Xavier Tired!!

[joeabe]

I tend to agree with an article in Banners on the Pky.......our guys are playing way more minutes than our opponents thus explaining the lapses in ball handling at games end.....Sunday's game was a perfect example....we played our butts off going toe to toe with Butler until the stretch run. Butler had a gear we did not have.....Reason? Our guys on average are playing way more minutes......Pretty simple....It's been that way the past 4 games....I'm certain our guys are mentally tired as well fighting all the BS the team has faced this year. Perhaps the stretch run of the season will be a picker upper for the team and they can win out and make a run in the BE tourney then surprise in THE Tourney!!

[bluegrass]

I do worry about the mental state of this team.I hope they aren't giving up.They still have a great chance to make the tournament but they need to win these next 2.I think playing 8 guys is ok but the problem is the lack of depth at the point.Also there's no senior leadership.We need a Lionel Chalmer's type guy who's going to grab the bull by the horns and put this team on his back.

[muskieman]

I don't think they are giving up. They still dive for balls on the floor and compete but I agree with the notion that they are getting tired in the second half of games. Last game JP got blind sided to the floor twice on off the ball plays, not to mention a few on ball screens, and he was huffing and puffing. You can see in their eyes they are tired at certain points when they are needed the most. If I disagree with Mack it is that, I think, you need the full compliment of scholarship players when you get into injury situations like X has gotten into this year. Sure it is only Ed out but every game lately has seen one or more players go down with ankle sprain, knee problems or something else and while they sometimes come back they are not 100% and the rest of the team has had to play minutes instead of getting a rest, foul trouble also plays a part in extended minutes. Some fouls are because they are just tired. Watch the players when the game is not going and see them bend over and put their hands on their knees. It is hard to go into that next gear when your transmission is worn out. I understand that young guys like these have great recovery capacity but game after game has to take a toll. I guess we are use to the iron men like Tu and Chalmers

[PT71]

If playing short-handed is an issue, Villanova is the template for how to do it! Perhaps its simply that there scheme, conditioning and approach (coaching?) is better. They are playing seven guys for the most part, with one walk-on getting some minimal minutes...what is the consensus out there? How is working for them and not for X? I think it is what I have mentioned, and more...believe their players are better suited for it...as has been stated, don't think Bernard was recruited to be a PRIMARY go to guy, nor was Gaston...they are COMPLIMENTARY players. With the erosion started by Eykior leaving, the Davis situation a distraction and more, and then Edmond's injury, our guys have been asked to do what they were not expected to do at season's beginning.

[thecoach]

Smu plays 6 guys as well. I think this team is tired of losing, not so physically tired as compared to other teams. All teams are tired at this point in the season and have injuries. If fatigue is really costing you games, then the coaching staff has to react and slow things down. You just have to suck it up and play. This is going to be an interesting off season.

[PT71]

Agree Coach.

[SuperNova]

I don't think they are giving up. They still dive for balls on the floor and compete but I agree with the notion that they are getting tired in the second half of games. Last game JP got blind sided to the floor twice on off the ball plays, not to mention a few on ball screens, and he was huffing and puffing. You can see in their eyes they are tired at certain points when they are needed the most. If I disagree with Mack it is that, I think, you need the full compliment of scholarship players when you get into injury situations like X has gotten into this year. Sure it is only Ed out but every game lately has seen one or more players go down with ankle sprain, knee problems or something else and while they sometimes come back they are not 100% and the rest of the team has had to play minutes instead of getting a rest, foul trouble also plays a part in extended minutes. Some fouls are because they are just tired. Watch the players when the game is not going and see them bend over and put their hands on their knees. It is hard to go into that next gear when your transmission is worn out. I understand that young guys like these have great recovery capacity but game after game has to take a toll. I guess we are use to the iron men like Tu and Chalmers

FWIW Dylan Painter on Nova is not a walk on> He actually cracked the top 100 in one ranking but generally he was a top 150 kid that we thought was still a year or two away. Thanfully Reynolds will be back this weekend. Nova is worn out too.

I thinK X's number 1 problem is lack of guards. I dont care what anyone says but College hoops is giard driven. You need really good guards to compete at a high level. Having Arch AND Brunson last year was absolutely huge and the key this year for us has not been hart, its been the play of Brusin. Its one of the reasons I was so high on X; The combo of Myles and Ed should have been a real strength and rmoved pressure from Macura Bluitt and the rest. I give Tre credit for playing on another level after Ed went down but he cant handle that pressure for a long period). I think was a lot to ask for X to still be a truly competive losing BOTH starting guards. I mean that really is something that was hard to overcome. Not reeady to throw Mack under based on the cards he was dealt this year.

[muskieman]

I don't think they are giving up. They still dive for balls on the floor and compete but I agree with the notion that they are getting tired in the second half of games. Last game JP got blind sided to the floor twice on off the ball plays, not to mention a few on ball screens, and he was huffing and puffing. You can see in their eyes they are tired at certain points when they are needed the most. If I disagree with Mack it is that, I think, you need the full compliment of scholarship players when you get into injury situations like X has gotten into this year. Sure it is only Ed out but every game lately has seen one or more players go down with ankle sprain, knee problems or something else and while they sometimes come back they are not 100% and the rest of the team has had to play minutes instead of getting a rest, foul trouble also plays a part in extended minutes. Some fouls are because they are just tired. Watch the players when the game is not going and see them bend over and put their hands on their knees. It is hard to go into that next gear when your transmission is worn out. I understand that young guys like these have great recovery capacity but game after game has to take a toll. I guess we are use to the iron men like Tu and Chalmers

FWIW Dylan Painter on Nova is not a walk on> He actually cracked the top 100 in one ranking but generally he was a top 150 kid that we thought was still a year or two away. Thanfully Reynolds will be back this weekend. Nova is worn out too.

I thinK X's number 1 problem is lack of guards. I dont care what anyone says but College hoops is giard driven. You need really good guards to compete at a high level. Having Arch AND Brunson last year was absolutely huge and the key this year for us has not been hart, its been the play of Brusin. Its one of the reasons I was so high on X; The combo of Myles and Ed should have been a real strength and rmoved pressure from Macura Bluitt and the rest. I give Tre credit for playing on another level after Ed went down but he cant handle that pressure for a long period). I think was a lot to ask for X to still be a truly competive losing BOTH starting guards. I mean that really is something that was hard to overcome. Not reeady to throw Mack under based on the cards he was dealt this year.

Guards can make or break a team. Great to have rebounders but if you cannot get the ball up the court and distributed properly the TOs and empty possessions will beak any team.

[Anti-Homer]

You can tell it's tourney time, when the cliches start pouring in. Let me add:

We need to keep turnovers to a minimum.
We need to win the 4 minute wars.
Key players need to stay out of foul trouble.
We need to hit our free throws.

This list will grow tenfold by the 3rd week in March.