XAVIER vs MISSOURI

[MADXSTER]

1563 vs 1564

Xavier University Musketeers (7-2)
W Northern Arizona 93-60 Preseason pick was 3rd in Big Sky
W Long Beach State 97-74 Preseason pick was 3rd in Big West
W Stephen F Austin 81-63 Preseason pick was 1st in Southland
W Murray State 89-62 Preseason pick was 1st in OVC
W San Diego Toreros 82-71 Preseason pick was 5th in WCC
L UTEP Miners 77-73 Preseason pick was 2nd in CUSA
L Long Beach State 73-70 Preseason pick was 3rd in Big West
W Alabama 97-84 Preseason pick was 10th in the SEC
W IUPUI Jaquars 66-43

vs Missouri Tigers (3-4) Preseason pick was 7th in the SEC
L UMKC 69-61
W Valparaiso 56-41
W Oral Roberts 78-64
L Arizona 72-53
L Purdue 82-61
W SE Missouri St 65-61
L Oklahoma 82-63
?? Elon at home on Thursday 12/11


Saturday Dec. 13, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. ET at Missouri
Television: ESPN2
Radio: 700 WLW-AM

GameTracker

Live Chat

[Xville]

Missouri is my second team and so ahving said that, I have watched a number of their games. There is zero reason this game should even be competitive...Xavier should win by 15-20 easily. If they do not, then that will say quite a bit about what this team is going to be like on the road this year.

[gladdenguy]

Missouri is my second team and so ahving said that, I have watched a number of their games. There is zero reason this game should even be competitive...Xavier should win by 15-20 easily. If they do not, then that will say quite a bit about what this team is going to be like on the road this year.

i love seeing this. What are their strengths and weaknesses?

[Xville]

i love seeing this. What are their strengths and weaknesses?

Weaknesses: Rebounding, front court play, prone to turnovers, 6 of their 11 11 rotational players are new to the team (sounds familiar?)..difference between us and them in this regard though is that their older players are absolutely dreadful outside of Williams III who is a decent player but athletically limited.

Strengths: There really aren't any to speak of quite honestly. They try hard on defense, but they just don't have the talent, especially on the front line, to keep up with Div 1 players. Farr, Reynolds and Stainbrook should have field days against these guys.

I will say though that if there is one player to keep an eye on for the Missouri team, it would be Gill-Caesar. The guy has a ton of talent...the problem though is that there isn't much around him and he is a freshman. He is their leading scorer and has great size for a guard...6'6 215. I will be interested to see who Xavier will have guarding him, because he seems like one person that Xavier could have trouble with based on the defense we have played so far this year.

[MADXSTER]

I will say though that if there is one player to keep an eye on for the Missouri team, it would be Gill-Caesar. The guy has a ton of talent...the problem though is that there isn't much around him and he is a freshman. He is their leading scorer and has great size for a guard...6'6 215. I will be interested to see who Xavier will have guarding him, because he seems like one person that Xavier could have trouble with based on the defense we have played so far this year.

Remy

[STL_XUfan]

Like Xville, Mizzou is my second team and I have watched them play all season. I agree with his assessment that we should except to win, but here is a little bit of a break down of their team (Remember, this is me talking, and I think I have proven time and time again on this board I am not the best at advanced statistics).


Who to watch for:


Wes Clark: Is one of the more experienced players on the team, and he is only a sophomore, so that should be your first red flag about this Mizzou squad. He is a solid PG but can play a little bit out of control from time to time. He is going to get his 9-11 points but not much more.


Teki Gill-Caesar: As excited as we are about Bluiett, Mizzou fans (myself included) are excited about Teki. The kids can absolutely ball and is about the only reason I still tune into watch Mizzou. He is young, and it shows at time, but he is far and away the best offensive weapon on this Mizzou team. He is going to get his points, but hopefully we can make sure he doesn't have a big game against us. (Don't forget his name for next year, I can only imagine what he will look like after he gets a full season under his belt).


Wild Card


Jonathan Williams III: This is the man we need to contain. For Mizzou to have a chance to compete this year Williams needs to step up his scoring. So far it has been a mix bag. He has had great games, and other games where i didn't even realize he made it onto the court (UMKC). As of late he is starting to fill up the stat sheet, which for Mizzou's sake, I hope is a trend. If we shut down Williams I don't see anyway Mizzou will have enough offensive power to compete in this game.


Post Play:


Missouri is terrible. Post and Rosburg just are not good enough to compete in high major D1 basketball. I wish they were, but they aren't. We should have a field day inside.


Other notes:


Mizzou has some players who have shown talent this year (Shamburger and Isabell have both looked solid), but at the end of they day, they are young with no inside presence. With the young talent they have I don't think they will be down long, but this is looking like a total rebuild in Columbia under Kim Anderson. We need to and should win this game.

[STL_XUfan]

Also if you are going to the game I recommend swinging by Flat Branch for dinner or lunch. Great food and great beer. Other fun locations are Shakespeare's Pizza (downtown), CJ's (if you want wings) and Tropical Liquors (trops). Downtown features a good sized bar district, so you will have no problem finding a bar to celebrate afterwards.

[GoMuskies]

I'm planning to hit the G&D Steakhouse. What do you think, the Porterhouse?

[THRILLHOUSE]

I'll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I recognize Missoura!

[paulxu]

I'm planning to hit the G&D Steakhouse. What do you think, the Porterhouse?

I think you better not screw this game up.

[gladdenguy]

Thanks for the input XVille and Stl_XU fan. It worries me that they are bad down low. I hope Reynolds, Stainbrook, and Farr can get us some second chance points. Last night they were terrible and IUPUI was small. I really want this game mainly because we can't afford to lose to a bad team....even if it's on the road. From what I read Auburn is even worse. We'll see....even a one point win Saturday at 6pm and I'll be happy.

[xu82]

Thanks for the input XVille and Stl_XU fan. It worries me that they are bad down low. I hope Reynolds, Stainbrook, and Farr can get us some second chance points. Last night they were terrible and IUPUI was small. I really want this game mainly because we can't afford to lose to a bad team....even if it's on the road. From what I read Auburn is even worse. We'll see....even a one point win Saturday at 6pm and I'll be happy.
Everything worries me. I'd be more worried if they were good down low. But still, I worry.

[GoMuskies]

Missouri will have an interesting game against Elon Thursday night. Elon obviously isn't great, but they're 5-3 and took Northwestern to OT, so they are probably good enough to be pretty competitive with Mizzou.

[STL_XUfan]

If anybody wants to do some scouting, Mizzou is on the sec network right now.

[BMoreX]

Shannon Russell ‏@slrussell 4m4 minutes ago

Mizzou, #Xavier's next foe, leads Elon by one w/33.9 seconds left. SEC Network.

