Butler Game thread 01/14/2017

[commish118]

I said this was a Final Four team before the season started. I still believe that. It is just obvious that they have a lot more work to do after witnessing these last two games. I just thought they would be further along at this point in the season. Long way to go, but a long hill to climb.

This team has nowhere near the talent or depth needed on the front line to reach a final four. Hence the need to jack up 3's.

Nova had nowhere the talent or depth needed on the front line to reach the Final Four last year and had to jack up 3's, and they won the Championship. They are a contender to win back-to-back Championships this year with virtually the same team.

[mumuskie87]

Just listened to Chris's post game. Man, is he frustrated! Seems they are not executing on the coaching in practice, or the coaching during the game. Maybe he needs to shake them up a bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnIaqAsnSxU

Yep....they are Lollygaggers.
Good clip.

[mumuskie87]

All losses are bad, but three of our losses were to top twelve teams on the road; Colorado is the only real bad loss. We still have an opportunity to get revenge on Butler, and Villanova , at home. Don't get to pissed at the coach you may not like what that brings about. We still have a lot of games to play.

Well said.
I would guess that this stretch of games - @ Nova, @ Butler and Creighton - is the most difficult week of games in Xavier's regular season history. 3 teams ranked #3, #8 and #12. We are not in the A10 anymore. Now if the losses were at home, I'd be more concerned. The Butler loss sucked because was a winnable game...couple more made FT's, couple less TO's, couple more dying quails, couple more ground balls with eyes and X wins that game.

[mumuskie87]

For some reasonable perspective: we just came very close to beating the number 12 team in the country on their own court, where they recently beat Nova who at the time I believe was number one in the country. The sky is not falling. We have good team that will only get better. But I do find all the naysayers rather humorous.

Agree...Butler is a solid team. And tough to beat on their home court. In fact, their last loss at home was to X in February last year.
Now if X loses their home games to Creighton, Nova and Butler...the sky will be starting to fall.

[thecoach]

I said this was a Final Four team before the season started. I still believe that. It is just obvious that they have a lot more work to do after witnessing these last two games. I just thought they would be further along at this point in the season. Long way to go, but a long hill to climb.

This team has nowhere near the talent or depth needed on the front line to reach a final four. Hence the need to jack up 3's.

Nova had nowhere the talent or depth needed on the front line to reach the Final Four last year and had to jack up 3's, and they won the Championship. They are a contender to win back-to-back Championships this year with virtually the same team.

You're kind of leaving out a guy name Ochefu who is about 6'11 250 and i think is with the Washington Bullets right now. Not to mention i think he was in their program four or five years. Occasionally a team can sneak thru, but this team doesn't shoot the ball well or consistent enough to do it. Nova won't win back to back championships. Up to last year, they were known recently for exiting early.

[commish118]

Ochefu was good, I will give you that, but he was not the center of that team. He averaged 10 ppg and 7.5 Reb. And there was no depth behind him. He only played 24 minutes per game. Rashid Gaston is averaging 7.2 ppg and 6.4 reb. And he can get much better. Nova won last year on their perimeter play, and that perimeter play is still there this season.

I think we need to get more dedicated to going through the low post, especially Gaston. Chris mentioned it in the Butler post game. We went to him in the first half and forgot about him in the 2nd half. We need the inside-out game, and need to generate our perimeter game off of feeds and drives to the lane, instead of forcing outside shots with no ball movement. We have what we need to make a Final Four run. These kids just don't know it, or believe it. They need to start listening to their coaches.

[bluegrass]

Just listened to Chris's post game. Man, is he frustrated! Seems they are not executing on the coaching in practice, or the coaching during the game. Maybe he needs to shake them up a bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnIaqAsnSxU

Yep....they are Lollygaggers.
Good clip.

May be a lineup change today

[thecoach]

Ochefu was good, I will give you that, but he was not the center of that team. He averaged 10 ppg and 7.5 Reb. And there was no depth behind him. He only played 24 minutes per game. Rashid Gaston is averaging 7.2 ppg and 6.4 reb. And he can get much better. Nova won last year on their perimeter play, and that perimeter play is still there this season.

I think we need to get more dedicated to going through the low post, especially Gaston. Chris mentioned it in the Butler post game. We went to him in the first half and forgot about him in the 2nd half. We need the inside-out game, and need to generate our perimeter game off of feeds and drives to the lane, instead of forcing outside shots with no ball movement. We have what we need to make a Final Four run. These kids just don't know it, or believe it. They need to start listening to their coaches.

You need a big kid who can give you 30 minutes a game on the defensive end as much as the offensive end. Once you get down to the last couple rounds way to many big, tough athletes that can make life way to difficult both rebounding and defending. There's a reason a guy like that gets NBA looks, and it's because he does the dirty work. We do not have that kind of guy right now, nor do we have a lot of size or skills down low. When the long range shot breaks down, it's a struggle.

[mumuskie87]

Just listened to Chris's post game. Man, is he frustrated! Seems they are not executing on the coaching in practice, or the coaching during the game. Maybe he needs to shake them up a bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnIaqAsnSxU

Yep....they are Lollygaggers.
Good clip.

May be a lineup change today

Good call...Q starting in place of Ed