Coach Steele

[Xville]

Not to be the bearer of bad news but after examining X's resume and examining X's talent, I don't think X can win more than 12 BE conference games. The level of skill and talent for BE games simply is too much.
Guards Scruggs, Tandy, Jones, Wilcher and Johnson are simply not good enough shooters nor drivers to keep defenses honest.

I am pleasantly surprised Freemantle, Carter and Griffin have all done well rebounding the ball.
I suspect Freemantle struggled defensively against SJU.

BE defenses are bothering X perimeter guys.
X's resume has only 1 quality win. That is Oklahoma.
X needs to sweep SJU, Depaul, Georgetown, and Butler to gain at least a 10-10 record.

I really hope I am wrong. Creighton, SH, Villanova, and UConn are just too good.

Seton hall is not good. They are a mediocre team in the league that will finish 5-7 place in the league. UConn, x can beat at home. I’d be ecstatic with 12 wins but hoping for 11. That will get x a berth which is all I am concerned with this year. Have to get back there just for the young guys to gain some perspective and experience.

[xavierj]

Not to be the bearer of bad news but after examining X's resume and examining X's talent, I don't think X can win more than 12 BE conference games. The level of skill and talent for BE games simply is too much.
Guards Scruggs, Tandy, Jones, Wilcher and Johnson are simply not good enough shooters nor drivers to keep defenses honest.

I am pleasantly surprised Freemantle, Carter and Griffin have all done well rebounding the ball.
I suspect Freemantle struggled defensively against SJU.

BE defenses are bothering X perimeter guys.
X's resume has only 1 quality win. That is Oklahoma.
X needs to sweep SJU, Depaul, Georgetown, and Butler to gain at least a 10-10 record.

I really hope I am wrong. Creighton, SH, Villanova, and UConn are just too good.

Xavier has only won more than 10 Big East games twice in 7 years. 12 wins would put them at 20-8, 12-8 in conference and wearing white in the first round. 12 wins this year would be the third most a Xavier has ever had in the Big East.

[UCGRAD4X]

Not to be the bearer of bad news but after examining X's resume and examining X's talent, I don't think X can win more than 12 BE conference games. The level of skill and talent for BE games simply is too much.
Guards Scruggs, Tandy, Jones, Wilcher and Johnson are simply not good enough shooters nor drivers to keep defenses honest.

I am pleasantly surprised Freemantle, Carter and Griffin have all done well rebounding the ball.
I suspect Freemantle struggled defensively against SJU.

BE defenses are bothering X perimeter guys.
X's resume has only 1 quality win. That is Oklahoma.
X needs to sweep SJU, Depaul, Georgetown, and Butler to gain at least a 10-10 record.

I really hope I am wrong. Creighton, SH, Villanova, and UConn are just too good.

Tandy has been a disappointment on both counts. That has not been the player he was billed to be and showed flashes last year. I still think Scruggs is improving most of the time. It used to be an offensive foul every third drive and 2 out of three on very few dump offs. He has learned that he doesn't need to bull rush the teeth of a jammed lane all the time. As he learns to hit more midrange and dump when the lane is clogged he will get better on both counts. He has to. If he gets some help, especially driving the lane (Odom and Tandy esp) this will also help him take over more stretches.

[GIMMFD]

Not to be the bearer of bad news but after examining X's resume and examining X's talent, I don't think X can win more than 12 BE conference games. The level of skill and talent for BE games simply is too much.
Guards Scruggs, Tandy, Jones, Wilcher and Johnson are simply not good enough shooters nor drivers to keep defenses honest.

I am pleasantly surprised Freemantle, Carter and Griffin have all done well rebounding the ball.
I suspect Freemantle struggled defensively against SJU.

BE defenses are bothering X perimeter guys.
X's resume has only 1 quality win. That is Oklahoma.
X needs to sweep SJU, Depaul, Georgetown, and Butler to gain at least a 10-10 record.

I really hope I am wrong. Creighton, SH, Villanova, and UConn are just too good.

Depends on our shooting, shoot like the last few games, and we're in trouble, shoot like we did to start the season, and we're in comfortably. So averaging that out, bubble seems to make sense, however we need to get into the tournament. Seton Hall isn't great, think we clip them on the road if we're up to it, UConn is good, but they are beatable. Villanova and Creighton are definitely top dogs, but I think we can hold our own in the top 3-5 spots. I don't agree with Johnson not being a good enough shooter to keep defenses honest, before this little slump Johnson went 4/6 against Marquette, 7/9 against Oklahoma, hit both against Cincinnati, he's basically a career 40% shooter from behind the three, not sure what more you want from him. Wilcher has played 21 minutes, with only 4 attempts from deep, pretty early to call it on him. Obviously this shooting slump is concerning, but it's a law of averages, guys will get to where they should be. I'm not worried about the outside shooting ability, I think it'll come back, this is the best team from deep we've had in a few years.

[noteggs]

Xavier has only won more than 10 Big East games twice in 7 years. 12 wins would put them at 20-8, 12-8 in conference and wearing white in the first round. 12 wins this year would be the third most a Xavier has ever had in the Big East.

Interesting stat and was unaware. However, we do have 2 more tries to get there this year and moving forward.

[American X]

Miller >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mack

Not really sure I could even comprehend an argument to the contrary. Particularly given that everything he did was without the benefit of being in the Big East. 2008 is still our best team ever.

Correct and Mack is a douche.

[Masterofreality]

Don't forget that we were within a Bradley free throw of losing. Also we had to go to OT vs Eastern Kentucky. We were Number 1 in KenPom luck fro a reason. That being said, see below.



I'm willing to just chalk up the Seton Hall game as a payback when we went to The Hall last year and, probably, had no business winning that game with almost the same kind of performance that the Hall put on us. We were smoking hot that game, and The Hall was not good that day. Maybe just Karma evening out?

Even though this team is 8-2, I just keep having this feeling that the season could still go either way. Was the early season shooting a mirage? Will this team's defense and rebounding get better? Can Steele figure out rotations that work and not just throw guys out there willy nilly?
I'm convinced that there had better be a rotation tightening. Too many non-productive minutes. Like we've said before, there are no participation trophies.

I'm just going back and reviewing old threads from last season.
The same stuff keeps coming up this year too!!
I know. I'm driving myself insane. :-(

By the way, the "Travis Discussion" Thread from last year, that Muskie closed is a fun one too.
The exact same questions and issues were brought up by numerous posters last year as have resurfaced this year.
Rinse Repeat.

[Final4]

^^^ Broken Record

[Masterofreality]

^^^ Broken Record

Thanks for agreeing!!!
Yes. Travis Steele's late season performance.
Which, by the way, you were critical of last year.

[Final4]

^^^ Dead Horse