What happened?

[Caveat]

I don't want to sound like I'm blaming him, but Xavier's dirty secret is that Bluiett could be shadowed by an athletic defender and taken completely out of a game.

We've all seen this happen several times throughout his tenure, and we all knew it could happen in the tournament. It did and that's all there is to it. Everything else can be debated infinitely, but at the end of the day if your top scorer and 3pt threat is nullified the rest of the team has to be perfect. Looking back at games where this has happened against decent teams we have either lost or someone else had a miraculous performance. @Creighton and Providence x2 come to mind.

But, that's the reason he was still here -- if Bluiett could beat an athletic defender to get an open look or get a shot off, he'd had have gone to the NBA last year.

Someone else needed to step up. When the team needed a lift, Gates and Q were simply too quiet.

[Caf]

But, that's the reason he was still here -- if Bluiett could beat an athletic defender to get an open look or get a shot off, he'd had have gone to the NBA last year.

Someone else needed to step up. When the team needed a lift, Gates and Q were simply too quiet.

I completely agree.

Besides from Q's miracle to end Creighton, the person to step up has always been Macura. Naji is probably the only other player who has the ability to pick up that slack. Injury + foul trouble = perfect storm

[xavierj]

Man just put myself through hell and re-watched the game. JP was screwed. Had it not been for the refs he goes for 30+ and Xavier wins by 15+. Complete garbage on his block and then steal. He was trying to take care of everyone else and the refs had a different plan. Really sucks.

[bleedXblue]

Staying with the 1-3-1 was a mystery after they shredded it for about 5-6 straight easy baskets.

I don't care if your in foul trouble or not........

We had a 10 point lead when we went to it..........thought Mack waited too long and played too conservatively with it.

Also, why you don't go to your 2,000 point scorer in the clutch and not Kanter (who everyone in the building knew was going to take that shot). Play should have gone through Kanter to Blueitt for the big shot.

[xavierj]

Staying with the 1-3-1 was a mystery after they shredded it for about 5-6 straight easy baskets.

I don't care if your in foul trouble or not........

We had a 10 point lead when we went to it..........thought Mack waited too long and played too conservatively with it.

Also, why you don't go to your 2,000 point scorer in the clutch and not Kanter (who everyone in the building knew was going to take that shot). Play should have gone through Kanter to Blueitt for the big shot.

I agree but Tre also has to get more than 8 shots for the game. If you go down go down with Tre shooting a ton of shots.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Staying with the 1-3-1 was a mystery after they shredded it for about 5-6 straight easy baskets.

I don't care if your in foul trouble or not........

We had a 10 point lead when we went to it..........thought Mack waited too long and played too conservatively with it.

Also, why you don't go to your 2,000 point scorer in the clutch and not Kanter (who everyone in the building knew was going to take that shot). Play should have gone through Kanter to Blueitt for the big shot.

I agree but Tre also has to get more than 8 shots for the game. If you go down go down with Tre shooting a ton of shots.

He couldnt get open.

There was a reason no one was near Kanter when he put up the last shot.

Cant believe he airballed it.

[bleedXblue]

He couldnt get open.

There was a reason no one was near Kanter when he put up the last shot.

Cant believe he airballed it.

I was referring to the possession prior to that where he had 3 guys all over him and he missed from 5 feet.

Also, there are ways to get guys open...its called a screen or pick. Really poor offensive execution by the whole X team and coaching staff.

[HenryMuto]

Have been sick to my stomach all day over this game. To have a 12 point lead with like 6 or so minutes left and then completely fall apart is tearing my heart out. Don't like to blame the refs but they made a couple horrific calls on JP that took him off the floor and the team fell apart with him off the floor.

I can't believe all the missed FT's that was a strength of this team. So bitterly disappointed.

Those last couple possessions were just god awful Tre does a step back and then does not shoot tries to drive and just loses the ball that was a crusher.

Going to be hard to get over this one. This team was a #1 seed and likely will never have the bracket open up like it did to get to the Final 4.

This team has been to the elite 8 several times but every time they are seeded like 10 or 11 and run into a great team in the Elite 8 and can't win.

North Carolina was gone only needed to beat Gonzaga and Michigan.

FAWK.

[whopper]

I believe the seeds were sown in first 2 minutes and my family said I never smiled even when we were up 10 esp when Q AND JP sat.
JP fouled the big center on the first play, and Tre had what I thought was a strip and out of bounds that I thought was a no call but ended a foul at 3 min in. Their second fouls were more noticed and by taking them out(along with Karem) we had an offensively challenged team that went 8 min without a field goal. That is when I believe Tre would have shot himself into the game. In the second half, things seemed to be going so well he did not shoot much but played solid. When JP and Q got their 4th fouls within a minute of each other at the 10 min mark(JP bad calls, Q a bad close out and a low post reach good calls), Tre and Scrggs played guard and I never saw Tre bring the ball up so much. When he brings it up, he can’t set himself up and never got started. That cross court pass was a result of pressing, the slip (maybe ) due to condensation.
Without those early meaningless fouls we probably are up 12 at half and it changes. Florida St had kind of interchangeable players so their fouls did not change any rotation. My two cents

[SemajParlor]

I'm not strong enough like some others to rewatch any footage yet. Can we talk about fouling down 1 with the shot clock already cut in half though?