KenPom

[X Factor]

After today's win, Xavier is 28th in kenpom's ratings.

Offense - #12 Defense - #94

Other BE teams:

Nova - 6th
Butler - 24th
St. John's 27th

[smileyy]

For comparison

2008: 18th overall, O: 9th (115 adjusted ppp) D: 48th (95.8)
2009: 20th overall, O: 65th (108.3), D: 12th (90.6)

[UCGRAD4X]

I don't think it is a surprise to anyone where this teams most needs to improve.

[vee4xu]

Butler lost today. Their slide has begun.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

There is no mystery to Butler. Barlow isn't a great PG nor is he very tall. Make his life miserable with a long and quick defending guard and make them use Jones to run the offense. Jones is good but when he has to fun the show he will commit a few TOs. Barlow is at 1/1 A/TO ratio after playing some crappy teams, Jones is actually at 2/1 but more like 1/1 when playing good teams.

It's clear they came together when their coach melted down. The Gardner-Webb coach was a huge get, that guy can flat out coach. I am not saying they are going to melt down completely, but they will definitely come back down to Earth.


Butler lost today. Their slide has begun.

[GoMuskies]

Butler is clearly better than expected. And just as clearly not the 15th best team in America.

[smileyy]

There is no mystery to Butler. Barlow isn't a great PG nor is he very tall. Make his life miserable with a long and quick defending guard and make them use Jones to run the offense. Jones is good but when he has to fun the show he will commit a few TOs. Barlow is at 1/1 A/TO ratio after playing some crappy teams, Jones is actually at 2/1 but more like 1/1 when playing good teams.


In other words, they're a lot like the 2010-11 Xavier Musketeers backcourt, where if you can swallow up Tu Holloway with length, and get Mark Lyons do commit a couple of charges, you're in good shape.

[XUFan09]

In other words, they're a lot like the 2010-11 Xavier Musketeers backcourt, where if you can swallow up Tu Holloway with length, and get Mark Lyons do commit a couple of charges, you're in good shape.
It's much easier to succeed with that plan when the PG is Barlow than when it's Tu lol. Barlow is gonna deal with that all year, whereas there are only two notable instances with Tu.

[X Factor]

After last night's win over Seton Hall:

Kenpom ranking - #24

Offense - # 12
Defense - #84

Luck rating - #343 (-.145) Not sure what that means, but Xavier has one of the worst luck ratings in the country.

[Retire33]

Luck - A measure of the deviation between a team’s actual winning percentage and what one would expect from its game-by-game efficiencies. It’s a Dean Oliver invention. Essentially, a team involved in a lot of close games should not win (or lose) all of them. Those that do will be viewed as lucky (or unlucky).

[QueensbridgeMF]

I'm pretty sure it means all of our losses were very close, that's how they do luck rating in football anyway.

[X Factor]

After the the win at GTown:

Overall: 18

Offense: 13

Defense: 81

[BMoreX]

We were around 130 in Kenpom defense a few games ago.

[xu82]

We were around 130 in Kenpom defense a few games ago.

Can coaches coach? Can young guys learn? Hmmmm, I think maybe so....

[XUFan09]

The last time they were in the 80s in adjusted defensive efficiency, they had just leaped there from the low 100s prior to the Seton Hall game. They then crashed about 40 spots after the Butler game. Hopefully, this time they started moving in the other direction. They held Seton Hall to 0.98 points per possession that game, despite a poor showing on the defensive glass. Hopefully, they can replicate that performance on the road (with better rebounding, of course).

[drudy23]

Gotta give credit for last night, but we match up very well with GTown. Their bigs are true bigs, and we can guard them that way. We knew their offense and made it difficult for them.

However, I need to see improvement against the teams we don't match up well against (the long and lanky bigs that can hit threes(. Great job last night, but jury still out in my eyes on significant defensive improvement.

[X Factor]

Gotta give credit for last night, but we match up very well with GTown. Their bigs are true bigs, and we can guard them that way. We knew their offense and made it difficult for them.

However, I need to see improvement against the teams we don't match up well against (the long and lanky bigs that can hit threes(. Great job last night, but jury still out in my eyes.

I think the jury is still out until the the season is over, but last night was a big, big win for this team. G'Town whipped Nova by 20 points. If we match up well with GTown, and they spanked Nova, I think this X team can beat anyone.

I definitely saw improvements on the defensive end. Our perimeter defensive was solid.