Yeah, we cannot lose.

[xu82]

Shannon Russell ‏@slrussell 4m4 minutes ago

Mizzou, #Xavier's next foe, leads Elon by one w/33.9 seconds left. SEC Network.

Yeah, we cannot lose.

MUST not. I believe CAN not is asking for bad karma or something.

[STL_XUfan]

MUST not. I believe CAN not is asking for bad karma or something.

If you watched full game, it was Mizzou's season in a nutshell. Mizzou went into the lockerroom at half with what had to be their most competent offensive display of the season. Came out in the second half and reminded everyone that deep down inside, they just aren't very good. Hopefully they don't decide to play 2 competent halves of basketball against us on Saturday.

[gladdenguy]

Missouri gave up 19 offensive rebounds. They only had nine offensive rebounds. We need to rebound the basketball. This could be a big chance for Jalen and Farr.

[drudy23]

What are the chances they have their best game of the season? Always seems to happen that way. Can't lose this game.

[bleedXblue]

What are the chances they have their best game of the season? Always seems to happen that way. Can't lose this game.

Agreed. Seems like we let bad/mediocre teams do this more often than not.

We must impose our will !!! Simply refuse to lose.

We'll see what kind of effort Mack can muster up.

[Xville]

Again, as I have said, there is no reason Xavier should lose this game. Having said that, I am glad that Xavier is playing Missouri now as opposed to later in the year. Although Mizzou is still very much low on talent, and the talent they have is young, I fully expect them to get better as the year goes on. I believe that Kim Anderson knows what he is doing and by the end of the year, will have gotten everything he can out of this group. Being that the SEC is downright awful in basketball this year outside of UK, I think Missouri can at least be respectable in terms of W-L record.

[STL_XUfan]

I am actually a little bit worried about the atmosphere on Saturday. Our players seem to have trouble getting up for games in front of half full arenas, and there is no reason to think that the Paige Center for Educational Excellence will be more than 40% full. Hopefully Mack has them motivated and we don't play down to our competition.

[MizzouMan]

I am actually a little bit worried about the atmosphere on Saturday. Our players seem to have trouble getting up for games in front of half full arenas, and there is no reason to think that the Paige Center for Educational Excellence will be more than 40% full. Hopefully Mack has them motivated and we don't play down to our competition.

I think we'll get 8,000 or so. The product on the court is bad but this is a big recruiting weekend for the football team and they will be stopping by the arena. I hope for the sake of their recruitment that we are able to get a decent number, although 8,000 used to be a very mediocre number for us.

In terms of the atmosphere. 8,000 will actually be a big number for our guys so that might get them to play with more energy. For years we have had an incredibly dominant record at home. It is sad to see the way things are right now. This might be our worst team in the last 30 years.

[STL_XUfan]

I think we'll get 8,000 or so. The product on the court is bad but this is a big recruiting weekend for the football team and they will be stopping by the arena. I hope for the sake of their recruitment that we are able to get a decent number, although 8,000 used to be a very mediocre number for us.

In terms of the atmosphere. 8,000 will actually be a big number for our guys so that might get them to play with more energy. For years we have had an incredibly dominant record at home. It is sad to see the way things are right now. This might be our worst team in the last 30 years.

How many students do you think will show up? Their numbers have been pathetic all year long, so I don't expect the weekend before finals to cause a spike in attendance. You know it is bad when Alden has to let the Antlers have front row seats.

[MizzouMan]

This is the first name opponent we have faced at home. Also first Saturday home game too so I think there might be a tad more students than usual. So perhaps "bad" as opposed to "pathetic", I don't know for sure. With the football recruits, recruits families, football team, coaches, and coaches families sitting in the student section this weekend it might create the illusion it is fuller than it really is too.

You are right about the Antlers. The official student group (Zou Crew) has not shown up in high numbers. They have the bottom half of the student section reserved, this allows the Antlers to move down prior to tipoff.

[toledodan]

This is the first name opponent we have faced at home. Also first Saturday home game too so I think there might be a tad more students than usual. So perhaps "bad" as opposed to "pathetic", I don't know for sure. With the football recruits, recruits families, football team, coaches, and coaches families sitting in the student section this weekend it might create the illusion it is fuller than it really is too.

You are right about the Antlers. The official student group (Zou Crew) has not shown up in high numbers. They have the bottom half of the student section reserved, this allows the Antlers to move down prior to tipoff.


looking forward to visiting your venue saturday. i assume they sell beer??

[MizzouMan]

looking forward to visiting your venue saturday. i assume they sell beer??

Unfortunately they do not. Unless you are in the suites and have Clinton Club access.

[GoMuskies]

i assume they sell beer??

In the SEC?!? Doubtful.

[toledodan]

guess i will do my drinking before the game. cheaper:biggrin:

[MADXSTER]

This game has me baffled a bit. The ones on here who follow Mizzou say wwe should beat them handily. But we've seen this X team flop on the road at a nuetral site much less a true away game. Xavier should have fresher legs which means better shooting. I think the 3 games in 4 days out west is a bigger factor than most realize with shooters and a big guy like Stain.

Xavier could win by 2 or 20. We shall see.

[MADXSTER]

i assume they sell beer??

Went to a KY vs Tenn game at Rupp. No beer. Was disappointed. Lots of coke was sold. Could not believe how many Jim Beam bottles were left in the stands. :)

[toledodan]

Went to a KY vs Tenn game at Rupp. No beer. Was disappointed. Lots of coke was sold. Could not believe how many Jim Beam bottles were left in the stands. :)

kentucky fans and jim beam..... what could go wrong lol

[MizzouMan]

This game has me baffled a bit. The ones on here who follow Mizzou say wwe should beat them handily. But we've seen this X team flop on the road at a nuetral site much less a true away game. Xavier should have fresher legs which means better shooting. I think the 3 games in 4 days out west is a bigger factor than most realize with shooters and a big guy like Stain.

Xavier could win by 2 or 20. We shall see.

There was a rumor that Jakeenan Gant, a 4 star freshman was going to play tomorrow. It doesn't sound like it is going to happen though. He has been held out all season due to "eligibility concerns."

I am immensely concerned with rebounding the basketball. I think Xavier will kill us on the boards. Our real hope tomorrow is to get hot shooting the ball from deep and somehow find a way. I am not used to losing games at home so there is part of me that honestly expects us to win. But that is mostly an irrational thought. Our fans are talking about us going 0-18 in the SEC. Doubt it happens but that should tell you everything you know about the state of the program right now.

[XUOHTX]

There was a rumor that Jakeenan Gant, a 4 star freshman was going to play tomorrow. It doesn't sound like it is going to happen though. He has been held out all season due to "eligibility concerns."

