Xavier @ DePaul (January 20, 2013) Game Thread

[paulxu]

http://sportsbusinessdigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/bigeast-logo.jpg
http://www.decalsextremeonline.com/assets/images/depauluniversitybluedemonsmascot(c).jpgVShttp://cache.lego.com/upload/contentTemplating/MinifiguresBios/images/pic773F455B41A27FB44B60F2397BAA49D7.jpg

Xavier University Musketeers (14-4, 4-1) vs. DePaul University Blue Demons (10-9, 2-4)
Monday January 20, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. ET
Allstate Arena, Chicago (18,000)

Live Chat (http://www.chatzy.com/32573582761803)

Notes (http://www.goxavier.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/011814aaa.html)

Television: FOX Sports Net (including FOX Sports Ohio) with Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Kevin O'Neill (analysis).

Radio: 700 WLW-AM (and iHeartRadio), play-by-play from Joe Sunderman (`79). Analysis by Byron Larkin (`88).

[GoMuskies]

X -5.5

[blobfan]

Let's go X!!

[paulxu]

Reps. Let's start a new one this afternoon.

[BandAid]

What a strange logo. Looks like the demon is taking a dump.

[GoMuskies]

What a strange logo. Looks like the demon is taking a dump.

Kind of appropriate for DePaul then, no?

[gladdenguy]

MOR's favorite Kevin O'Neill on the mic today

[Muskie]

Originally hoped to go to this one. Had to work instead.

[Mrs. Garrett]

Originally hoped to go to this one. Had to work instead.

Same. Worst thing X is finally in Chicago and the game is in the middle of the afternoon on a workday. Normally I would have just taken the afternoon, but I just started a new job at the beginning of the year.

[bobbiemcgee]

What a strange logo. Looks like the demon is taking a dump.

or had a botched vaginal mesh surgery.

[Mrs. Garrett]

What a strange logo. Looks like the demon is taking a dump.

That's actually their old school logo. Their new logo is much worse.

[GetUp5]

X now at -6. If you did bet on games and did want to take part in discussion, the forums over at covers.com can be sort of useful.

Anyways, lots of X love today over there, but I wouldn't touch it... Asking a team with only 2 true road games under their belt to cover a 6 point spread on the road in conference is tough.

[Mrs. Garrett]

X now at -6. If you did bet on games and did want to take part in discussion, the forums over at covers.com can be sort of useful.

Anyways, lots of X love today over there, but I wouldn't touch it... Asking a team with only 2 true road games under their belt to cover a 6 point spread on the road in conference is tough.

Growing up and currently living in Chicago, I watch a lot of DePaul basketball and although DPU has improved, I would be disappointed if X did not get a double digit win. Even on the road.

[kyxu]

Growing up and currently living in Chicago, I watch a lot of DePaul basketball and although DPU has improved, I would be disappointed if X did not get a double digit win. Even on the road.

Really? Man, I do hope you're correct. I watch a lot of Xavier basketball, and I would be happy as a pig in shit with a 3-point win today.

[RoseyMuskie]

Outside of the concern for Melvin, Garrett's ability to hit the three presents the biggest question mark heading into this game. Teams generally sag on him inviting three point attempts (understandably so, he's shooting below 30%). His performance against Creighton is the case in point. 0-7 from three point range. If he's hitting, like he did against Butler and St. John's, however, he's a difficult match up due to his size, quickness, and ability to get to the rim. And DePaul won those games.

Long story short, Melvin will get his. But if Garrett is ticking, DePaul presents a larger challenge than you would expect from DePaul.

[Mrs. Garrett]

Cleveland Melvin is one of the most overrated players of all time. If he scores 20 he most likely gives up that much on the defensive end. He also does most of his damage against lesser competition.

Billy Garrett is going to be a great player for the next 4 years, but he is still prone to freshmen mistakes. Thomas Hamilton the IV is a solid big when he wants to be and has range out to the 3pt arch. Brandon Young is also a solid 4 year player, but plays out of control often leading to turnovers and bad shots.

The big thing with DePaul is they are a dreadful defensive team and Semaj should be able to get to the rim whenever he wants.

DePaul has played well against the bottom feeders like SJU and Butler, but been blown out by the Creightons and Villanovas of the world.

[RoseyMuskie]

Cleveland Melvin is one of the most overrated players of all time. If he scores 20 he most likely gives up that much on the defensive end. He also does most of his damage against lesser competition.

Billy Garrett is going to be a great player for the next 4 years, but he is still prone to freshmen mistakes. Thomas Hamilton the IV is a solid big when he wants to be and has range out to the 3pt arch. Brandon Young is also a solid 4 year player, but plays out of control often leading to turnovers and bad shots.