[xufan2434]

I think the jury is still out until the the season is over, but last night was a big, big win for this team. G'Town whipped Nova by 20 points. If we match up well with GTown, and they spanked Nova, I think this X team can beat anyone.

I definitely saw improvements on the defensive end. Our perimeter defensive was solid.

I expect the Nova game to be very different the next time around.. I think after last night Mack has pretty much solidified what his rotation is going to look like and which 5/6 guys are going to see the most minutes. Mack did run the 1 in, 4 out against Nova at times, but it's completely night and day how much better Myles, Remy, Trevon, and even Dee are rebounding defensively than they were in that game. Should be exciting.

[xuwin]

I expect the Nova game to be very different the next time around.. I think after last night Mack has pretty much solidified what his rotation is going to look like and which 5/6 guys are going to see the most minutes. Mack did run the 1 in, 4 out against Nova at times, but it's completely night and day how much better Myles, Remy, Trevon, and even Dee are rebounding defensively than they were in that game. Should be exciting.

The guards rebounding is probably the most important factor in the improvement of the team in the last few games.

[XUFan09]

The guards rebounding is probably the most important factor in the improvement of the team in the last few games.

Definitely, I was just recently critiquing that. We have three of the better rebounders in the conference on the offensive end (then Bluiett is pretty good), but the team is ranked 137th in offensive rebounding rate. On the defensive end, Farr, Reynolds, and Stain are ranked 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, but we only just re-entered the top 50 (37th) in defensive rebounding rate and we're not even the best in the conference.

Mack has been publicly mentioning it recently, saying that our guards are "allergic" to rebounding, so it has to have been a point of emphasis in practice. When they started instituting the 4-out lineup more, Mack must have made clear to the guards the importance of their rebounding role on the defensive end.

[chico]

The fact that we're ranked so high by KenPom but not getting votes in the polls is really going to let us sneak up on people come March.

[X Factor]

After the road win at Marquette

Overall: #22

Offense: #18

Defense: #75

[XUFan09]

After the road win at Marquette

Overall: #22

Offense: #18

Defense: #75

Get that defense up to the 40s or 50s, and we'll really be talking.

[nasdadjr]

Like the win but am I the only one thinking htf are we 75 in defense? How damn bad are the other 280 d1 teams at playing d

[XUFan09]

Like the win but am I the only one thinking htf are we 75 in defense? How damn bad are the other 280 d1 teams at playing d

Xavier has played a lot of decent to good offensive teams and most of the remaining teams are at least above average on offense. The efficiency ratings are adjusted for opponents.

[nasdadjr]

I know x has played tough schedule and probably the toughest this century I didn't know he adjusted for that. Still giving up major points to teams like Creighton and auburn still has me wondering how we are 75

[XUFan09]

We also held good to decent offenses to under a point per possession:

Stephen F. Austin
Murray State
Georgetown
Seton Hall
@Georgetown

The Auburn game wasn't bad statistically (the awful second half was balanced out by a good first half). Auburn was an above average offense playing at home and scored only 1.06 points per possession. Not a good defensive effort but it also wasn't an anchor to the team's adjusted defensive efficiency numbers.

[xu82]

We've also played a number of overtime (or double overtime) games. Is that taken into account? That' another 5-10 minutes to give up points. We need to remember that.

[nasdadjr]

I don't doubt what you guys are saying I've really never followed pom rankings so I don't know much about them. Just off the eye test it's hard for me to think x is top 30 percent in defense but I'm sure his calculations are pretty good cause people do hold his stuff in high regard

[XUFan09]

We've also played a number of overtime (or double overtime) games. Is that taken into account? That' another 5-10 minutes to give up points. We need to remember that.
It of course affects possessions. Kenpom and other metrics start with raw efficiency: Points divided by possessions. For example, against Auburn Xavier gave up 89 points but they also played 84 possessions (only 68 possessions through the end of regulation).

[XUFan09]

I don't doubt what you guys are saying I've really never followed pom rankings so I don't know much about them. Just off the eye test it's hard for me to think x is top 30 percent in defense but I'm sure his calculations are pretty good cause people do hold his stuff in high regard

I understand. Xavier seems to me to be an up-and-down defensive team. There are some miserable and some mediocre defensive performances, but then sometimes they have a good or even great defensive game. Or they play an awful half defensively, but it gets hidden by also playing a good half in the same game. You can see how well this team defends when they're communicating properly, then how poorly they defend when they aren't communicating or guys are just screwing up individually.