I am immensely concerned with rebounding the basketball. I think Xavier will kill us on the boards. Our real hope tomorrow is to get hot shooting the ball from deep and somehow find a way. I am not used to losing games at home so there is part of me that honestly expects us to win. But that is mostly an irrational thought. Our fans are talking about us going 0-18 in the SEC. Doubt it happens but that should tell you everything you know about the state of the program right now.

Please don't do that.

[bobbiemcgee]

Mack needs to light a fire under this team for road games. Hopefully we come out with some energy and maintain.

[Masterofreality]

Yeah, we NEED to win these next three games...ALL of them.

[GoMuskies]

For all the talk of how this SHOULD be an easy win...Xavier is only 4.5 point favorites.

[toledodan]

For all the talk of how this SHOULD be an easy win...Xavier is only 4.5 point favorites.


i saw 6 points last night. far from an easy win but a game we should/better win if we hope to be better as the season goes.

[casualfan]

Jackeenan Gant cleared to play for Mizzou.

[Emp]

Jackeenan Gant cleared to play for Mizzou.

No scouting report. I smell trouble.

[Xville]

Huge get for missouri, but Gant isn't in game shape. It will help later in the year....I wouldn't expect much from him today.

[paulxu]

There seems to be a lot of empty seats.

[GoMuskies]

There seems to be a lot of empty seats.

I can confirm

[paulxu]

Well, Creighton is in OT.

[paulxu]

I can confirm

Take a personal upgrade. There are a lot of seats in the second row. MOR's seat behind the bench is also vacant.

[paulxu]

Excellent defense. Crappy offense.

[GoMuskies]

I've seen some good games in my life. This is not one of them.

[paulxu]

I've seen some good games in my life. This is not one of them.

Well, just stroll down to the bench and coach 'em up.

[DC Muskie]

Huge get for missouri, but Gant isn't in game shape. It will help later in the year....I wouldn't expect much from him today.

First shot, first make.

[nasdadjr]

Can anyone justify why miles Davis gets any minutes other than scrub time? He is nothing but a turnover machine and brick layer

[GoMuskies]

Now that Gant is in, the noise level has risen such that it may be moderately difficult to study in the arena now.

[xavierj]

I've seen some good games in my life. This is not one of them.

Your next positive comment about xavier, the big east and any team xavier plays, will be your first. Keep up the good work.

[DC Muskie]

First shot, first make.

7 points. He needs to get back into not game shape.

[paulxu]

We are getting really sloppy.
And this Gant kid can shoot.

[nasdadjr]

Please someone get miles Davis out of the game

[DC Muskie]

Please someone get miles Davis out of the game

He is really getting good at turning it over.

[nasdadjr]

Miles Davis is a worse shooting redford. Miles Davis is the best defender for Missouri

[GoMuskies]

Your next positive comment about xavier, the big east and any team xavier plays, will be your first. Keep up the good work.

That's a bizarre comment.

[X Factor]

More Macura, less Myles please.

[Xavgrad08]

Randolph has provided us some nice offense. Sean Omara has had a couple of nice subtle plays.

[paulxu]

Why does Farr shoot 3's? Have I missed something important?

[GoMuskies]

Randolph ' s hot stretch is the difference so far, I think. Should be fine once Matt and Jalen can get back out there.

[xsteve1]

Need to get Bluiett going again. He looks tired and it's only Dec. 13.

[Xavgrad08]

Missouri has scored on their last nine possessions.

[GoMuskies]

I was enjoying this more when we were up 24-11.

[xsteve1]

Going to be really tough to win this. Reynolds, Stainbrook and Farr are playing awful. Reynolds and Farr are horrible defensively.

[nasdadjr]

I like mack but one of his short comings is his stubborness. Randolph came to play and is the hot hand on this team why did he not start second half. Sometimes you gotta just play the hot hand and he is better than anyone today so far

[XU3232]

Everything falls apart when this team leaves the Cintas center. Just a different team on the road.

[nasdadjr]

I think that is every cincinnati sports team ever not just x

[XfansinKy]

A friend of mine who doesn't watch X basketball just asked me why Xavier isn't tough anymore.

[GoMuskies]

Kim Anderson seemed quite displeased there.

[nasdadjr]

Since when was three full steps legal

[xsteve1]

A friend of mine who doesn't watch X basketball just asked me why Xavier isn't tough anymore.

extremely soft.

[Xaveriana]

I'm convinced that Stain is sick. He didn't look good on the TO closeup.

[GoMuskies]

I'm feeling a little run to put this thing away right now.

[Xavgrad08]

The three out of the time out was huge from Myles Davis. It was also a well drawn up and executed play.

[IM4X]

More Macura, less Myles please.

Amen.

This game should never have been this close.

I am sorry but X should have been up by 15 at half.... Mack gave the opponent confidence when we had them on the ropes in the first half.

He needs to wake up and pull guys out when they are forcing bad shots, playing terribly on defense and not hustling like both Myles and Farr were for long stretches-cause a huge momentum swings. both were sucking missing buckets, turning the ball over and getting beat on defense- while mucura and Reynolds are fresh and twiddling their thumbs on bench. Coach needs to get smarter about quickly sitting players who are so critically hurting the team momentum and rhythm on the court. It's something I personally have been critical about Mack and I will continue to call him on it until he gets better at it.

Myles and Farr have their moments of good play... But when they are playing poorly it's like they force things more and make costly mistakes.

[TUclutch]

extremely soft.

They were neutered by the school after the last shootout at Cintas

[TUclutch]

Amen.

This game should never have been this close.

I am sorry but X should have been up by 15 at half.... Mack gave the opponent confidence when we had them on the ropes in the first half.

He needs to wake up and pull guys out when they are forcing bad shots, playing terribly on defense and not hustling like both Myles and Farr were for long stretches-cause a huge momentum swings. both were sucking missing buckets, turning the ball over and getting beat on defense- while mucura and Reynolds are fresh and twiddling their thumbs on bench. Coach needs to get smarter about quickly sitting players who are so critically hurting the team momentum and rhythm on the court. It's something I personally have been critical about Mack and I will continue to call him on it until he gets better at it.

Myles and Farr have their moments of good play... But when they are playing poorly it's like they force things more and make costly mistakes.

You must have missed the huge three Myles hit. He is going to get his minutes.

[GoMuskies]

Mizzou has been super physical with Macura.

[TUclutch]

Noticed that. He also has 2 bad turnovers the last couple minutes. Not sure why some think he should play more and Myles less

Edit: THAT is why Myles will get his minutes

[GoMuskies]

The Gant kid can definitely play. They're gonna have a bad year, but it would have been much worse without him.

