Game day X vs Oakland Thread

[Anti-Homer]

So not having a 6’7” forward handle the point is a good thing? Will be a fun team to watch. Finally a PG

Caveat. Having is 6'7" point forward is great if the name on the back of the jersey is Posey and not Marshall.

[Anti-Homer]

It's just wonderful to have XUBBback. Good to see what the new guys can do. Loved the assists and team play. Really loved seeing what our super sophomores did. It doesn't appear that depth will be a problem this year. Should be really fun to watch this year, even if I can't be there.

Yup, Oakland blows. I don't know if they played their leading scorer from last year either. I will say Miles and Griffin are good looking bigs, and Johnson can stroke the ball. Odom is going to be a beast. If this was last year's team with a different pg and wing, it would probably have been only a 12 point win. Jones is supposed to be playing very well also. Ashamed he couldn't play. With Covid, this kind of depth will serve X well. MMan told me to eat one Cascade pod daily. So far, so good. I'm going to pass on his advice to Dr. Berger and the rest of X's medical staff.

[muskieman]

It's just wonderful to have XUBBback. Good to see what the new guys can do. Loved the assists and team play. Really loved seeing what our super sophomores did. It doesn't appear that depth will be a problem this year. Should be really fun to watch this year, even if I can't be there.

Yup, Oakland blows. I don't know if they played their leading scorer from last year either. I will say Miles and Griffin are good looking bigs, and Johnson can stroke the ball. Odom is going to be a beast. If this was last year's team with a different pg and wing, it would probably have been only a 12 point win. Jones is supposed to be playing very well also. Ashamed he couldn't play. With Covid, this kind of depth will serve X well. MMan told me to eat one Cascade pod daily. So far, so good. I'm going to pass on his advice to Dr. Berger and the rest of X's medical staff.

like everything, you got the advice wrong again. It was Tide pods and you take two every six hours, Keep sudsy! Based on today's performance only, KyKy and Odem will make fans breathe a little easier this year.

[Anti-Homer]

I was really bewildered by the absurd lineup of having four 4s and 5s in the game at the same time. However, and I'm not convinced the following is the reason he did it, X may have that look if Covid hits a number of guards and wings at the same time, so I didn't hate it. Bradley is a good mid-major, so I expect a closer game, but if X takes another big lead, I'd love to see a 4 guard lineup for a spell for the same reasons. One thing I can see already looking ahead to the shootout is Miles guarding UC's 7' 2" big, and beating him down the court making it 5 on 4 every single possession. Miles runs like a deer, and showed some nice post moves, though again, the competition today is not a good barometer. Good footwork like a good handle should be consistent regardless of the competition, however.

[X-lucidity]

The good:
- Better O spacing and ball movement.
- Good push in transition and constant pressure to increase the pace
- Shots were going in
- Nate Johnson, on both ends, looks like BE contributor who can hit an open shot if needed.
- Freemantle! Odom is cat-quick on D. Griffin is athletic. Tandy can be instant O. Scruggs played like a leader. (Love his new "do")
- Pack-line D seemed better than I would have imagined with so many new faces playing big minutes.

The questionable:
- Miles has no mass. Love the potential and glad he is a red-shirt Frosh, but I fear BE foes will be able to bully him
- In fact, I question our defensive rebounding in general once comp increases. But only one game, and again, Griffin showed rebounding promise.
- Fell too much in love with quick "3"'s. You could sense this was a hot subject at halftime as they seemed to try and work ball inside more 2nd half.
- Competition was apples to oranges in talent. (but, we did what we were supposed to do and doubt last years team would have rolled like this.
- Without Stanley, REALLY becomes imperative that Ramsey can contribute. IS he out for the year??? Total mystery.

** All in all, you simply have to be pleased, even with a small sample size and weak foe. Can't wait to see Colby and Wilcher. My biggest smiles were Griffin, who looks to live up to the rumors we have heard out of practice. (You never know with D-2 post transfers) Then there is the aforementioned Nate Johnson. Please Lord keep him healthy. He has that "look". Poised and confident. Listed at 6-4 and looked every bit of at least 6'3". Solid frame yet quick and fast. You hear a kid hits 40% from deep at Gardner Webb and you say, "ok, I've heard that before, we shall see", but this young man has a VERY nice looking stroke that seems to live up to that %. You never know of course. I was thinking, if Nate is that diamond in the rough grad transfer at the 2 or swing guard, what a nice save from what had been a swing and miss on Elias Harden. Elias would have been a Senior this season. Anyway, you can tell Nate has me excited as he looks like not only a contributor, but someone that can be an above average BE type player on both ends. Them's my long-winded thoughts. Can you tell I needed a good Xavier Hoops escape from this surreal Twilight Zone 2020 existence??? Let's build on this and Happy Thanksgiving X-Nation...

[madness31]

Body mass is nice but people make too big a deal about this. Think K Durant. Great players make use of their advantage. Some are stronger than the competition, others are quicker or longer, have better moves, etc. Find your opponents weakness or your advantage and exploit it.

If Miles has the hunger, he will get it done against BE bigs and others.

[kyzrex]

Kareem got it done without being bulky. Miles may well get pushed around some, but he’s also going to out quick and out run most of the people he will play against. It is what it is and I’m not counting on Ramsey being available.