[X Factor]

After Butler win:

Overall: #26

Offense: #17

Defense: #72

Luck Rating: #340

[XUMIOH12]

if only we could get better at luck

[xuwin]

if only we could get better at luck

Practice

[XUFan09]

After Butler win:

Overall: #26

Offense: #17

Defense: #72

Luck Rating: #340
The offense stayed the same but the defense moved up 15 spots in the ranking. That's what happens when you hold a solid offense to 0.80 points per possession!

[Drew]

Practice

Horseshoe Casino?

[GetUp5]

None of this matters. Paul Daugherty says we look like a First Four team that will lose in the First Four.

Why even play the games? Doc is always right.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/daugherty-blog/2015/02/23/doc-tml-mon/23877169/

[xuwin]

Horseshoe Casino?

With a double dose of the lottery.

[THRILLHOUSE]

None of this matters. Paul Daugherty says we look like a First Four team that will lose in the First Four.

Why even play the games? Doc is always right.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/daugherty-blog/2015/02/23/doc-tml-mon/23877169/

Not gonna give PDoc a page hit, but did he write that after the Butler game? If so, I'm gonna assume he didn't even watch the game because that would be an asinine "take" to have after the week X just had.

[X-man]

Not gonna give PDoc a page hit, but did he write that after the Butler game? If so, I'm gonna assume he didn't even watch the game because that would be an asinine "take" to have after the week X just had.

To answer your question...yes, the column is dated today. Not only that, he states that UC is in because they managed to right the ship against Houston Saturday night. This confirms my belief that PD is a worthless UC shill, someone who neither watches nor cares about Xavier basketball. That's fine if you are an accountant. That's not fine if you are pretending to be a sports columnist.

[THRILLHOUSE]

To answer your question...yes, the column is dated today. Not only that, he states that UC is in because they managed to right the ship against Houston Saturday night. This confirms my belief that PD is a worthless UC shill, someone who neither watches nor cares about Xavier basketball. That's fine if you are an accountant. That's not fine if you are pretending to be a sports columnist.

haha sounds about right for PDoc. UC losing to X and barely beating Houston in front of about 100 people clearly means they are in better shape than X.

[xubrew]

Righting the ship against Houston??

That's like saying you got back on your diet by eating at McDonalds.

[OTRMUSKIE]

If the old X shows up tonight aka three games ago then he probably is right. However if the X that won the last two games shows up then FOC DOC.

[D-West & PO-Z]

If the old X shows up tonight aka three games ago then he probably is right. However if the X that won the last two games shows up then FOC DOC.

No he isnt right either way. Win or lose tonight we will still be safely in the tournament at this point, not in the First Four.

Now lose tonight and the next two we have problems.

[RealDeal]

To answer your question...yes, the column is dated today. Not only that, he states that UC is in because they managed to right the ship against Houston Saturday night. This confirms my belief that PD is a worthless UC shill, someone who neither watches nor cares about Xavier basketball. That's fine if you are an accountant. That's not fine if you are pretending to be a sports columnist.

pd had a column a few years ago right before the tournament that said basically there would be no major upsets and really the little guys should just stay home. Then there were more upsets than we had seen in like 20 years. He's not a CBB fan, and he really knows nothing about it.

[mid major]

None of this matters. Paul Daugherty says we look like a First Four team that will lose in the First Four.

Why even play the games? Doc is always right.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/daugherty-blog/2015/02/23/doc-tml-mon/23877169/
I wouldn't call Butler "depleted" as PDoc alluded. I doubt if 'Chrabs' would've made any difference.

[OTRMUSKIE]

I wouldn't call Butler "depleted" as PDoc alluded. I doubt if 'Chrabs' would've made any difference.

You're are correct with this statement. I was thinking he was their leading scorer. He is their third leading scorer. It's still huge missing your third best scorer but nobody was beating X that day.

[D-West & PO-Z]

I wouldn't call Butler "depleted" as PDoc alluded. I doubt if 'Chrabs' would've made any difference.

Yeah what a douhce, depleted? Really? What. A. Douche.

[Cheesehead]

Yeah what a douhce, depleted? Really? What. A. Douche.

They were ranked without their third leading scorer. Pdoc can suck it

[X Factor]

Updated:

Overall - 23

Offense - 23

Defense - 57

[drudy23]

Updated:

Overall - 23

Offense - 23

Defense - 57

How far have we come on defense? Weren't we like 130 at some point?

[X Factor]

Yeah, 2-3 months ago this team wasn't even a top 100 defensive team. They have made tremendous strides on defense.