stats make them the second-best 3-point shooting team.

It wasn't an opinion, it was a statement of fact.


3-POINT FG PCT   G   3FGM   3FGA   Pct
1.   Creighton   14   159   373    .426
2.   Xavier   15   79   216    .366
3.   Butler           14   92   259    .355
4.   DePaul   15   86   245    .351
5.   Seton Hall   15   113   326    .347
6.   Georgetown   13   72   208    .346
7.   Villanova   14   125   367    .341
8.   St. John's   14   68   200    .340
9.   Providence   15   85   257    .331
10.   Marquette   15   65   213    .305

I'm honestly surprised that 36% is good for second in the league. But I think their 3P shooting is a bit of foolsgold. They are 7th in the league in 3PM. You take out one player (M Davis) and their 3P% drops to 8th and their 3PM drops to last.

Obvisously you don't get to just count out a single player. But if you can X him out ala Brandon Young last game, all of the sudden X is as bad as us at 3P shooting.

[MU82]

I'm honestly surprised that 36% is good for second in the league. But I think their 3P shooting is a bit of foolsgold. They are 7th in the league in 3PM. You take out one player (M Davis) and their 3P% drops to 8th and their 3PM drops to last.

Obvisously you don't get to just count out a single player. But if you can X him out ala Brandon Young last game, all of the sudden X is as bad as us at 3P shooting.

I hear ya, TAMU, and I'm not saying I disagree with you.

But take out one player for us (Jake) and we might be en route to the worst 3-point performance since Dr. Naismith first put the red, white and blue ball through a peach basket!

[machine7]

X's offense goes thru Semaj Christon. If he has a bad game opponents clog the middle and take Stainbrook away. Semaj when give a screen out top has the ability to create his own offense by blowing past a defender, pulling up on the baseline, and now this year finding open guys for jumpshots. He has 16 assists and zero turnovers in his last two games, St Johns and Butler. That's not bad for a sophomore. X likes to get 6-10 center Matt stainbrook involved on the block too. If he catches the feed at a nice angle he's hard to stop. If he gets too far on the feed he will in most cases not try to force something crazy but he has at times. Since the three losses in the Bahamas X has enjoyed the improvement of two juniors, guard Dee Davis and swingman Justin Martin. They were the reason X beat Cincinnati and St John's. Christon put up nice numbers but those two defended tight and made secondary break shots and fast break layups in transition off misses by the Cats and Johnnies. Butler was different. X hammered away at a smaller Bulldog squad inside and broke open a tight game late when Butler went cold and forced shots. Myles Davis does not get enough minutes to be circled as the three point specialist to stop. He is the best FT shooter when teams try to foul late to stop the clock. All in bounds plays late are to get the freshman the ball since he is solid money at the line. Christon isn't at that point yet at the line.
This isn't the most athletic X team ever but they pick their spots to push the ball and have enough size in the post rotation to battle Marquette on the block. If MU's guards play well this is anybody's game.