Xavier

[wadesworld]

Biggest game of the year on Wednesday.  How do we get the season sweep on Xavier?

Compete on the boards/control Gaston, make Macura put the ball on the ground, don't let Jones dunk all over you, and play team defense on Blueitt.

[Windyplayer]

Biggest game of the year on Wednesday.  How do we get the season sweep on Xavier?

Compete on the boards/control Gaston, make Macura put the ball on the ground, don't let Jones dunk all over you, and play team defense on Blueitt.

Get a double digit lead early and break this team once and for all.

[muguru]

I have a feeling they are going to shut Markus down(probably see Bluiett on him) so someone else is going to have to step up.

[geagles10]

This is going to be a way tougher win that it was going to be at Providence. Yes Xavier has been loosing but still a solid team with individual talent as well.  I have a bad feeling about this one....

[Silkk the Shaka]

Biggest game of the year on Wednesday.  How do we get the season sweep on Xavier?

Compete on the boards/control Gaston, make Macura put the ball on the ground, don't let Jones dunk all over you, and play team defense on Blueitt.

Hope the floor is dry. If it is, we got this.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

X is going to be very hungry.  They see their season slipping away.  We're going to need to play well.

[Herman Cain]

Battle hard on every possession.

[GoldenDieners32]

I feel like we say every game is the biggest game of the year. But i do agree need this win would be huge if we could win

[Vander Blue Man Group]

 

[GooooMarquette]

X is going to be very hungry.  They see their season slipping away.  We're going to need to play well.

Probably what they're saying about us on the X board....

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Probably what they're saying about us on the X board....

Some similarities for sure, but we haven't lost 5 straight after losing our PG....

[bilsu]

It will be a very interesting game. MU really did not play well, when they beat them in Milwaukee. MU shot 36 threes, which shows they were just throwing up shots instead of competing. Howard made 9 threes and the rest of the team made 4. Howard does not have to be as good as he was in that game, but the rest of the team needs to be much better. The other thing that I thought was unusual about the Milwaukee game was the number of times an MU guard ended up with the rebound when the ball squirted out from the battle for the rebound underneath the board. It seemed like everyone of Xavier players were aggressively going after the rebound and we ended up with at least three fast breaks when the ball bounced out.

[wadesworld]

Some similarities for sure, but we haven't lost 5 straight after losing our PG....

They actually won their first 3 games without Sumner, including at Creighton.  Their first loss in this streak was at Nova where Bluiett got hurt, and then he missed the next 2 after that.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

They actually won their first 3 games without Sumner, including at Creighton.  Their first loss in this streak was at Nova where Bluiett got hurt, and then he missed the next 2 after that.

Not really what I meant, but yah.  They've lost 5 straight games, without their point guard.

[StillWarriors]

Keys to the game will be preventing Bluiett from going off and holding our own against Gaston inside. Even before Sumner went out this X team was winning but not fully clicking; the Sumner/Bluiett combo was able to pull out some games. They really miss the inside presence Farr and Reynolds gave them last year. Gaston's been stepping up, but is still up and down. We can get this game.

[wadesworld]

Not really what I meant, but yah.  They've lost 5 straight games, without their point guard.

Gotcha misread.  Thought you meant that since losing their PG they had lost 5 straight games.

[Goose]

The boys are going to need their A game, IMO. Tough place to win and X has back against the wall as well. I believe it will need to be their best, or nearly best, to pull this one out. Will be interesting to see how hey respond after Saturday's loss. Saturday might end being very tough to put in the rear view mirror.

[Lennys Tap]

We are very fortunate to get Creighton twice without Watson and Xavier twice without Sumner (and once without Blueitt). If we can't get to 10-8 or at least 9-9 under those circumstances we don't deserve the NCAAs.

That said, I'm very worried about Xavier - think they'll come out hungry.

[amen426]

Xaviers offense seemed to have found its groove a bit vs. Butler, so they'll definitely be a more effective team on the offensive end on Wednesday.

But, even though our eFg didn't really reflect it - I thought we had our way with their 1-3-1 zone. We were able to Howard & Rowsey 22 looks from 3.

Sumner was the main reason we lost two games last year vs. X (by 8 each time)

Last year, they played in 34 games and had only 2 games with an opponent TOV% 11.0 or less. Both of those were against Marquette.

This year, they've played in 22 games with Sumner. Opponents had a TOV% off 11.0 or less in only 1 game.

Since Sumner went down? 6 of their 8 games have been at 11% or less. They only won one of those games.. by 2 vs. Seton Hall.

Last year- they had only 4 games with a DRTg of 111 or higher. This year, they already have 8 - 5 of which have come without Sumner.

This just isn't the same defense without Sumner.

[Herman Cain]

This game will have a tournament like feel to it. After having been through that environment at Providence, we may be better prepared to close things out at the end.

[Knight Commission]

He is wrong.  The best way to win is to hold the opponent to fewer points.

We need to play D, especially against X.

[Windyplayer]

This game will have a tournament like feel to it. After having been through that environment at Providence, we may be better prepared to close things out at the end.

What's frustrating is that you don't often find yourself in that position on the road. Hopefully, we do again on Wednesday.

[KampusFoods]

I feel like we say every game is the biggest game of the year. But i do agree need this win would be huge if we could win

Really I hadn't noticed anyone doing that

[Newsdreams]

It will be a very interesting game. MU really did not play well, when they beat them in Milwaukee. MU shot 36 threes, which shows they were just throwing up shots instead of competing. Howard made 9 threes and the rest of the team made 4. Howard does not have to be as good as he was in that game, but the rest of the team needs to be much better. The other thing that I thought was unusual about the Milwaukee game was the number of times an MU guard ended up with the rebound when the ball squirted out from the battle for the rebound underneath the board. It seemed like everyone of Xavier players were aggressively going after the rebound and we ended up with at least three fast breaks when the ball bounced out.

I don't know being at the game felt we played one of our best 40 minutes of the season. Sure Markus carried us on the offense but that is our game one of ghe oustide shooters can carry our offense. Sometimes Rowsey others KR.

[4everwarriors]

Play like yo hair's on fire, hey?