[waggy]

Myles with some string music!

woo boy

[paulxu]

Myles shot that from Go's seat.

[waggy]

Also Dee Davis with a nice game. Way to go Dee.

[GoMuskies]

Not exactly a thing of beauty, but you've got to like this team taking care of business away from home today. Need a repeat at Allbarn

[RoseyMuskie]

Winning by 19, no toughness!

[xsteve1]

Also Dee Davis with a nice game. Way to go Dee.

As good a game as I've seen him play. Congrats to him.

[waggy]

As good a game as I've seen him play. Congrats to him.

Was thinking the same thing.. Maybe his best all around game at X.

[sirthought]

This game has been pretty fun to watch with these two young teams.

Got to love Macura's constant confidence, but he needs to make smarter passes. Can't leave him on the floor if he's so careless.

I'm really surprised they haven't been forcing it in to Stain more. There has been defense, but they could work towards it more than they have.

[Xavier]

They were neutered by the school after the last shootout at Cintas

You can't possibly think that's the reason. If the team
Is "soft" because of that then they were never going to be tough anyways.

[TUclutch]

You can't possibly think that's the reason. If the team
Is "soft" because of that then they were never going to be tough anyways.

Sarcasm....I don't really think they're soft


LOL "Less Myles please"...

[paulxu]

Stainbrook seemed out of sorts today. Like he had the flu or something.

I've been critical of Dee's driving into the trees and making bad decisions.
Today he carried the team. Congrats on a great all around performance. Very nice line in the stats.

[IM4X]

You must have missed the huge three Myles hit. He is going to get his minutes.


Yes, I did mentioned they definitely have their good moments. Don't get me wrong, I believe they are important role players (especially Myles when he gets hot), but at times their mistakes net out to be costlier than their good moments. They always seem to get frustrated and force shots and make poor decisions resulting in costly mistakes when they are struggling instead of stepping back and trying to let the game come to them. And Mack needs to quickly recognize that frustration during those bad moments and sit them - otherwise they can turn into train wrecks if they are left in there during their bad stretches.

[sirthought]

Lots of cold and flu going around. Maybe Stain caught it from an Über passenger?!


Pretty sloppy game on many levels, but it's nice to see that Dee Davis kept things in check for the most part and our slop was a bit less than theirs. Really, there was ball movement, but it was fairly predictable. I'd love to see some more motion happening.

Notice they had few assists. If they had a point guard, this game could have been very different.

[X-Fan]

Stainbrook seemed out of sorts today. Like he had the flu or something.

I've been critical of Dee's driving into the trees and making bad decisions.
Today he carried the team. Congrats on a great all around performance. Very nice line in the stats.
Totally agree. Wasn't prety but got the W.

Frosh played line Frosh. Really poor game from Farr. Need to get back to sharing/passing/protecting the ball better on offense.

Almost forgot to mention the break out game for Randolf! Great job! I think finally we have our backup PG!

[TUclutch]

Yes, I did mentioned they definitely have their good moments. Don't get me wrong, I believe they are important role players (especially Myles when he gets hot), but at times their mistakes net out to be costlier than their good moments. They always seem to get frustrated and force shots and make poor decisions resulting in costly mistakes when they are struggling instead of stepping back and trying to let the game come to them. And Mack needs to quickly recognize that frustration during those bad moments and sit them - otherwise they can turn into train wrecks if they are left in their during their bad stretches.

Myles is much less likely to turn into a train wreck than Macura. It's not even close. Myle's hasn't had that many bad moments this year, and I certainly don't think any of them were costlier than his good moments were beneficial. Not sure what you're watching.

[sirthought]

How the hell did we win with 17 turnovers?

Our free throws really helped. The only guy to miss any FT was O'Mara. Glad to see we're over 70% for a change this season.

[X Factor]

I was frustrated with Myles in the first half, but he played really well in the second half. I thought Randolph played very good and X really needed his offense in the first half. I know Mizzou is bad, but I'll take a 16 point road win any day,especially when Stain and Trevon combine for 12 points.

Dee was super solid today.

[X Factor]

Our free throws really helped. Glad to see we're over 70% for a change this season.

18-22 from the line. O'Mara was 0-4.

[IM4X]

Dee's play was encouraging today. It was also really nice to see Randolph step up and play so well. Nice job guys.

[XU Cowbell Kid]

How the hell did we win with 17 turnovers?

Our free throws really helped. The only guy to miss any FT was O'Mara. Glad to see we're over 70% for a change this season.

Interesting stat - O'Mara had all 4 of our missed free throws. Other than that, we were perfect. Definitely a change from what we have seen in recent years.

EDIT: X Factor beat me to it.

[XU Cowbell Kid]

Another interesting stat - The Tigers shot 6.3% (1-16) from 3 point range. Also a dramatic change from what we have previously seen.

[XU 87]

Good win.

Great game Dee Davis.

[IM4X]

Myles is much less likely to turn into a train wreck than Macura. It's not even close. Myle's hasn't had that many bad moments this year, and I certainly don't think any of them were costlier than his good moments were beneficial. Not sure what you're watching.

Uh, if you have the ability to watch the beginning of the game, please do. You will see a train wreck. Myles missing 3's that transitioned into bad defense and points for the other team. Myles recklessly driving into the lane and turning the ball over. Ultimately between his poor play and Farr, X went from being up by 14 or so to only being up by about 4. Please, if you can...Watch and see if you do not get frustrated... But, as I said before I was more frustrated with Mack for not pulling him out in the first half during his poor play.

[BandAid]

17 tos
Universal foul trouble
And Dee being our leading scorer

I would've never guessed those three things would co-exist in a Xavier win. Missouri is quite bad. X still has plenty of room for improvement.

[Masterofreality]

Yep. The Dee haters can take the weekend off..and all next week at least until next Saturday.

Kudos or Brandon Randolph today too. His first half 3's were a huge confidence boost for the team.

[TUclutch]

Uh, if you have the ability to watch the beginning of the game, please do. You will see a train wreck. Myles missing 3's that transitioned into bad defense and points for the other team. Myles recklessly driving into the lane and turning the ball over. Ultimately between his poor play and Farr, X went from being up by 14 or so to only being up by about 4. Please, if you can...Watch and see if you do not get frustrated... But, as I said before I was more frustrated with Mack for not pulling him out in the first half during his poor play.

I did watch. Did he have a down stretch? Yes, everyone has those. But it wasn't as bad as you made it seem. Step back off the ledge

[sirthought]

Just looking at Mizzou's freshmen, that team will look pretty good in a couple years. Are we scheduled for more with them?

[Masterofreality]

Just looking at Mizzou's freshmen, that team will look pretty good in a couple years. Are we scheduled for more with them?

Mizzou comes back to X next year.