The big thing with DePaul is they are a dreadful defensive team and Semaj should be able to get to the rim whenever he wants.

DePaul has played well against the bottom feeders like SJU and Butler, but been blown out by the Creightons and Villanovas of the world.

I'd be careful in talking about Melvin like that prior to the game. He'd start at Xavier..

You are somewhat right, but not to that extreme.

[Mrs. Garrett]

I'd be careful in talking about Melvin like that prior to the game. He'd start at Xavier..

You are somewhat right, but not to that extreme.

Cleveland Melvin would never start here based on his defensive abilty. Mack wouldn't stand for it. Although if had wound up in a better program like X, he probably would have improved that aspect of his game.

I've been watching both Melvin and Young for 4 years. They are both solid players, but haven't improved at all since their freshmen year.

[RoseyMuskie]

Cleveland Melvin would never start here based on his defensive abilty. Mack wouldn't stand for it. Although if had wound up in a better program like X, he probably would have improved that aspect of his game.

I've been watching both Melvin and Young for 4 years. They are both solid players, but haven't improved at all since their freshmen year.

Would never start? If I had the choice between Philmore and Melvin, I'd pick Melvin every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

I've been watching for four years as well. I'm from Chicago and my dad is a DePaul season ticket holder, so I've seen a lot of what you've seen. I usually get to 2/3 DePaul games a year. I do think their development was rather poor, but then again, Jerry Wainwright should have never been/should never be a head coach. The players were pretty much molded as is once Purnell took over.

[Mrs. Garrett]

Would never start? If I had the choice between Philmore and Melvin, I'd pick Melvin every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

I've been watching for four years as well. I'm from Chicago and my dad is a DePaul season ticket holder, so I've seen a lot of what you've seen. I usually get to 2/3 DePaul games a year. I do think their development was rather poor, but then again, Jerry Wainwright should have never been/should never be a head coach. The players were pretty much molded as is once Purnell took over.

What does Jerry Wainwright have to do with Melvin & Young's development? Melvin was Purnell's first recruit to DePaul. Young was a Wainwright recruit, but never played for him. Melvin doesn't have a clue how to play defense too slow to guard the 3, not strong enough to guard the 4. No idea on defensive rotation. Maybe you just see he puts up 16ppg and that's enough for you to see him as a great player, but there's a reason UConn let him out of his LOI and he wound up at DePaul.

Despite what I'm saying about DPU, I've been a fan of theirs much longer than X. I used to go to Ray Meyer BB camp. I just happened to spend 4 great years at X and so naturally I wound up a fan of their team as well. I would love to see them get back on the map, and the have a much better shot of that with BG Jr and TH IV than they did with BY and CM.

[BlueGuy]

This 4pm start time has totally F'd me. I never checked the time and just figured it was at a normal time 7 or 9, made plans to be somewhere at 6, so that I could be home by 7. Come to find out a few hours ago that it's at 4!?!? What the hell kind of time is that. Damn it! I'm dumb for not checking the schedule, but 4pm on a weekday is gay.

[Chalmers0]

4 PM start time is one thing, then it also is a Fox Sports Regional Network game? If TV is a reason for making it at 4 (which I can understand) then at least put it on Fox Sports 1. Apparently they were too busy worrying about those 10 or 12 people who would Crowd Goes Wild today.

[GetUp5]

This 4pm start time has totally F'd me. I never checked the time and just figured it was at a normal time 7 or 9, made plans to be somewhere at 6, so that I could be home by 7. Come to find out a few hours ago that it's at 4!?!? What the hell kind of time is that. Damn it! I'm dumb for not checking the schedule, but 4pm on a weekday is gay.

Gay is definitely the correct word to describe the start time. Seconded.

[RoseyMuskie]

What does Jerry Wainwright have to do with Melvin & Young's development? Melvin was Purnell's first recruit to DePaul. Young was a Wainwright recruit, but never played for him. Melvin doesn't have a clue how to play defense too slow to guard the 3, not strong enough to guard the 4. No idea on defensive rotation. Maybe you just see he puts up 16ppg and that's enough for you to see him as a great player, but there's a reason UConn let him out of his LOI and he wound up at DePaul.

Despite what I'm saying about DPU, I've been a fan of theirs much longer than X. I used to go to Ray Meyer BB camp. I just happened to spend 4 great years at X and so naturally I wound up a fan of their team as well. I would love to see them get back on the map, and the have a much better shot of that with BG Jr and TH IV than they did with BY and CM.

