Musketeer Madness

Xavier currently has bad numbers....11-22-2019: 231st in FG%....330th in 3 point %...111th in rebounding and 153rd in points per game. These rankings are poor at best. X is playing a weak non conference schedule to boost its wins for the season, in order to make the Dance. When they start playing good to very good teams they may start getting killed and tons of losses. They are proving little against weak teams. 2 out of 6 games are overtime and low scoring. Very good teams will score 70 to 90 points in games, not 50s and 60s.

Xavier2005 wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:01 am

Xavier currently has bad numbers....11-22-2019: 231st in FG%....330th in 3 point %...111th in rebounding and 153rd in points per game. These rankings are poor at best. X is playing a weak non conference schedule to boost its wins for the season, in order to make the Dance. When they start playing good to very good teams they may start getting killed and tons of losses. They are proving little against weak teams. 2 out of 6 games are overtime and low scoring. Very good teams will score 70 to 90 points in games, not 50s and 60s.

Thanks for the wet blanket on the night/morning that X wins in two OT against UCOnn/ HAve a drink and celebrate being 6-0. Stats are deceiving Xavier's offense is 53rd in the KenPom and 13th in Defense and being 6-0 I will take that every day. 37.9% from the threes against UConn

X responses here over the past many years use to blast Cronin and UC for its easy non conference schedules to boost its wins.....well that is what X has done for this year. The non conference schedule does not prove X can beat quality teams, but only time will tell when X actually plays some quality teams.

Xavier2005 wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 23, 2019 9:11 am

X responses here over the past many years use to blast Cronin and UC for its easy non conference schedules to boost its wins.....well that is what X has done for this year. The non conference schedule does not prove X can beat quality teams, but only time will tell when X actually plays some quality teams.

Don't disagree but to bring Cronin into the mix and subtly defend him makes me realize where your allegiance lies. Cronin argument is a non-starter. He's been a coach for about 15 years and has one more S-16 than me. I do agree that time will tell as X has been predicted to win in every game and they have been close-not unlike UC pulling out a tough one against Illinois St last night. This team may struggle against top competition but for now, they have to beat the teams on the schedule. Even you realize that when they agreed to play in this tourney, they didn't have the luxury of choosing their opponent so they have to play who is in their bracket. Hopefully, X improves in all areas as the season progresses. Good luck to your bearcats

you misread or mis comprehended my comment above ....lol/no big deal...my comment is not to praise UC or Cronin ...as i am not a fan of either one. I have followed Xavier for 41 years. My point is that X's non conference schedule, at least this year, looks like a schedule that Cronin would have made up....scheduling weak to very weak teams just to get wins. Lots of very good programs do this....ie Kentucky currently has an rpi of 157 and a SOS of 224 (out of 351 Division schools)...lol. Xavier's current rpi is 20 and SOS is 109. Xavier plays 13 non conference games and currently 7 of 13 teams have an RPI of 121 to 305, which is very weak.

Xavier2005 wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:07 pm

you misread or mis comprehended my comment above ....lol/no big deal...my comment is not to praise UC or Cronin ...as i am not a fan of either one. I have followed Xavier for 41 years. My point is that X's non conference schedule, at least this year, looks like a schedule that Cronin would have made up....scheduling weak to very weak teams just to get wins. Lots of very good programs do this....ie Kentucky currently has an rpi of 157 and a SOS of 224 (out of 351 Division schools)...lol. Xavier's current rpi is 20 and SOS is 109. Xavier plays 13 non conference games and currently 7 of 13 teams have an RPI of 121 to 305, which is very weak.

Ron is an OSU fan first and an X fan 2nd but he is a member of the LH group so I will not question that he is a fan but he is a fan that likes to look at the negatives of everything first. Like I said he likes to throw a wet blanket. I assume he goes to the OSU boards and complains there too over the years of low-quality schedules. I mean he could have looked at last night's game and found a lot to work on and missed that X got a W.

Please don't put me in the gloom and doom department. Happy with the win. Sure beats a 2 overtime loss. Defense has been GREAT. Hopefully the offense will improve. As Villanova has shown for years, the 3 keys to winning offense are: share the ball, limit turnovers, and make your free throws. If we were better in those three areas Friday there would not have been an overtime. If they stop too much dribbling, move the ball, value each possession, get to the line and knock them down, it could be a really good year.

Xavier faces its first real test of this season. Florida is only 4-2, not in the 25, maybe in 7th place so far in the SEC based on wins and losses, while Xavier is ranked in the top 25 and 6-0. So the professional odds people have Florida favored to win at minus 2.5 points. Most say this game is a toss up as to who might win.

Obviously , any team has to play the season out and then it is what it is, whatever. A current RPI site has X finishing 19-12. X is now 6-1, which means they have X going 13-11 the rest of the season. Whatever their record turns out, X needs to be in the top four of the BE to make the Dance. My forecast sees only 4 BE teams making the Dance.

All I can say is that it's great to be in a Conference where folks are predicting that they'll ONLY get four of their members going to THE DANCE.