[XU Cowbell Kid]

Uh, if you have the ability to watch the beginning of the game, please do. You will see a train wreck. Myles missing 3's that transitioned into bad defense and points for the other team. Myles recklessly driving into the lane and turning the ball over. Ultimately between his poor play and Farr, X went from being up by 14 or so to only being up by about 4. Please, if you can...Watch and see if you do not get frustrated... But, as I said before I was more frustrated with Mack for not pulling him out in the first half during his poor play.

I agree with TuClutch. I'm not disputing that there was sloppy play going on, but I attribute that Mizzou swing to the lack of Stainbrook and Bluiett (more Stainbrook since the offense generally runs through him) than any individual playing poorly. Any time your team loses it's two biggest offensive weapons there will be an adjustment period while you are figuring out what works. Davis happened to make a few errors in that period. Generally speaking, he and Macura played very similar games today. (Both had horrific turnovers at some points, both seemed comfortable at others.) Davis has one more year of experience and at the end of the day, he ended up scoring more than Macura. Seems to me that Mack made the right call trusting Davis to bounce back.

Do all fans doubt there coaches this much? Or is it just us? Even after a win... (Sigh)

[IM4X]

I did watch. Did he have a down stretch? Yes, everyone has those. But it wasn't as bad as you made it seem. Step back off the ledge

Relax. I'm not on the ledge. Like I said, I was more frustrated with coach for not pulling him out during that stretc,h which ultimately allowed Mizzou to climb back into the game when they were all but put out of their Mizzou-ry (see what I did there), giving them confidence when they had none.

If that is allowed to happen with a really good team, it could cost us the game... That's all I'm saying.

Personally, I think Mack has done a pretty nice job so far this year, but why is it not okay for someone to question a coach (any coach) when they see reasonable cause to do so?

[MADXSTER]

Farr did not have a good game.
Blueitt has been in a slump the last several games
Stain did not have a good game
Myles did not have a good first half
Reynolds was non-existent

Yet we won and won on the road

[xu82]

Yet we won and won on the road

And that's all that counts!

[LA Muskie]

Can anyone justify why miles Davis gets any minutes other than scrub time? He is nothing but a turnover machine and brick layer

Just thought this idiotic post deserved a bump.

[xu82]

Just thought this idiotic post deserved a bump.

Missed that initially, and wish it had remained that way. Silliness.

[nasdadjr]

Silly and idiotic? I'll give credit when it's due and that three he hit to put us up five I think was huge in second half and sparked a 7-0 run that ended the game. One shining moment so fine he helped today. I still have a west coast trip this year and an entire second half of last year to justify what I say you have two games to base your opinion on that I'm an idiot. He needs to show more consistency before he should be getting time over Abell or randolph

[D-West & PO-Z]

Myles is much less likely to turn into a train wreck than Macura. It's not even close. Myle's hasn't had that many bad moments this year, and I certainly don't think any of them were costlier than his good moments were beneficial. Not sure what you're watching.

Yeah agree. Macura had a couple horrible turnovers. I havent sen anything this year where I have been really frustrated by Myles.

[xu82]

The stats I just looked at had Myles second on the team in 3 point %, behind Matt on two attempts. Myles has got his rhythm back and has been pretty solid all around. JP had some turn overs, but he's also frisky on defense, and a versitle scorer. JP is only getting about 12 minutes per game, but is second in steals. These are good things.

[TUclutch]

Relax. I'm not on the ledge. Like I said, I was more frustrated with coach for not pulling him out during that stretc,h which ultimately allowed Mizzou to climb back into the game when they were all but put out of their Mizzou-ry (see what I did there), giving them confidence when they had none.

If that is allowed to happen with a really good team, it could cost us the game... That's all I'm saying.

Personally, I think Mack has done a pretty nice job so far this year, but why is it not okay for someone to question a coach (any coach) when they see reasonable cause to do so?

So you wanted him to pull Myles to put in Macura, who had just as many horrendous turnovers and decisions. Yeah ok. Next argument

[Nigel Tufnel]

Giggity....and Paul....that's up $80.

Internet / -1 Ticket #: 49403473
Dec 13 01:05 PM
CBB
STRAIGHT BET
[541] ,XAVIER -5½-110 (ESPN2)
33 /
30 30 WIN
WIN
12/13/2014 07:28 AM
Internet / -1 Ticket #: 49426300
Dec 13 01:05 PM
CBB
STRAIGHT BET
[541] ,XAVIER -5½-110 (ESPN2)
22 /
20 20 WIN
WIN
12/13/2014 12:55 PM
Internet / -1 Ticket #: 49431215
Dec 13 02:09 PM
CBB
STRAIGHT BET
[2541] 2H ,XAVIER -2-110

[xu82]

Giggity....and Paul....that's up $80.

Internet / -1 Ticket #: 49403473
Dec 13 01:05 PM
CBB
STRAIGHT BET
[541] ,XAVIER -5½-110 (ESPN2)
33 /
30 30 WIN
WIN
12/13/2014 07:28 AM
Internet / -1 Ticket #: 49426300
Dec 13 01:05 PM
CBB
STRAIGHT BET
[541] ,XAVIER -5½-110 (ESPN2)
22 /
20 20 WIN
WIN
12/13/2014 12:55 PM
Internet / -1 Ticket #: 49431215
Dec 13 02:09 PM
CBB
STRAIGHT BET
[2541] 2H ,XAVIER -2-110

This takes me back to my statistics class at X. I'm confused, and I'm not sure if I care.

[XUFan09]

This stuff about Myles is laughable. The guy is shooting 50% from 3 on 38 attempts so far. His TO rate (16.8%) and assist rate (13.0%) are respectable for a shooting guard. His offensive rating of 123.7 is really good, ranked 149th nationally. And his defense is limited by his physical ability, but he has regularly proven that he knows how to work within the system to offset physical limitations. By the way, it's not hard to do, but his defense is far, far, far better than that of Macura, to whom apparently a lot of Myles' minutes should be going, if you listened to some.

[TUclutch]

Silly and idiotic? I'll give credit when it's due and that three he hit to put us up five I think was huge in second half and sparked a 7-0 run that ended the game. One shining moment so fine he helped today. I still have a west coast trip this year and an entire second half of last year to justify what I say you have two games to base your opinion on that I'm an idiot. He needs to show more consistency before he should be getting time over Abell or randolph

The thanksgiving tourney? He missed the first game due to an off court issue, which he took responsibility for and hopefully learned from. The UTEP game he had 15 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists(0 turnovers) in 24 minutes. Against LB St, he had 10 points 3 rebounds 1 assist(0 turnovers) in 25 minutes. You also reference his slump last year as a freshman in Big East play. Yes, you are an idiot when it comes to your opinion on Myles Davis.