My mistake. Thought Wainwright coached the 2010-2011 season as well. Which would have overlapped into Melvin's career.

And I'll ask - would you choose Philmore over Melvin? I know I wouldn't.

And totally agree regarding BG and TH - the two have bright futures. If DePaul could add two more solid pieces, they may actually compete.

[xumuskies08]

All I'm seeing on FSO is frickin Cavalier Postgame. WTF?!

[Xavier]

Same here. BS.

[BMoreX]

Same on campus.

[xumuskies08]

The guide says "Xavier @ DePaul" but it's just Cavalier BS.

[sirthought]

I h^a^t^e fsn!




*Why can't I all caps? Sometimes it's needed.*

[Mrs. Garrett]

My mistake. Thought Wainwright coached the 2010-2011 season as well. Which would have overlapped into Melvin's career.

And I'll ask - would you choose Philmore over Melvin? I know I wouldn't.

And totally agree regarding BG and TH - the two have bright futures. If DePaul could add two more solid pieces, they may actually compete.

I would probably take neither, but for what X needs I think Philmore is the better option.

As far as DePaul goes I can't wait for BY and CM to graduate. With the base of BG and TH, plus bringing in Stimage from JC and Henry from U of I. I think next year could be the best in a long long time.

[BMoreX]

FSOHIO sucks.

[xubball1993]

where the hell is our game? Listening to Byron and Joe on the radio, waiting for the Cavalier tools to leave...

[Pablo's Brother]

11-5 us

[GIMMFD]

Gotta love Fox Sports Ohio... this is ridiculous.

[BMoreX]

How do they routinely F up so much?

[mistabeecee41]

stream is finally up... and it's a NY Islanders post game show. Will give update once I see if it turns into X game or not.

http://firstrowus1.eu/watch/234147/1/watch-xavier-vs-depaul-.html

[Jesuit4Life]

They're supposedly switching to after this commercial break. The real kicker is the game is they're showing an old UFC fight on the alternate channel.

Edit: Finally, wow.

[brownlavender]

I say we all send very polite emails to whoever is in charge of this. This is utterly ridiculous, its a 4 o clock game with absolutely nothing else on and they cant get the scheduling right? Wtf???

[paulxu]

It's on FS regional here in South Carolina!
We're scoring a lot in the paint.

[Pablo's Brother]

I swear fox sports is trying to make Xu fans mad!

[BMoreX]

We have had like 5 minutes of commercial.

[oddblob]

philmore....sigh.

[xumuskies08]

Finally. It's about time FOX.

[paulxu]

Zeke misses bunny, quickly picks up #2.
Dee still getting hammered under rim. Have no idea why he goes there.

[paulxu]

Who is Justin Harper?

[ammtd34]

Who is Justin Harper?

The guy from Richmond?

[sirthought]

I still get nothing on the stream.

[atljar]

Im not getting anything on the firstrow stream either, it was up for a minute then stopped

[OTRMUSKIE]

X 22-17

[OTRMUSKIE]

X22-22

[coasterville95]

Add ESPN onto the conspiracy. Their app crashed when I tried to check the score.

[BMoreX]

There's that 8-0 run I wanted!

[The_Mack_Pack]

The announcer just described Stainbrook as a dancing bear.

[ammtd34]

The announcer just described Stainbrook as a dancing bear.

Is Bill Walton calling the game?

[xu82]

We have had like 5 minutes of commercial.

That's why I stopped to return some emails - now I'm behind all of you but blowing through all that crap! The DVR has changed my life to an extent that I should be embarrassed to admit...

[BMoreX]

Oh wow we have 39 points already haha

[paulxu]

Semaj shoots our technicals? What a turnaround from the start of the season.

[OTRMUSKIE]

X 46-32

[Pluto]

What was the tech for?

[OTRMUSKIE]

40 sec left in half

[xumuskies08]

James backwards had a heckuva half. DePaul just isn't that good.

[BMoreX]

Semaj and JMart 33. DePaul 32.

[Pablo's Brother]

Solid half.

[BlueGuy]

Live chat server crapped out.

[GetUp5]

3 frickin votes in the AP poll. L-O-L.

This team is starting to be pretty fun to watch.

[Mrs. Garrett]

This is why I said I would be disappointed if X didn't win by double digits

[XUFan09]

Semaj and JMart 33. DePaul 32.

Beat me to it lol.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

[coasterville95]

It couldn't handle our teams awesomeness.

[BlueGuy]

This is why I said I would be disappointed if X didn't win by double digits

Limit the turnovers, and play better D, and we will win by 20-30. DePaul is one sloppy team. They have some athletes, but they are all over the place.

