Providence Win Is Essential

[vee4xu]

Riding a three game losing streak, X has to view tomorrow as game 1 of a three game series. As I a any sport, winning game 1 provides very high odds of winning a 3 game series. While losing game 1 does the opposite.

X owes the Friars one and it's the only home game of the next three. All of which are played in 7 days. X wins tomorrow and splits the two road games and that feels pretty good. If X loses tomorrow then the losing streak is 4 in a row and prospects of it becoming 6 with 2 road games and bad Khama.

Things feel much differently with an X win tomorrow and feel pretty desperate with a loss.

Hence a win over Providence tomorrow is essential.

[kyxu]

Tomorrow is about as "must win" as you can get. I am firmly in the "Xavier will make the NCAA tournament" camp, but a loss tomorrow and I'm not so sure.

I think the team understands how important tomorrow is, so I am confident we will come out with a win. Tuesday, tough to say. I liken Tuesday's contest to a game against an under-performing Dayton squad at UD Arena. We have the talent to win, but who knows which Xavier team will show up, and you know the opponent will play one of their best games of the season, regardless of how they performed in the game prior.

[GoMuskies]

Tomorrow is about as "must win" as you can get. I am firmly in the "Xavier will make the NCAA tournament" camp, but a loss tomorrow and I'm not so sure.

I'm cautiously optomistic, but if we lose tomorrow we are OUT and trying to play our way back in with a very, very difficult road to get there.

[kyxu]

I'm cautiously optomistic, but if we lose tomorrow we are OUT and trying to play our way back in with a very, very difficult road to get there.

Exactly. By, "I'm not so sure" we're in the tournament after a loss tomorrow, I meant we have to pull off a string of upsets to play our way back in.

Tomorrow is pivotal, but at the same time, even if we win tomorrow, our work is not done.

[bleedXblue]

Have to get to 20 wins. Doesn't matter how we do it. But have to get to 20 to be in a pretty good position.

[gladdenguy]

This is huge. Very nervous for this one. Need Danas at noon today to help calm by nerves.

[Kahns Krazy]

Certainly the difference between winning and losing today will have a significant impact on where we sit tomorrow. Taking over 3rd in the conference, ending the skid, etc.

I try to avoid saying "must win" unless it's truly a "must win", but this is at least a "really, really important win". Games in late March are must win. If you lose, you go home. We do not go home if we lose today, but our path gets tougher.

[muskiefan82]

I am breaking out the "superstitional" garb tomorrow. This particular t-shirt has never been present at a Xavier loss, but has been present for many important wins. This game is important. I will be doing all I can to appeal to the basketball gods and karma.

[Burrcats]

Backs against the wall, going head-to-head with your NCAA tournament competition, this is the classic game where the home team comes out fired up and blows them out. I think you guys got this..

[Xavier]

Backs against the wall, going head-to-head with your NCAA tournament competition, this is the classic game where the home team comes out fired up and blows them out. I think you guys got this..

While I agree, the top three Big East teams get in the tournament no matter what, I'd be surprised if both don't make the tournament.

[vee4xu]

The first won is in the books. Now take care of business on the road. Next up a struggling Bulldogs team, who seems to play X tightly especially in the Barn. Good defense and low turnovers was the order of the day yesterday. That same combo will place X in good position to win two tough upcoming road games.

[Fireball]

Butler will be a difficult one, but gotta take care of business there. They will be fired up, much like a Dayton team and crowd when we go in there. Gotta get it done.

[UCGRAD4X]

Do NOT look past the dogs!

Encouraged by the first win second time around in the BE. It will be telling how Mack and the boys adjust to the teams having played them once. Mack has been maligned a bit for not adjusting in-game. We will see how he continues to adjust between games with same opponent. So far so good, especially given the way he neutralized Cotton.

Butler is a little different than the other BE appoints in that we are a bit more familiar with each other.

[xu82]

Do NOT look past the dogs!

Encouraged by the first win second time around in the BE. It will be telling how Mack and the boys adjust to the teams having played them once. Mack has been maligned a bit for not adjusting in-game. We will see how he continues to adjust between games with same opponent. So far so good, especially given the way he neutralized Cotton.

Butler is a little different than the other BE appoints in that we are a bit more familiar with each other.

Agreed, Butler scares me (but so does everyone else this year - especially on the road). Your comment on the game to game decisions I also agree with. I sometimes question in-game changes (or lack thereof), but changing the D to shut down Cotton provided some hope. It would bring them great joy to knock us off. I'd like for them to find their joy elsewhere.

[xudash]

The first won is in the books. Now take care of business on the road. Next up a struggling Bulldogs team, who seems to play X tightly especially in the Barn. Good defense and low turnovers was the order of the day yesterday. That same combo will place X in good position to win two tough upcoming road games.

vee, there is no reason for you to insult barns.