Edit: I am a big Randolph fan but he has shown no more consistency than Myles Davis has. Nice try again

[mohr5150]

Dee Davis drives me nuts, but I will give him major kudos today. He had a very solid game. When you look at the turnovers, the lack of scoring from our scoring leaders, and the foul trouble, it is hard to comprehend how we won, let alone in blowout fashion. Mizzou sucks badly.

[paulxu]

What did Nigel just say?

[xu82]

What did Nigel just say?

I'm not sure, but I'd rather take a shot at interpreting some cave drawings.

[bobbiemcgee]

Yeah, the regular scorers were off, but the guards had 53. if the regular scorers were off last year, we lose. Gotta like the depth.

[xu82]

Nice to have diversity. We've had some recent years where if one or two guys were off we were in trouble!

[XU2011]

More Macura, less Myles please.

No thanks.

Myles is the team's leading 3 point shooter at 48.5% AND leading FT shooter at 88.2%. Macura is shooting 3's at 38.5% and FT's at 76.5%.

Myles is averaging about double the minutes per game, yet less turnovers than JP.

Plus Myles defense is better than JP's. Myles understands the offense, JP gets the ball in his hands and he's shooting seemingly without regard for anything else

[XU2011]

I like mack but one of his short comings is his stubborness. Randolph came to play and is the hot hand on this team why did he not start second half. Sometimes you gotta just play the hot hand and he is better than anyone today so far

Agreed. Randolph should have played more today- he was the only one playing well in the first half.

[XU2011]

Yes, I did mentioned they definitely have their good moments. Don't get me wrong, I believe they are important role players (especially Myles when he gets hot), but at times their mistakes net out to be costlier than their good moments. They always seem to get frustrated and force shots and make poor decisions resulting in costly mistakes when they are struggling instead of stepping back and trying to let the game come to them. And Mack needs to quickly recognize that frustration during those bad moments and sit them - otherwise they can turn into train wrecks if they are left in there during their bad stretches.

You keep saying "they"... you're describing Farr perfectly.... you are WAY off base for Myles this year.

[XU2011]

Silly and idiotic? I'll give credit when it's due and that three he hit to put us up five I think was huge in second half and sparked a 7-0 run that ended the game. One shining moment so fine he helped today. I still have a west coast trip this year and an entire second half of last year to justify what I say you have two games to base your opinion on that I'm an idiot. He needs to show more consistency before he should be getting time over Abell or randolph

Two games?

Dude, Myles is leading the team in 3 point shooting percentage (at 48.5% which is pretty damn good and a significantly higher percentage than Redford EVER SHOT any of his 4 years) and FT shooting percentage.

[mistabeecee41]

More minutes for Myles, please. He had a few turnovers while trying to drive tonight, but for the most part this year has done a great job of driving and finishing.

[RoseyMuskie]

This stuff about Myles is laughable. The guy is shooting 50% from 3 on 38 attempts so far. His TO rate (16.8%) and assist rate (13.0%) are respectable for a shooting guard. His offensive rating of 123.7 is really good, ranked 149th nationally. And his defense is limited by his physical ability, but he has regularly proven that he knows how to work within the system to offset physical limitations. By the way, it's not hard to do, but his defense is far, far, far better than that of Macura, to whom apparently a lot of Myles' minutes should be going, if you listened to some.

Thanks for breaking down what my eyes have seen. I feel like if Myles commits one turnover or misses one shot, multiple fans ride him. He essentially has no room for error with some.

This also doesn't take into consideration his work ethic and leadership, which has been reported my multiple media outlets.

[JTG]

Evidently we have to win every game 80-0

[Titanxman04]

Silly and idiotic? I'll give credit when it's due and that three he hit to put us up five I think was huge in second half and sparked a 7-0 run that ended the game. One shining moment so fine he helped today. I still have a west coast trip this year and an entire second half of last year to justify what I say you have two games to base your opinion on that I'm an idiot. He needs to show more consistency before he should be getting time over Abell or randolph

Well, seeing as:
1. Writers, who get paid to have people read what they write, believe that Myles is playing some pretty good ball...
2. Chris Mack, who gets paid a HELL of a lot more to know his team in and out and plays the players as he sees fit...
3. Almost everyone on this board who watches the game without an obvious bias...

...believe that Myles is certainly useful. His play is what he was billed to be. Taking last year into account isn't quite fair to do. BJ Raymond, Stan Burrell, Jason Love, etc... all recent players who developed and became excellent players in our system and vital to their teams' successes. Myles was hurt and in an awful slump as a FRESHMAN. It was frustrating, sure... But lets give him due for his play THIS year. We're ten games into the season and you're still criticizing him for his play last year? That, my friend, is idiotic.

[sweet16]

Nice win. Particularly like the fact that eventhough they cut the lead to one we didn't fold but rather built the lead back up to a sizeable margin......on the road. Stain doesn't look any heavier to me but he doesn't appear to be in great shape.

[throwbackmuskie]

When the poster cannot spell the players name correctly, I skip their post


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bleedXblue]

Great win. A few observations.

1. Mack is still trying to find the right rotation. I sure hope he zeros in on one in the next 3-4 games.
2. For those of you who predicted Reynolds to the NBA after this season........Please step up and admit your guilt. Not sure what it is with him. I think Mack is growing impatient.
3. I sure hope the coaches start reigning in Farr. I like how active he is and his rebounding. But for the love of God he can't shoot. We have lots of better options. I like him shooting only when it's a layup or our only option late in the shot clock.
4. Myles Davis is this teams MIP. Calling for fewer minutes is plain stupid.
5. When Dee and Randolph play well, this team will be really tough to beat. Great to see Randolph make some shots. Hopefully it will be a confidence boost.
6. JP brings so much to this team even in his limited minutes. He always seems to make a great play and then follow that up with a bone headed pass. Hes a frosh and will learn to value the ball more.
7. Stain does look tired. I wish he demanded the ball in the post more. We need a strong personality on this team to emerge and lead.

[bleedXblue]

Agreed. Randolph should have played more today- he was the only one playing well in the first half.

One half shouldn't get anyone a start. It should take more than that to displace anyone. Take nothing away from Randolph, but Abel's complete body of work this year far exceeds Randolph's.

[X-Fan]

Great win. A few observations.