[xu82]

Coach deserves some credit for knowing JMart had it in him, then getting it out of him. Seems confident and so much better than earlier in the season. He can ball!

[BlueGuy]

Also, Fox has Smokeshows on every ch. Fox, Fox Sports, FS1.... They just collect hot blondes. Well done Fox.

[Kahns Krazy]

X22-22

Who's winning?

The Bears.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A2E-EHNCYAMz_1z.jpg

name that movie.

[Pablo's Brother]

Also, Fox has Smokeshows on every ch. Fox, Fox Sports, FS1.... They just collect hot blondes. Well done Fox.

Have to respect the dedication.

[chico]

Who's winning?

The Bears.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A2E-EHNCYAMz_1z.jpg

name that movie.

Bueller?? Bueller??

[DC Muskie]

Speaking of Bueller, we had a kid come in to interview for a temp job and who looks exactly like Alan Ruck from his Spin City days. I asked my colleagues (all in their 20's) who interviewed him how Alan Ruck was. They had no idea what I was talking about. So then I brought up Cameron Frye. Still nothing. At that point I just brought up Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and they told me they never saw it.

At this point I realized how old I am.

[STL_XUfan]

Also, Fox has Smokeshows on every ch. Fox, Fox Sports, FS1.... They just collect hot blondes. Well done Fox.

dont forget fox news

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/05/26/timestopics/vansustren-190.jpg

[BMoreX]

DePaul is pretty terrible at free throws.

[Kahns Krazy]

Speaking of Bueller, we had a kid come in to interview for a temp job and who looks exactly like Alan Ruck from his Spin City days. I asked my colleagues (all in their 20's) who interviewed him how Alan Ruck was. They had no idea what I was talking about. So then I brought up Cameron Frye. Still nothing. At that point I just brought up Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and they told me they never saw it.

At this point I realized how old I am.

Is there anything that cuts to the "old" bone quicker than a perfect movie reference that just sails over the younger generation's head?

We have a guy here that looks like a lot like Brent Spiner and someone called him "Data" the other day and none of the youngsters had a clue.

[mistabeecee41]

alright, Jim. Stick to the jump shots.

[BMoreX]

Come the f on.

[oddblob]

woah did philmore just go up hard and get an and1??? :hypnotized:

[mistabeecee41]

would love to see this team play 2 good halves in one game.

[xumuskies08]

Flat

[The_Mack_Pack]

Can't stop them with their 3 best scorers on the friggin bench.. Come on

[BMoreX]

You need to extend the lead here.

[The_Mack_Pack]

What a flop..

[paulxu]

I hate to see us get sloppy after playing well.
You do that against Creighton/Nova you are friggin toast.

[The_Mack_Pack]

Already in the bonus.. This is ridiculous.

[xumuskies08]

6:11 into the half and DePaul is in the bonus. Perfect.

[BMoreX]

They're already shooting ugh

[LA Muskie]

I do not like the Randolph, Davis, Christon, Stenger, Philmore lineup.

[xumuskies08]

Despite Xavier dominating in the paint, DePaul has shot more than 2x the free throws the Muskies have. Ridiculous.

[BMoreX]

Not a foul on Randolph

[LA Muskie]

Not a foul on Randolph

Sure it was. Probably should have been +1.

[BMoreX]

Sure it was. Probably should have been +1.

Didn't see it live, clear foul after replay.

Nice to see that 4-0 run. Get some more stops.

[BMoreX]

Semaj has done that fake three times tonight.

Very Tu-like.

[LA Muskie]

I just realized the problem with the 2nd half is no Martin. O'Neill is right. We need him in the game.

[The_Mack_Pack]

I do not like the Randolph, Davis, Christon, Stenger, Philmore lineup.

I agree. It's not a good rebounding squad or scoring squad.

[GoMuskies]

I just realized the problem with the 2nd half is no Martin. O'Neill is right. We need him in the game.

Unfortunately he did a good job of benching himself on that play that led to the third foul.

[LA Muskie]

Unfortunately he did a good job of benching himself on that play that led to the third foul.

That is true. I wasn't criticizing Mack. He's right to have him out. But we struggle without him on the floor. Randolph for Martin is a huge swing right now.

[BMoreX]

Incredibly sloppy passes.

[XUFan09]

I just realized the problem with the 2nd half is no Martin. O'Neill is right. We need him in the game.

What a difference a few weeks makes...

[LA Muskie]

Very sloppy 2nd half. Not showing a lot of heart right now.

