XAVIER vs SETON HALL

[danaandvictory]

I understand underrating LBSU because X beat them by 80 points the week before, plus we played like hot poop in that game. UTEP and SFA are extremely good teams and Murray is having a nice season. Had X not blown a massive lead at Auburn, the nonconference plan would've worked out. It wasn't a name brand schedule but it was one that gave X a platform to succeed.

[xudash]

O
yes, x lost. Like everyone i'm not happy about that. However, for a road game i thought they played pretty decent. They showed resilience. In fact , coming back from decent deficits in both halves to take the lead, and having the lead with less than 4 minutes to go. Stinks that they let the game get away, but that's part of the growing pains.

I'll say this, their play on the road feels better than earlier in the year. I think they are paying with more confidence. While it's frustrating to see trevon and jp struggle, i have no issues with the minutes they are getting. It will pay huge dividends later this season and definitely next season/beyond. Myles looked horrible at this time last year, now look at him.

As a fan, unlike the end of the last two seasons, i'm finally into games again. Imo, this last gtown win was the first sign x can compete at a high level since the 11-12 season. Keep the faith my fellow muskies. I have a good feeling about these guys.

+1

[OTRMUSKIE]

Great post and I agree. Our recruits should keep getting better and Mack will learn more about coaching in the big east too. I think this program is two years away from dominating. You can see the team slowly coming together. I just hope they havnt hurt themselves too much. I think they have room for 3 more losses maybe 4 but that would place them in Dayton again I think. Win out and erase all doubt.

[XU 87]

What's the problem with having a problem that only loses 3 games a year on the road?

Is that impossible?

I think only losing 1 or 2 games is really pretty.

We lose 5 road games and we are sitting around wonder if we are dancing.

Sean Miller's road record in the A-10 was 22-18. One year he was below .500, two years he was at .500, and 2 years he was above .500.

[chico]

I think we need to get past the fact that a loss in this conference isn't the same as a road loss was in the A-10. Back in the A-10 we were so worried about every loss because of the quality of the teams we faced. Now, a loss doesn't hurt as bad. Losing to Seton Hall isn't losing to Duquesne. We're not playing conference teams with RPI's in the 250's and beyond.

Yeah, it may sound a little "Cronin-esque" but we're really in a much better, much deeper conference now. Going 10-8 in the Big East really isn't the same as 10-8 in the A-10. The numbers bear this out. There certainly were years when the A-10 was a very tough conference, but never top to bottom like the Big East is currently.

[Thor in 204]

I think we need to get past the fact that a loss in this conference isn't the same as a road loss was in the A-10. Back in the A-10 we were so worried about every loss because of the quality of the teams we faced. Now, a loss doesn't hurt as bad. Losing to Seton Hall isn't losing to Duquesne. We're not playing conference teams with RPI's in the 250's and beyond.

Yeah, it may sound a little "Cronin-esque" but we're really in a much better, much deeper conference now. Going 10-8 in the Big East really isn't the same as 10-8 in the A-10. The numbers bear this out. There certainly were years when the A-10 was a very tough conference, but never top to bottom like the Big East is currently.


10-8 in the BE gets us comfortably in the NCAA. 9-9 and we are on an optimistic position on the bubble.

[vee4xu]

People are just lazy and can't look up the RPI/Ken Pom numbers. They see that those teams aren't in a big conference and assume they suck. Long story short, people are morons.

They also don't realize that the Stephen F. Austin win is pretty good.

I suppose you're talking about me, since I made the original point. I may be lazy, but really am admittedly too cheap to ante up the money to pay for KenPom's full access. For the record, I look at KenPom everyday, but ain't gonna pay for the full service. So, I guess you can say I'm too lazy to get my wallet. Or too smart because people here can just tell me.

[OTRMUSKIE]

Maybe Cronin was right! I knew it would take time before we were able to be a top three team in this conference. I am just soooo happy that Big East is doing so well. We have 8 freaking losses and we have an RPI of 28 and SOS of 11 I believe. That's awesome!

[XU 87]

As of right now, RPI is 26 with an SOS of 11. I think we simply need to hold serve at home against everyone but "Nova to get in the tourney.

[D-West & PO-Z]

As of right now, RPI is 26 with an SOS of 11. I think we simply need to hold serve at home against everyone but "Nova to get in the tourney.

Yeah agreed. I think winning though on the road @ Marquette and @Creighton pretty much guarantees it though on top of holding at home.

[XU 87]

Yeah agreed. I think winning though on the road @ Marquette and @Creighton pretty much guarantees it though on top of holding at home.

I think we could probably lose both of those games and still get in, although we might be sweating a bit. Need to win one of those 2 to be safe.

[Juice]

I suppose you're talking about me, since I made the original point. I may be lazy, but really am admittedly too cheap to ante up the money to pay for KenPom's full access. For the record, I look at KenPom everyday, but ain't gonna pay for the full service. So, I guess you can say I'm too lazy to get my wallet. Or too smart because people here can just tell me.

Actually no it wasn't because I've spoken to numerous people that somehow think that our win over Missouri is better than our win over Stephen F. Austin. And I don't pay for the full service either but it's still pretty easy to see who is better than who considering he, ya know, ranks the teams on the main page.

[XU 87]

Kenpom has X ranked 19th.

[XUFan09]

I've spoken to numerous people that somehow think that our win over Missouri is better than our win over Stephen F. Austin.

Wow, that's really bad. Stephen F. Austin's projected RPI is 50. Missouri's projected RPI is 199. Even if you factor in the wide variance in value that exists for home vs. road games, @Missouri doesn't come close to SFA at home.

[XUFan09]

I'm going to reiterate this as a separate post, just for emphasis:

The Selection Committee will count Stephen F. Austin as a good home win.

And Seton Hall, projected RPI 41, was only a somewhat better home win.

[vee4xu]

Kenpom has X ranked 19th.

I see that ud beat Fordham today and went from 34th in KenPom to 40th. Xavier lost to Seton Hall and stays at 19th. There's another big difference between the BE and A-10.

[XUFan09]

I see that ud beat Fordham today and went from 34th in KenPom to 40th. Xavier lost to Seton Hall and stays at 19th. There's another big difference between the BE and A-10.

Yeah, it's tough to face a bunch of weak teams and beat them all by the expected margin. You win a close game against a crappy team and you look worse.

[DC Muskie]

Sean Miller's road record in the A-10 was 22-18. One year he was below .500, two years he was at .500, and 2 years he was above .500.

Sorry, I'm not sure you are correct.

Here's Sean's A 10 record with the finish in the conference:

10-6 (2nd is the stupid West Division)
8-8 7th
13-3 1st
14-2 1st
12-4 1st

How does Sean have two years below .500 road record and 2 years above .500 road? Plus he played in a conference that had two fewer conference games.

Also, again it suggests the idea that we can't win a regular season title by losing more than 5 games.

Not being snarky here, seriously. What am I missing here? Did we play a completely uneven road/home schedule?

The year we went 8-8 we ran the A10 tournament and the year before we didn't dance.

I mean Sean's overall record sat at .71% winning percentage in the conference. That's pretty good.

[X-band '01]

His road record in A-10 play was 22-18; his home record in A-10 play was 35-5. Does that make sense to you?