1. Mack is still trying to find the right rotation. I sure hope he zeros in on one in the next 3-4 games.
2. For those of you who predicted Reynolds to the NBA after this season........Please step up and admit your guilt. Not sure what it is with him. I think Mack is growing impatient.
3. I sure hope the coaches start reigning in Farr. I like how active he is and his rebounding. But for the love of God he can't shoot. We have lots of better options. I like him shooting only when it's a layup or our only option late in the shot clock.
4. Myles Davis is this teams MIP. Calling for fewer minutes is plain stupid.
5. When Dee and Randolph play well, this team will be really tough to beat. Great to see Randolph make some shots. Hopefully it will be a confidence boost.
6. JP brings so much to this team even in his limited minutes. He always seems to make a great play and then follow that up with a bone headed pass. Hes a frosh and will learn to value the ball more.
7. Stain does look tired. I wish he demanded the ball in the post more. We need a strong personality on this team to emerge and lead.
Lots of good points. I am starting to get concerned about Jalen. Has he been sent to a "Big Man Camp"? If not he really needs to go as he looks lost down low on both ends. I'm guessing this is where Mack really misses Kelsey.

I'm ok with any mistakes JP makes. He'll get it, and even showed signs of that when he avoided a charge on a Fast Break.

And yes, hope the lineups get figured out soon. I did not like some of those combinations, but I Love when Randolph & JP are out there together!

[paulxu]

I'm planning to hit the G&D Steakhouse. What do you think, the Porterhouse?


I think you better not screw this game up.

Nice job. Assume you're going to Auburn to continue your st(r)eak.

[XU2011]

One half shouldn't get anyone a start. It should take more than that to displace anyone. Take nothing away from Randolph, but Abel's complete body of work this year far exceeds Randolph's.

Totally agree, I meant he could/should have played more today. Not suggesting at all he should start going forward.

[bobbiemcgee]

Best takeaway for me was holding Mizzou to 1-16 from 3 in their own building. Our 3 pt D has been sorely lacking before this game. Hope we can keep it up.:whew::whew:

[XUFan09]

Best takeaway for me was holding Mizzou to 1-16 from 3 in their own building. Our 3 pt D has been sorely lacking before this game. Hope we can keep it up.:whew::whew:
It's nice to see, because though IUPUI only made one three-point field goal, they can't shoot anyway. Mizzou, however, was shooting nearly 40% from 3.

[waggy]

2. For those of you who predicted Reynolds to the NBA after this season........Please step up and admit your guilt. Not sure what it is with him. I think Mack is growing impatient.
3. I sure hope the coaches start reigning in Farr. I like how active he is and his rebounding. But for the love of God he can't shoot. We have lots of better options. I like him shooting only when it's a layup or our only option late in the shot clock.


For Jalen it's about learning the game on a deeper level I think. Situational stuff. When on D, what is the other team running? He was called on one foul where he was out of position (not necessarily by fault), but then tried to get in for a rebound when he shouldn't have. He also got called for an offensive foul on the other end where he was trying to match the physicality of the opponent. I thought it was a bad call by the refs; or at least if it was a foul, the Mizzou player should've been whistled first. Again though, an avoidable foul. End of the day I believe Farr is getting the start because his defense is better; but really his all-around game has been better than Jalens. More consistent. I also don't have a problem with Farr shooting a couple 3's a game. His looks are almost always wide open (for a reason I know), but still I don't hate the shot. I just hate when he misses.

We've had bigs that take forever to develop, and some never really do. But Jalen Reynolds coming off the bench is a pretty good place to be imo.

[PMI]

Wow, if every thread on this site were like the game threads, I would definitely never come back here. Myles sucks if he makes a turnover or two even if he's shooting like he's Steph Curry through a third of the season. Mack doesn't know when to bench players, as is apparently evidenced by the fact that some guys made mistakes today. These guys have no toughness, and apparently just won their first true road game by like 20 points without their leading scorers or big men doing anything, simply by... I guess I'm not sure. And perhaps my favorite, is that throughout this entire Chilean Petting Zoo of a thread, there were maybe two or three brief mentions of Dee Davis' performance, which was one of the most impressive of his career, and frankly, carried us through most of the dangerous stretches in an ugly game. If Dee has a game where he commits a few turnovers, we have about 100 more posts about how much he sucks. He has one of the best games of his career and it's hardly acknowledged. There are some great posters on this board who contribute greatly with valuable opinions and insight. And then there are the ones who show up to show their stupidity on these game threads. Lesson learned: I'm definitely skipping over these from now on.

[xu82]

Myles is playing very well. Dee had a good game. I'm not a fan of petting zoos.

[GoMuskies]

I'm not a fan of petting zoos.

What's wrong with petting zoos?

[xu82]

What's wrong with petting zoos?

Dirty little ceatures in a carnival setting with little supervision and questionable regard for health. I like animals that play by the rules. My Golden Retriever is this man's best friend!

OK, so I went horse back riding as a kid and when we got to the huge open field where they could trot/gallop or whatever the hell it is they do, my horse turned around and took me back to the barn. I protested, but to no avail. I like creatures who obey, and Gracie the Golden is the only one in my life who plays along. Oddly, my wife had a horse and loves the smell of things freshly shoveled.

[bleedXblue]

For Jalen it's about learning the game on a deeper level I think. Situational stuff. When on D, what is the other team running? He was called on one foul where he was out of position (not necessarily by fault), but then tried to get in for a rebound when he shouldn't have. He also got called for an offensive foul on the other end where he was trying to match the physicality of the opponent. I thought it was a bad call by the refs; or at least if it was a foul, the Mizzou player should've been whistled first. Again though, an avoidable foul. End of the day I believe Farr is getting the start because his defense is better; but really his all-around game has been better than Jalens. More consistent. I also don't have a problem with Farr shooting a couple 3's a game. His looks are almost always wide open (for a reason I know), but still I don't hate the shot. I just hate when he misses.



We've had bigs that take forever to develop, and some never really do. But Jalen Reynolds coming off the bench is a pretty good place to be imo.

Farr to me is getting minutes bc he's rebounding and playing better defense. All of his offensive numbers are down this year. Across the board. I just wish he wasn't so trigger happy and thought pass first more often.......we simply have too many good shooters on this team to,pass up.

[xu82]

Farr is playing without fouling out, which Jalen would do with a few more minutes. He doesn't neet to shoot the three,,,,I hate to say ever, but certainly not any time soon.

[bobbiemcgee]

Oddly, my wife had a horse and loves the smell of things freshly shoveled.

UD alumnus?

[xu82]

UD alumnus?

No, she used to shovel it out.

(But a very good question!)

[IM4X]

Lots of good points. I am starting to get concerned about Jalen. Has he been sent to a "Big Man Camp"? If not he really needs to go as he looks lost down low on both ends. I'm guessing this is where Mack really misses Kelsey.

I'm ok with any mistakes JP makes. He'll get it, and even showed signs of that when he avoided a charge on a Fast Break.

And yes, hope the lineups get figured out soon. I did not like some of those combinations, but I Love when Randolph & JP are out there together!