[xumuskies08]

Jesus. Quit turning the ball over

[The_Mack_Pack]

Stop with the turnovers!!

[BMoreX]

So sloppy, both sides.

[paulxu]

We just can't stand success. Can't stand being up 18. Sloppy as hell.
We should have a killer instinct, and just step on people's throat when we have them down.

Now what's this technical for???

[oddblob]

a better team would be crushing us right now. incredibly sloppy, piss-poor play the past 5 minutes

[LA Muskie]

DePaul seems to almost be trying not to get back in the game with FT shooting and bone-headed moves like that...

[LA Muskie]

Semaj shoots our technicals. Another case of "what a difference a few weeks makes". (Incidentally I think that's a great call.)

[XUFan09]

Semaj shoots our technicals. Another case of "what a difference a few weeks makes". (Incidentally I think that's a great call.)

Lol yeah.

[oddblob]

stain and dee with 4 fouls. good lord.

[paulxu]

This game will be over around 6:30...maybe.

[OTRMUSKIE]

Will goxavier.com show the game when it's over?

[oddblob]

oh lordy

[Xavier]

This half has taken over 45 minutes. Just hit the under 8 TO. Incredible.

[The_Mack_Pack]

Crazy how such a nice first half can turn into a brutal second.

[xumuskies08]

Quit turning the ball over

[BMoreX]

They have sucked breaking the press. Fourth turnover off it

[The_Mack_Pack]

This isn't looking good.

[BMoreX]

I feel like Georgetown.

[Cheesehead]

STOP FOULING! This is keeping them in the game.

[oddblob]

the ball handling is just atrocious. i dont even understand whats going on.

[The_Mack_Pack]

the ball handling is just atrocious. i dont even understand whats going on.

They really haven't even been forced, they've just been lazy passes.

[BMoreX]

This isn't fun to watch. Too many fouls both sides.

[XUFan09]

This isn't fun to watch. Too many fouls both sides.

This isn't even fun to listen to.

[xu 89]

When did we learn to shoot free throws? This is nice

[The_Mack_Pack]

Phew.. That's just what we needed. Just end this game now.

[xumuskies08]

STENGER! Love it whenever he gets a bucket.

[LA Muskie]

DePaul's inability to close the gap is a testament to their unfathomable suckiness.

[oddblob]

philmore is just awful. not much can be done with him at this point but limit his minutes imho.

[HAAS_U]

Come on Philmore; this isn't the NBA.

[LA Muskie]

philmore is just awful. not much can be done with him at this point but limit his minutes imho.

There's no better way to destroy your credibility than to make a comment like that.

[The_Mack_Pack]

philmore is just awful. not much can be done with him at this point but limit his minutes imho.

Philmore kept Xavier's head above water with a lot of clutch baskets this half alone..

[oddblob]

There's no better way to destroy your credibility than to make a comment like that.

this post has no content.

[BMoreX]

How are we letting them stay in this game

[oddblob]

Philmore kept Xavier's head above water with a lot of clutch baskets this half alone..

i should asterisk my initial post. more to the point hes just incredibly frustrating to watch. my enduring impression of his post play is going up for a bunny and getting blocked, no foul.

[BMoreX]

65 foul shots.

[LA Muskie]

How are we letting them stay in this game

A more apropos question may be "how are we still in this game?" Answer: DePaul sucks really bad.

[The_Mack_Pack]

This is just getting silly.

[Cheesehead]

Stop fucking fouling!

[BMoreX]

Xavier just really struggling in the press and double team.

[Cheesehead]

Randolph needs to get rid of the ball quicker

[HAAS_U]

We're not handling this defensive pressure well at all... Sloppy second half

[BMoreX]

A more apropos question may be "how are we still in this game?" Answer: DePaul sucks really bad.

True. A competent FT shooting team and we'd be down by a lot.

[XUFan09]

i should asterisk my initial post. more to the point hes just incredibly frustrating to watch. my enduring impression of his post play is going up for a bunny and getting blocked, no foul.

Philmore has an effective field goal percentage of 52.1% and a FT rate (FTA/FGA) of 78.1%, which is 18.2% better than Semaj's.

[LA Muskie]

This is what my coach used to call a "forgettable win".

[oddblob]

Xavier just really struggling in the press and double team.

forever and always. it seemed a bit better lately, but this has been grim.

[oddblob]

Philmore has an effective field goal percentage of 52.1% and a FT rate (FTA/FGA) of 78.1%, which is 18.2% better than Semaj's.

sure but this doesnt mitigate my point.

[BMoreX]

Get the hell out of Rosedale.

