Time to focus on future

[hoosiermuskie]

I'd like to see discussion about what changes need to be made to make the best out of the team we have now and for the rest of this season. Team 95 is not what we thought it would be. Can Chris Mack and coaching staff find better ways to utilize the talent we have? Current style of offense, without Ed Sumner, is going to fail. Team has to take on a new identity/style of play.
I think our bigs are lost in the schemes we've been playing. I think, win or lose, X should be emphasizing the bigs more. They have been afterthought in this season's offensive schemes. I may be a dreamer but I think there is more talent in Rashid and Sean than we've seen.
I am very far from being any kind of coach, but I think Chris Mack gets stuck in what he wants the team to do on offense, and thinks if he keeps trying what all too often doesn't work, that it will start working someday, somehow.
It looks to me that Xavier bigs over the years have been discouraged from pulling out of the lane for mid range jumpers. I have a hunch that our bigs can hit those shots at a better percentage than we have hit threes most of the year. They will get open shots, or if covered get the ball to guards on the perimeter or cutting through the lane. I believe that I see that too often our bigs and the guy guarding them are clogging up the lane when our guards are driving.
Any other thoughts about how Team 95 can be remodeled mid season?

Our bigs taking mid range jumpers? Youre kidding. They can't hit bunnies.. Big Sean is such a disappointment all around. I hoped for so much more from him this year. I see Larry didn't include him in extra minutes even though he will be back next year..

[kyzrex]

With the GT "upset" of Butler last night, Xavier (which has played less conference games than any other team in the conference and still has 11 conference games to go) is tied for 2nd in the loss column with 3 other teams. All of them have 3 loses. 'Nova is in first with only 2 loses.

Time to focus on the future? Only if the future consists of the next 6 weeks. I don't see a game on the schedule that isn't winnable. I also don't see any games that are a lock. But no r askn to give up on this season yet. Still a loooong way to go.

[tacitus]

WOW!

We are no where close to where we were at this point last year, but we are also still better off than we had been at this point in multiple seasons in the past where we had very strong finishes.

2014-15: we were 13-7 after 20 games with losses to Texas El Paso and Long Beach State and zero weeks in the AP 25. We made it to the Sweet 16.
2011-12: we were 13-7 after 20 games with multiple bad losses. We made it to the Sweet 16.
2003-4: we were of course 11-9 after 20 games and we made it to our first Elite 8.

The season is far from over.

It is disconcerting that we have no marquee wins at this point because we cannot close out games against teams with equal talent. It is disconcerting that we are 0-5 against the RPI top 25 and 2-5 against the top 50. It is disconcerting that free throw shooting has cost us two games against those teams, and getting dominated physically in paint cost us a third. It is disconcerting that we are 1-5 on the road and that our best wins are Clemson and Wake. And it is unfortunate that our senior leader lost his senior season due to off the court issues and is no longer on the team and that are most talented player is struggling with a rather serious injury.

But the season is far from over. We get another shot at Creighton, Nova and Butler (two of which on our court). We get two shots at Marquette, who will finally be getting some deserved votes in the rankings and will most likely finish the season in the RPI top 50. We also get two shots at Seton Hall, who could also finish in the RPI top 50. We have 6 road games left.

We are still fourth in win percentage in one of the top leagues, and we are tied for second in terms of total conference losses. And, of course, we still have the Big East tourney to look forward to.

20 total wins and .500 in the Big East get us in the tournament, if we can get at least one solid win. We can manage that.

The most reassuring recent developments are:

1) the games against Butler, Creighton and UC were very competitive and came down to the wire, despite the obvious issues we had;
2) with Myles officially off the team, a team leader can emerge;
3) Tre just gave the best individual performance since David West put up 47 against Dayton and this was against one of the best defenses in the country and a team that had held him to I believe to a total of 6 points in his first two shootouts. His performance was so impressive that it overshadowed UCs impressive team effort and comeback win and it overshadowed our very disappointing loss. If Sumner can get and stay healthy, the shootout could still very well be our turn around.

[tacitus]

Oh, and our only bad loss to-date is @Colorado. All we need is a good win or two and we are in good shape.

[oldhoopster]

Our bigs taking mid range jumpers? Youre kidding. They can't hit bunnies.

I've only seen Gaston and Omara take one 8-10 foot shot all season. Gaston made his and Sean's was in and out close. I may have missed some, but I'm sure not many. How do we know if they can't shoot a short range jumper? I might agree they are awful from 2 feet, but can't be worse from 10. Might open up the lane a bit for more penetration.

[jct1941]

tacitus - While I agree that Colorado was a bad loss (by 2 Points at their place) but they just beat OREGON yesterday. The season is full of upsets and surprises. Go Xavier!

[finalfourorbust]

Our bigs taking mid range jumpers? Youre kidding. They can't hit bunnies.

I've only seen Gaston and Omara take one 8-10 foot shot all season. Gaston made his and Sean's was in and out close. I may have missed some, but I'm sure not many. How do we know if they can't shoot a short range jumper? I might agree they are awful from 2 feet, but can't be worse from 10. Might open up the lane a bit for more penetration.

If they could make short range jumpers on a regular basis they would be shooting them and Mack would be OK with it.

[xu koop scoop]

The future is today at 6pm at St Johns. This team lost a lot of their HEART when last years floor leader Myles Davis was gone/retured/gone again.
Now I'm gonna enjoy seeing if any of the newer players can step up HUGE in these final 11 conference games. Think where we might be if Gaston & Bernard hadn't transferred to XU- and either could step up HUGE as they get more familiar with stellar competition. Those stupid pre-season rankings give folks a false sense of how good/bad your team should be. Remember in the A10 when we got super excited just to enter the Top 25.

[xu koop scoop]

The future is today at 6pm at St Johns. This team lost a lot of their HEART when last years floor leader Myles Davis was gone/retured/gone again.
Now I'm gonna enjoy seeing if any of the newer players can step up HUGE in these final 11 conference games. Think where we might be if Gaston & Bernard hadn't transferred to XU- and either could step up HUGE as they get more familiar with stellar competition. Those stupid pre-season rankings give folks a false sense of how good/bad your team should be. Remember in the A10 when we got super excited just to enter the Top 25.

[tacitus]

tacitus - While I agree that Colorado was a bad loss (by 2 Points at their place) but they just beat OREGON yesterday. The season is full of upsets and surprises. Go Xavier!

Agreed! I meant to put the word bad in quotation marks. They are also notoriously difficult to beat at 5000 feet.