Solid post. I agree with your thoughts.

Goodness, there is no question that Jalen has it in him. Hopefully Stain can help him out a bit. There's so much more talent and athleticism yet to be unleashed.

[Masterofreality]

Wow, if every thread on this site were like the game threads, I would definitely never come back here. Myles sucks if he makes a turnover or two even if he's shooting like he's Steph Curry through a third of the season. Mack doesn't know when to bench players, as is apparently evidenced by the fact that some guys made mistakes today. These guys have no toughness, and apparently just won their first true road game by like 20 points without their leading scorers or big men doing anything, simply by... I guess I'm not sure. And perhaps my favorite, is that throughout this entire Chilean Petting Zoo of a thread, there were maybe two or three brief mentions of Dee Davis' performance, which was one of the most impressive of his career, and frankly, carried us through most of the dangerous stretches in an ugly game. If Dee has a game where he commits a few turnovers, we have about 100 more posts about how much he sucks. He has one of the best games of his career and it's hardly acknowledged. There are some great posters on this board who contribute greatly with valuable opinions and insight. And then there are the ones who show up to show their stupidity on these game threads. Lesson learned: I'm definitely skipping over these from now on.

Many of us moved over here permanently because of all the negativity on the other board. I certainly hope that that negative element is not moving over here about Xavier basketball.

Of course we'll have turf fights over off topic stuff, and rose colored glass stuff is pretty evident when it is not warranted . Valid criticism is also welcomed, but for people who have a hard on for someone to not give credit when that someone - Dee Davis- has a big game and is a huge part of the win is just disingenuous.

[sgarcia]

There's always going to be negative things that come out on a message board. I'm guilty of it just like most of us probably are. Yes I think we should be able to talk about Myles playing terrible in the 1st half but then make sure to talk about how well he played in the 2nd half. We should be upset that Farr can't throw the ball in the ocean right now but lets not forget how well he has rebounded for us this year. There's always good and bad things that will happen every game with players and coaching. We have to hope that the good is going to outweigh the bad and we come out with the W each time. Missouri is not a good team on many levels but we still had to take care of business and we dominated the last 12 minutes of that game in all phases. Yes we committed some bad turnovers but we shot the ball pretty well and hit the 3 which offsets the extra turnovers. Hopefully we'll continue to get better as the season progresses and we can get a good win on the road this coming Saturday. Everyone take a deep breath. It's the holiday season. We should all be thankful that Xavier has come a LONG ways over the past several decades and given us all some great moments.

[Xville]

i have been openly critical of Dee's game so when he has a great game, as he did the other day, I have to commend him for it. If he can have games like that on a consistent basis (which has been the issue with him), we are going to have a really good team this year. I am really looking forward to conference play this year, I hope it hurries up and gets here...a little over two weeks away.

I will also say that Missouri is not a very good team, but being that this was this team's first true road game, I am happy with the way the team played for the most part. Hopefully, they can go ahead and do it this week as well. Win that one, and I will be confident that we go 10-2 going into conference play, which is about where I thought we would be. It looks like the conference is going to be much better this year than last top to bottom, so it is extremely important that this team holds serve at home and then steal a couple on the road.

[RoseyMuskie]

I wasn't overly impressed with Missouri, but the addition of Jakeenan Grant, along with his eventual acclimation to the collegiate level, will take them up a notch.

Let's hope that begins with Mizzou's next game!

[Xville]

I wasn't overly impressed with Missouri, but the addition of Jakeenan Grant, along with his eventual acclimation to the collegiate level, will take them up a notch.

Let's hope that begins with Mizzou's next game!

Gant is definitely going to help them as the season goes along...the other freshmen will progress as well. The problem with Missouri though is that their inside game is extremely limited and that won't change this year. Gant reminds me more of a Derrick Brown type in that yes he is a forward and is extremely athletic but isn't going to be one to bang inside.If the team as a whole can progress, along with a bad conference, I could see them being a middle of the pack SEC team.

[X-Fan]

I wasn't overly impressed with Missouri, but the addition of Jakeenan Grant, along with his eventual acclimation to the collegiate level, will take them up a notch.

Let's hope that begins with Mizzou's next game!


Gant is definitely going to help them as the season goes along...the other freshmen will progress as well. The problem with Missouri though is that their inside game is extremely limited and that won't change this year. Gant reminds me more of a Derrick Brown type in that yes he is a forward and is extremely athletic but isn't going to be one to bang inside.If the team as a whole can progress, along with a bad conference, I could see them being a middle of the pack SEC team.
I had the same thought. When they mentioned it was his first game and then he gave Mizzou a big lift, I thought "here we go". Was glad that it didn't translate into an all out "Break Out Performance", but you can tell he will be good.

[Xville]

one good thing about Missouri is that as long as everyone that is in the rotation stays, they should be a pretty decent team next year if they progress like I believe they will. That should be a really good OOC win after we beat them next year as well.

[smileyy]

I had the same thought. When they mentioned it was his first game and then he gave Mizzou a big lift, I thought "here we go". Was glad that it didn't translate into an all out "Break Out Performance", but you can tell he will be good.

I'm glad he'll make them better the rest of the year.

[IM4X]

Many of us moved over here permanently because of all the negativity on the other board. I certainly hope that that negative element is not moving over here about Xavier basketball.

Of course we'll have turf fights over off topic stuff, and rose colored glass stuff is pretty evident when it is not warranted . Valid criticism is also welcomed, but for people who have a hard on for someone to not give credit when that someone - Dee Davis- has a big game and is a huge part of the win is just disingenuous.

Great post!

[IM4X]

There's always going to be negative things that come out on a message board. I'm guilty of it just like most of us probably are. Yes I think we should be able to talk about Myles playing terrible in the 1st half but then make sure to talk about how well he played in the 2nd half. We should be upset that Farr can't throw the ball in the ocean right now but lets not forget how well he has rebounded for us this year. There's always good and bad things that will happen every game with players and coaching. We have to hope that the good is going to outweigh the bad and we come out with the W each time. Missouri is not a good team on many levels but we still had to take care of business and we dominated the last 12 minutes of that game in all phases. Yes we committed some bad turnovers but we shot the ball pretty well and hit the 3 which offsets the extra turnovers. Hopefully we'll continue to get better as the season progresses and we can get a good win on the road this coming Saturday. Everyone take a deep breath. It's the holiday season. We should all be thankful that Xavier has come a LONG ways over the past several decades and given us all some great moments.

Another great post!

[RoseyMuskie]

I had the same thought. When they mentioned it was his first game and then he gave Mizzou a big lift, I thought "here we go". Was glad that it didn't translate into an all out "Break Out Performance", but you can tell he will be good.

Shades of JP Prince jogged my memory...