[XU-PA]

announcer on why no foul call when Randolph was clearly fouled on a "steal" by depaul.

"The officials aren't going to give Xavier that call because they are not playing strong with the basketball"
Clearly the most idiotic thing every said by an announcer.

He was hot across the wrist whcih forced the ball out. The official either didn't see it, or is an idiot.

[The_Mack_Pack]

Well that was ugly but a road win is a road win.

[xumuskies08]

How did we win by 10? I'm glad that's over.

[oddblob]

ugly win but a win nonetheless. this felt like a bit of a step backwards from gtown.

[XUFan09]

sure but this doesnt mitigate my point.

You said "no foul." The stats prove that he gets to the line at a high rate. And he clearly isn't getting blocked regularly if he's shooting that well (though he has his moments there). Philmore is no All-Star, but you're underrating him.

[LA Muskie]

XU-PA I think his point is that players don't tend to get the benefit of calls when they are playing passively. He wasn't saying it wasn't a foul. And he's right -- that is a tendency among officials.

[GoMuskies]

ugly win but a win nonetheless. this felt like a bit of a step backwards from gtown.

Disagree. This was a win on the road, which is always a bonus. And we were awful for 25 minutes against G'town.

[GoMuskies]

68 total FTs. Awesome.

[xudash]

I feel like I need a shower after that one.

Stupid mistakes. Lack of focus. Caving into athletic pressure and not responding well.

We won. Great. Perhaps we would have won had DePaul NOT executed so poorly overall, including their ineptitude at the charity stripe, but who knows. AND they had a key player out in the second half.

Crap happens, I guess. Another "W" and on we go, hopefully learning something from this.

[GoMuskies]

Get in, get a win, get out.

[Cheesehead]

It's a league win on the road so take it and move on but thank goodness DePaul is so-so.

Ugly second half. Fugly in fact.

Mack cannot be happy w/ that second half but then again, it's a W.

[GIMMFD]

Quick notes:

Semaj, awesome. 27 points on only 12 attempts is great, he's hitting key free throws, and was big this game in some key moments getting to the line. His Big East play has been great, and we really need him in order to get a run going this March.

Justin Martin. Man, he's been awesome in Big East play as well, he's been working hard, looked pretty good defensively, and only made me say "DAMNIT" once this game. His continued improvement will help us as well get back into the NCAA tournament.

Brandon Randolph, made some dumb mistakes, we really need to learn how to break the press better, as I know other teams will be watching this on film. Hopefully some practice time will help in this scenario. Also kudos to the free throw improvements, as it was a big factor in a game like this. Stainbrook also has looked a little off at times the last two games, so I hope he shakes the cobwebs off and comes back strong like we know he is. We will also need him to play at a high level for us to be good.

[Musketeer_15]

announcer on why no foul call when Randolph was clearly fouled on a "steal" by depaul.

"The officials aren't going to give Xavier that call because they are not playing strong with the basketball"
Clearly the most idiotic thing every said by an announcer.

He was hot across the wrist whcih forced the ball out. The official either didn't see it, or is an idiot.

I was gonna say that might the dumbest thing I have heard an announcer say.

Throughout the second half I felt like we were only up by 2 pts even when we were up by 12 or so. Idk what was said at half but I hope we never see a half like that again

[GoMuskies]

Xavier will end the night in no worse than a tie for second. Pretty sweet after six.

[bobbiemcgee]

It's a league win on the road so take it and move on but thank goodness DePaul is so-so.

Ugly second half. Fugly in fact.

Mack cannot be happy w/ that second half but then again, it's a W.

We shot 58%...45% the second half, on the road and JMart continued his revival with 18/7. Prob not that sad.

[LadyMuskie]

It's a road win. There's not much more positive to say, but at least we stayed with it and won it.

[Cheesehead]

I was gonna say that might the dumbest thing I have heard an announcer say.

Throughout the second half I felt like we were only up by 2 pts even when we were up by 12 or so. Idk what was said at half but I hope we never see a half like that again

Well, that was Kevin O'Neal and in case you didn't see the other thread, he's a big giant douche.

[Musketeer_15]

Well, that was Kevin O'Neal and in case you didn't see the other thread, he's a big giant douche.

Yeah, I saw someone reference O'Neal is MOR's favorite announcer. I vaguely remember him since most of the Xavier games he gets are the ones at Cintas.

[SkyWalker]

Are they finished calling fouls yet or did FOX just go of the air?

[Lamont Sanford]

Kevin O'Neill is about as insightful as a wet fart. I turned the sound off in the second half as I just couldn't take it any longer.

