Xavier

[pmulcahy96]

I really think this team can pull this off on Saturday. I think if they exhibit poise and play under control and stay within the team concept down the stretch they will win the game. The Villanova game film, especially the last couple of minutes, should serve as a great learning tool with regards to the importance of team ball. Hopefully Coach Willard and the guys give Xavier the good old Cincinnati Bowtie.

Seton 77 Xavier 68

 

[HallBall10]

If we play the way we have the past two games, we have a real shot.

I just have a feeling that this team is going to come out flat on saturday. And willard will blame it on the loss to Nova and the fact the Xavier got an extra day of rest and preparation.

 

[Save Continental]

Hopefully Coach Willard and the guys give Xavier the good old Cincinnati Bowtie.

you realize this will go VERY far over the head of piratecrew, dontcha? made me lol anyway.

 

[radecicco]

X will be tough for us. Obviously it's on the road. But beyond that they are bigger with Reynolds and Farr. We can match up with anyone on the perimeter athletically and on the dribble drive. It's going to be very physical like the X - G-town game on Tuesdsy.

 

[Piratz]

Xavier is good. Really good. And they have depth of players everywhere. I don't think we'll beat them.

I understand they're coming off a loss and should be fired up. But why can't we be as well?

 

[SHUBK]

Xavier is a good team, however they are beatable. I did my undergrad at Miami University(in ohio). We stink this year (as in 0-5 in MAC) and we only lost by 9. Def a tough place to play but if we play as we are capable anything is possible.

I wish I could fly out to this game just for Skyline Chilli. I miss that stuff

 

[NYC Pirate]

This is going to be a very tough game to win. We basically have one day to prepare as I can't imagine a tough practice today.

I would have loved this opportunity a lot more if Xavier would have beat GTown earlier in the week. Any chance for a trap game is probably lost. So Seton Hall has to go in there and play at a high level. Can they rebound emotionally from the Nova tough loss?

It's not Ok to just play well here. You can't go in there with that mentality. However, holding the line with a good performance is much better than a non-compete. Xavier is a good team, the 2nd best in the BigEast as I see it.

 

[TrueBlue1989]

This will be a very, very tough game. My heart says we have a chance.

 

[Halldan1]

This is going to be a very tough game to win. We basically have one day to prepare as I can't imagine a tough practice today.

No practice. Team will fly out tonight to Ohio.

 

[PeterN]

Xavier's defense is suspect. They frequently use a 1-3-1 which can be passed through with good ball handling. SHU's defense is much better and the team is better than Georgetown which just won out there.

 

[Piratefan2009]

If we play the way we have the past two games, we have a real shot.

I just have a feeling that this team is going to come out flat on saturday. And willard will blame it on the loss to Nova and the fact the Xavier got an extra day of rest and preparation.

You could already see Willard complaining in the post-game presser. Time for no excuses basketball.

 

[Fzacsattac]

X will be a tough game. They are very quick when I saw them. We need to get them in foul trouble. They have an outstanding freshman forward.

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

I know for tournament purposes this isn't exactly a must win, but I think it's a must win to keep student interest high. Wins over PC and Xavier in an 8 day span I think will help lead to another nice student turnout on Wednesday. A loss I'm not so sure. Although we've had better crowds as far as numbers, that's the best crowd I think we've had at the prucenter as far as making a real top notch college atmosphere. I think to keep that going we need the win Saturday.

 

[SHUMAN]

You could already see Willard complaining in the post-game presser. Time for no excuses basketball.

The Willard pre-Xavier excuse really annoyed me. It all starts with the tone at the top. What kind of message are you sending to the players? Suck it up and be prepared. If nothing else, replay the last two minutes of the Nova game over and over. And work on a friggin' inbounds play.

 

[hbkmyr]

I like the fact they played a highly skilled team (Villanova) prior to this game. They shouldn't be caught off guard by Xavier's talent.

 

[wpc75]

Jay Wright is the master of complaining. KW has to put pressure on league office to get better scheduling. We had Nova's two games within 14 days. Our home schedule this year with two late weekday starts is a killer.

BTW reports of Wrights complaining court side to officials was off the charts. He gets away with murder and if KW was on the refs last night like Jay he would have been teed up. No doubt Jay has earned his stripes.

 

[Halldan1]

Jay Wright is the master of complaining. KW has to put pressure on league office to get better scheduling. We had Nova's two games within 14 days. Our home schedule this year with two late weekday starts is a killer.

BTW reports of Wrights complaining court side to officials was off the charts. He gets away with murder and if KW was on the refs last night like Jay he would have been teed up. No doubt Jay has earned his stripes.

Wright has earned the leeway given to him by the refs. It may not be fair but that's the way the game is seen by the zebras all over the country. The elite get elite respect making it more difficult for teams to beat them.

I was courtside for about 4 minutes by the Nova bench and Wright was yelling so loud that Gonzo was getting embarrassed watching the game at home.

The way you counter that is by winning and improving your profile.

 

[Piratz]

Wright has credibility. Willard does not. Fair or not, right or wrong, that's life.

 

[Piratz]

Xavier's defense is suspect. They frequently use a 1-3-1 which can be passed through with good ball handling. SHU's defense is much better and the team is better than Georgetown which just won out there.

They have not been as good in a couple of conference games, notably their two losses to Villanova (72% from 2, 52% from 3) and Georgetown (61% from 2, 40% from 3). Good in the others.

Overall this season their 20th in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency rankings, against a schedule he has ranked #33. That's good.

And they are a monster rebounding team. That should be an interesting battle for us.