Xavier

[Dr. Blackheart]

Play like yo hair's on fire, hey?

Malek "The Firestarter" Harris plays for Xavier now?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

My personal keys:

1. In your face, man defense. Gates and Bernard are only threats from downtown. Macura is not good at putting it on the floor so limiting his threes has to be a priority as well. Bluiett is a fantastic inside out player but is more dangerous from beyond the arc. Take away the threes. If they score twos, just outrun them with threes.

2. I would have Markus/Rowsey be prepared to help double Bluiett all night. If we hold him under 20, I think we win this game. Goodin will play damn near the entire game but he is not much of a threat to score. I'd let him take open jumpshots all night if it means slowing down Bluiett.

3. Fischer/Heldt need to handle Gaston, O'Mara, and Jones on their own. Can't afford to double the post with X's shooters. Gotta hope for friendly refs because X lives on the boards. It'll be tough with them on the bench.

4. Make the extra pass. X's signature defense is the 1-3-1. You beat that with passing and threes, particularly in the corner. If we stick the game plan, we should have open looks all night.

Suggested Defensive assignments:

Goodin - Markus/Rowsey
Macura- Duane/JJJ
Bluiett- Cheatham/Katin
Gates- Hauser
Gaston/Jones/Omara- Fischer/Heldt
Bernard- Whoever the worst defender on the floor happens to be

Can't say this enough. Bluiett is the key. I'm confident in our matchups at every other position. Gotta hope one of HC and Katin are locked in. If we hold him under 20, we win. If he scores more than that, we still have a chance depending on how our offense is doing.

[bilsu]

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.

We scored 22 points in the first 5 minutes, which was same amount we scored in the next 15 minutes. Xavier got the lead down to 12 at half. Had Howard not gone off, we would of lost that game in the second half like too many other games we gave away. Xavier started badly and Howard kept us from losing.

[mileskishnish72]

I think we are 0-for-Cintas, so doubt with this group that that situation will change. If it happens, then I would want to see Jajuan at the point for Creighton, just to show MU Fan in NY how his idea would work.

[nyg]

Maybe Fischer and Heldt can be held to only three fouls apiece as opposed to five. 

Agree with TAMU, Cheatham has to have a defensive game of his life against Bluiett.  Duane played against Macura last time and they were barking at each other the whole game. 

[Windyplayer]

KH on Bluiett would be a blood bath.

[warriorchick]

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

We need to play D, especially against X.

He is not wrong.  If you hold the opponent to fewer points, doesn't that mean you are scoring more points than they are?

Even if you hold them to 0 points, you do have to score some of your own.

[muwarrior69]

Maybe Fischer and Heldt can be held to only three fouls apiece as opposed to five. 

Agree with TAMU, Cheatham has to have a defensive game of his life against Bluiett.  Duane played against Macura last time and they were barking at each other the whole game.

Well if the court is slippery they can change the rule and no one fouls out.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

KH on Bluiett would be a blood bath.

Who do you suggest? TB would shoot over Rowsey/Markus/Duane. Heldt/Fischer/Hauser are too slow. JJJ would be no better plus I like him on the TO prone Macura. Cheatham and Reinhardt are the only two with the size and speed to guard him. It's gonna be ugly, that's why I did we need to double with Markus and Rowsey.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

We scored 22 points in the first 5 minutes, which was same amount we scored in the next 15 minutes. Xavier got the lead down to 12 at half. Had Howard not gone off, we would of lost that game in the second half like too many other games we gave away. Xavier started badly and Howard kept us from losing.

You're a rain cloud. Always.

[Newsdreams]

We scored 22 points in the first 5 minutes, which was same amount we scored in the next 15 minutes. Xavier got the lead down to 12 at half. Had Howard not gone off, we would of lost that game in the second half like too many other games we gave away. Xavier started badly and Howard kept us from losing.

Like I'm trying to say if one or two of our shooters is on that is it. Down to "only" 12 will take that every game and when teams are up as much as we were they tend to relax a bit and Xavier was undermanned but not a terrible team.

[brewcity77]

We scored 22 points in the first 5 minutes, which was same amount we scored in the next 15 minutes. Xavier got the lead down to 12 at half. Had Howard not gone off, we would of lost that game in the second half like too many other games we gave away. Xavier started badly and Howard kept us from losing.

We beat them by 22 and the margin never fell into single digits. That was one of our most complete and in control performances of these season. Asserting otherwise is just looking for something to complain about.

[real chili 83]

This will be a very difficult game tonight.  X does not want to lose their 6th straight on senior night.  This would be a very, very nice road win. 

[ducs]

Fischer gets the start and has a big game playing more then 12 mins.

[GGGG]

We scored 22 points in the first 5 minutes, which was same amount we scored in the next 15 minutes. Xavier got the lead down to 12 at half. Had Howard not gone off, we would of lost that game in the second half like too many other games we gave away. Xavier started badly and Howard kept us from losing.

[geagles10]

This will be a very difficult game tonight.  X does not want to lose their 6th straight on senior night.  This would be a very, very nice road win.

The Providence game was the easier of the two in my opinion for sure.  We needed that one to get the last 2/3.  Playing at Xavier, 8 pm game, senior night, is likely to be a blow out with them raining threes.  I don't think people are giving Xavier enough credit even with the last 5 losses. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

The Providence game was the easier of the two in my opinion for sure.  We needed that one to get the last 2/3.  Playing at Xavier, 8 pm game, senior night, is likely to be a blow out with them raining threes.  I don't think people are giving Xavier enough credit even with the last 5 losses.

Funny enough, I think people give them too much credit. We are better team than them without Sumner. It's on the road (and senior night) so we might lose. But their depth really hurts them and their offense is pretty much relying on Blueitt to go off every night. Xavier actually has a very limited ability to shoot the three ball. Gates/Bernard are one dimensional players, Macura isn't close to accurate from deep, Goodin can't hit the ocean from the beach. The only one is Blueitt and interestingly, they are 1-3 in games where Blueitt hits 4 or more three pointers (with the 1 being Depaul). No idea why that is.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Nailed it. It just another raining day, guess I'll just stay inside.

[GoldenDieners32]

We just need howard to stay out of foul trouble tonight and we'll be fine. We got it

[GoldenZebra]

Xavier in a blowout

[GoldenDieners32]

XavierMarquette in a blowout

You had a spelling error

[GoldenZebra]

You had a spelling error

I wish. Just tempering my expectations. MU has a lot going against themselves right now, and to play on the road, senior night, against a team that has lost 5 in a row (while that would be a good sign at some point they will win, and it will probably be against Marquette), it doesn't bode well....

[GoldenDieners32]

I wish. Just tempering my expectations. MU has a lot going against themselves right now, and to play on the road, senior night, against a team that has lost 5 in a row (while that would be a good sign at some point they will win, and it will probably be against Marquette), it doesn't bode well....

You're right but i believe in the boys we got it

[geagles10]

Crazy that the game is 9 PM Cincinnati time.  How often does that happen, even for ET team home games?

[DarkWarrior]

Xavier having lost 5 in row either means they are stoked to score a win and will play out of their minds good or it simply means they are not very good right now. If we play tough and score early with consistency, we will win this one. And yes Howard and Fisher need to avoid bad fouls that take them out of the game. Our Warriors should be every bit as motivated as Xavier. We have a lot to play for tonight! and I still believe in WOJO.

GO WARRIORS!