Good roadkill for the Muskies!

Beat the Friars!

[profson]

i should asterisk my initial post. more to the point hes just incredibly frustrating to watch. my enduring impression of his post play is going up for a bunny and getting blocked, no foul.

What you don't credit sufficiently is that he is going up for bunnies consistently in the first place. That is his value (in addition to better defense than Farr and Reynolds). So what if he gets blocked three times if he goes 5-8 and draws a lot of fouls (like today)? Think of the blocks merely as the way he misses -- changes the perception, no? I know you want him to make all his bunnies, but he is 6'7" and can't jump. He has a post game, the only one on the team other than Stainbrook, and has a good FG%. Reality, not perception. Today his contribution was key with Stainbrook out with fouls and the other bigs ineffective.

[JTG]

ugly win but a win nonetheless. this felt like a bit of a step backwards from gtown.

Don't think so....
1. we had trouble with the press and fouls but prevailed.
2. Road wins are a bitch to get. DePaul came back on Villanova.
3. Granted we probably had a case of the big head from the GTown game, but we got it done , and got it done at the FT line, who would have believed that a month ago ?

[XU2011]

Philmore kept Xavier's head above water with a lot of clutch baskets this half alone..

Along with his trademark bury his head, drive and turnover.... or go up so weak he gets his shot blocked.

[gladdenguy]

I'm just thankful for the win. I'd rather have that than a feel good loss last Sunday against Creighton. Saturday would be a big win.

[vee4xu]

I watched DePaul come back from down 10 with 2 minutes remaining in the game to force OT against Butler in The Barn. They went on to win in double OT. As mentioned, they kept a stiff upper lip against Villanova on the road. Finally, they won two consecutive BE road games for the first time since 2008. Does that make them top tier? No, but it doesn't make them an easy road win. I think X did what they had to do. Get a big first half lead, play hard in the second half to maintain it and make FT's. They shot almost 60% from the field, 80% from the FT line, held serve on the rebounding battle and adequately guarded the three point line. They had 23 turnovers, but still won because of all of the other previously mentioned stats. I think it was a ver solid road win against a decent conference team.

[XU 87]

Along with his trademark bury his head, drive and turnover.... or go up so weak he gets his shot blocked.

Philmore had 13 points and 7 rebounds in 25 minutes. He was 5-8 from the field.

[sirthought]

Nice win on the road! Second half was frustrating to say the least, but I'll chalk it up to some learning moments. We should be glad some of the reserves got playing time, as they'll need the experience to know what to work on. Coach may have kept Stainbrook on the bench longer if he felt the game was in hand.

Here are details that tell us how much we need our reserves to perform if the starters make the mistake of getting benched. Just goes to show you that even a poor performing D1 team can prove to be a challenge. Nothing comes easy, especially in conference play.

Points in the paint - XU 18, DPU 18.
Points off turnovers - XU 7, DPU 13.
2nd chance points - XU 3, DPU 8.
Fast break points - XU 4, DPU 4.
Bench points-XU 9, DPU 8.

[xupuck10]

On a completely separate note from the actual game, how depressing is DePaul's attendance? Absolutely no student presence, at least 33% Xavier fans, and the majority of the people rooting for DePaul were school children off from school due to the holiday.

[vee4xu]

These are directly from the stat sheet:

Points in the paint-XU 44,DPU 36.
Points off turnovers-XU 21,DPU 24.
2nd chance points-XU 5,DPU 16.
Fast break points-XU 10,DPU 6.
Bench points-XU 14,DPU 13.
Score tied-1 time.
Lead changed-0 times.
Last FG-XU 2nd-03:37, DPU 2nd-01:17.
Largest lead-XU by 19 2nd-18:42, DPU None.

[BlueGuy]

dont forget fox news

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/05/26/timestopics/vansustren-190.jpg

Google Anna Kooiman and Ainsley Earhardt. They host the 5am news show...

[gladdenguy]

On a completely separate note from the actual game, how depressing is DePaul's attendance? Absolutely no student presence, at least 33% Xavier fans, and the majority of the people rooting for DePaul were school children off from school due to the holiday.

I went on the DePaul scout board earlier today and a student was upset that himself and his 5 buddies (some of the only students who go to the games) had class today at 330. DePaul will not be off for MLK until 2015. He said nobody would be there.

[LA Muskie]

I went on the DePaul scout board earlier today and a student was upset that himself and his 5 buddies (some of the only students who go to the games) had class today at 330. DePaul will not be off for MLK until 2015. He said nobody would be there.

Most interesting part of that post for me? That there's actually a DePaul scout site. I would have been surprised that they had a free site. But the fact that there are fans who pay good money for a DePaul fan site is beyond my comprehension.

[Smails]

Philmore had 13 points and 7 rebounds in 25 minutes. He was 5-8 from the field.

This. Let's rake a kid over the coals after going for 13 and 7 on the road, in the Big East. Makes zero sense. Philmore is an undersized, not very athletic post player who gets the absolute most out of his game. It will never be sexy, never flashy, probably the 4th or 5th scoring option on the starting 5 and sometimes he's limited based on match-ups. However, to say that he 'sucks' or is useless shows a genuine lack of basketball acumen.

13 and 7...on the road...in the Big East

[X-ROX]

this. Let's rake a kid over the coals after going for 13 and 7 on the road, in the big east. Makes zero sense. Philmore is an undersized, not very athletic post player who gets the absolute most out of his game. It will never be sexy, never flashy, probably the 4th or 5th scoring option on the starting 5 and sometimes he's limited based on match-ups. However, to say that he 'sucks' or is useless shows a genuine lack of basketball acumen.

13 and 7...on the road...in the big east



amen !!!

[profson]

amen !!!

Agree. He was the second most important reason -- after Semaj -- that XU won yesterday (in my judgment narrowly beating out Justin because Justin sat out so long and because no other big played well). Unfortunately too many people define players by ESPN highlight dunks.

Instead of fretting about Philmore, worry about the following that may limit the upside of this good team

- defense lately not up to XU standards, with lots of penetration of guards (partly because of new rules?)
- the bench making less and less of a contribution
- Stainbrook lately being a bit less of an offensive force (is it matchups or have the opponents figured a way to limit him?)

[The_Mack_Pack]

Agree. He was the second most important reason -- after Semaj -- that XU won yesterday (in my judgment narrowly beating out Justin because Justin sat out so long and because no other big played well). Unfortunately too many people define players by ESPN highlight dunks.

Instead of fretting about Philmore, worry about the following that may limit the upside of this good team

- defense lately not up to XU standards, with lots of penetration of guards (partly because of new rules?)
- the bench making less and less of a contribution
- Stainbrook lately being a bit less of an offensive force (is it matchups or have the opponents figured a way to limit him?)

The defense has definitely been a problem the past 5 games or so, not sure why that is exactly. As far as the bench goes, I thought Randolph had a solid contribution yesterday but Farr and Myles have slowed down a bit. Myles especially, it'd be nice to see him drain a few threes in a game to regain his confidence. With Stainbrook I feel like the past couple games were just bad matchups, he needs a big body to matchup against and lately all he's had were forwards who can step out and take jump shots which he has trouble defending and bodying up against.

[GoMuskies]

in the Big East

DePaul, so it barely counts.

[American X]

DePaul is adept at using their length and athleticism to create pressure, but remain utterly under-skilled at actually putting the basketball into the basket. So a classic Oliver Purnell team.

In case there is any doubt, the star of yesterday's game was referee Evon Burroughs. HE is the focus of attention. Stop looking at the basketball players, everyone pay attention to him.

For going to the trouble of opening the arena and hosting a sporting event, they have little interest there in selling beer and concessions. I will gladly trade good American dollars for them.

Five of the seven members of the DePaul dance team could start on offensive line for the Bears.

[Masterofreality]

DePaul is adept at using their length and athleticism to create pressure, but remain utterly under-skilled at actually putting the basketball into the basket. So a classic Oliver Purnell team.

In case there is any doubt, the star of yesterday's game was referee Evon Burroughs. HE is the focus of attention. Stop looking at the basketball players, everyone pay attention to him.

For going to the trouble of opening the arena and hosting a sporting event, they have little interest there in selling beer and concessions. I will gladly trade good American dollars for them.

Five of the seven members of the DePaul dance team could start on offensive line for the Bears.

Best game analysis of the year.

[Masterofreality]

It was pretty clear that defense for DePaul was merely an unpleasant diversion that they had to endure until they could get the ball back and dribble drive to the basket.

Their press surprised X early in the half, but rather than being greatly effective with it, X got pretty lazy in dealing with it...especially when Dee was out.

For much of the game yesterday, I thought I was watching Fairly Ridiculous from last year playing D.

[Masterofreality]

Yeah, I saw someone reference O'Neal is MOR's favorite announcer. I vaguely remember him since most of the Xavier games he gets are the ones at Cintas.

Kevin O'Nucklehead.

Very Bad Coach.....Horriffic Commentator.

He should be some NBA team's advance scout. Keep him away from all players and all fans...all the time.