XAVIER vs WESTERN KENTUCKY

[MADXSTER]

1816 vs 1817

#12 Xavier University Musketeers (7-0) RPI 1
W Miami(OH) 81-72
W Missouri 78-66
W Michigan 86-70
W NKU 78-66
W Alabama 64-45
W USC 87-77
W _ayton 90-61


vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (3-3) RPI 148
L Belmont 90-85
W Stoney Brook 67-66
L Drake 81-79
W Central Michigan 88-60
L Duquesne 81-73
W Eastern Kentucky 86-84


Location: Cintas Center
Saturday Dec. 5, 2015 at 8:30pm ET
Television: FS1 with play-by-play from Steve Physioc and analysis from Tarik Turner.
Radio: 700 WLW-AM with play-by-play from Xavier Hall of Famer and former Musketeer standout Joe Sunderman ('79). Analysis will be provided by Xavier Hall of Famer and XU all-time leading scorer Byron Larkin ('88).

[X Factor]

Gonna be a long week waiting for this one. Cintas better be packed Saturday!

[MADXSTER]

Is it Saturday yet?

[xu82]

Is it Saturday yet?

Ask me tomorrow.

[GIMMFD]

So pretty to see a #1 next to our RPI...

[GoMuskies]

Xavier -18

[Emp]

I think this is a blowout and sumner goes 20+. You heard it here first, Wright State is a trap game.

[XUGRAD80]

You heard it here first, Wright State is a trap game.


Wright St. lost to Georgia St. 59-46 last night......you skeered boy? I ain't skeered. :)

[American X]

"Xavier will honor the 1995-96 team, the first team to compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference, as part of the evening's festivities."

Brown! Lumpkin! Williams! Terrance Payne!

http://www.goxavier.com/news/2015/12/3/MBB_1203155032.aspx

[GoMuskies]

I suppose Pat Kelsey won't be able to make it.

[nuts4xu]

Brown! Lumpkin! Williams! Terrance Payne!



...and Mark Smydra! He as aquatic skills yo!

[Muskeagle]

Will the festivities be before the game or at halftime?

[XUOHTX]

Well if the pattern holds, should be an L for WKU tonight.

Also, how have we lost to them 13 times? They actually hold the lead in the series all time.

[GoMuskies]

WKU is probably one of the 20 best basketball programs of all time. Just not so much anymore.

[XUOHTX]

Huh. Wikipedia backs up your claim.

Don't they have a red blob? Is it the battle of the blobs tonight?

[UCGRAD4X]

Huh. Wikipedia backs up your claim.

Don't they have a red blob? Is it the battle of the blobs tonight?

Well then. There you go.:spiritfingers:

[X-band '01]

That score on the Xavier pregame graphic looks inaccurate - I remember their last meeting was my freshman year at Xavier (1997-98), but Xavier did win at Western. It wasn't until Miami that they lost their first nonconference game that season.

[UCGRAD4X]

Anybody make note of the WKU women's team nickname?

The Lady Toppers

I anxiously await NUTS' next post in the 'Lounge' area.

[X-band '01]

And it is inaccurate - Xavier won handily 93-60 against the Toppers that night. Not sure where that 63-61 score came from.

[MHettel]

...and Mark Smydra! He as aquatic skills yo!

I think you are off by one year....

[powerofX]

That score on the Xavier pregame graphic looks inaccurate - I remember their last meeting was my freshman year at Xavier (1997-98), but Xavier did win at Western. It wasn't until Miami that they lost their first nonconference game that season.

Agree. I was at that game at western. One of my favorite games. Appreciated the western fans. After we won, the student section high fived the team as they left the court.

[XU-PA]

The Phizz, Steve Physioc, doing FS1!

[xu82]

Can't connect to live chat

[XfansinKy]

Would love to see Jalen start establishing the dominance he's capable of.

[XfansinKy]

Did Reynolds just shoot a one foot air ball?

[xu82]

Oh no! I hope I'm not a robot! How would I know?

[XfansinKy]

Beautiful move by Jalen. Can't figure him out..

[xu82]

Jalen helping the young bigs by giving them a lot of minutes due to fouls. How thoughtful!

[XfansinKy]

Oh no! I hope I'm not a robot! How would I know?

What if we are having our swords violated but memory erased n don't know?

[xu82]

I think I'd like to see the video. There always seems to be a video.

[XfansinKy]

I think I'd like to see the video. There always seems to be a video.

Got any connections?

[xu82]

Don't know anyone at TMZ.

[xu82]

Farr's improvement is amazing to me. Not that he was horrible, but he does some great stuff now.

[BMoreX]

Love that FOX promo for next week

[D-West & PO-Z]

Farr's improvement is amazing to me. Not that he was horrible, but he does some great stuff now.

Just said this to my wife. I was going to enter Live chat saying how much I loved Farr more and more every game but I cant connect either.

Farr has definitely put in the work, just continuing that senior tradition at XU!

[xu82]

We might foul out everyone over 6'5"?

[D-West & PO-Z]

The clock stopped after that WKU dunk there at the end of the half, why? That had to be a mistake, almost got us a Sumner layup.

[xu82]

Sumner can cover some ground with every stride! Making the shot would have been nice, but... hey. Nice half. Closer to football.

[XfansinKy]

Just said this to my wife. I was going to enter Live chat saying how much I loved Farr more and more every game but I cant connect either.

Farr has definitely put in the work, just continuing that senior tradition at XU!
If I knew nothing about Xavier except a reliable source told me Farr was an All American NBA bound power forward, I think at this point, I would have to believe him. Amazing improvement.

[xu82]

If I knew nothing about Xavier except a reliable source told me Farr was an All American NBA bound power forward, I think at this point, I would have to believe him. Amazing improvement.

That's a great way to look at it. Get good with both hands around the basket, rebound like a MAN, and skip the 3's.

[XMuskieFTW]

Boy is this team fun to watch. And there is nothing better than seeing the progression of a player from freshman to senior. Farr is already a million times better than I ever expected. So happy for him. He's definitely my favorite player on this team.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

Looks like Mack is playing everybody (except the walk-on) in the 1st half. I guess this is a good game to give every player some PT.

[paulxu]

That's the only way I'll have a chance in pick the score.

[xu82]

How many people are actually there? Still out getting rid of the last beer and buying a new one?

[xu82]

Jalen doesn't seem to be learning how to stay on the floor.

[smileyy]

How is Farr in setting picks? Looking at his frame, I'd hate to run into him on the court. Dude is built.

[xu82]

"This is a dangerous time for the Hilltoppers, down 19". Really?

[D-West & PO-Z]

JP is on fire.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Trevon lighting it up too. His shooting this year is phenomenal.

Silky smooth.

[xu82]

So consider this: we bring Farr and JP off the bench!

[XfansinKy]

Is edmon a top 5 freshman PG in the nation?

[XUFan09]

Is edmon a top 5 freshman PG in the nation?
Quite possibly.

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[D-West & PO-Z]

Is edmon a top 5 freshman PG in the nation?

No idea, but he is really good, glad he's on our team!

[paulxu]

Backflips!

[XUFan09]

Aw, Farr isn't going to get a chance to break 20 points.

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[XfansinKy]

Is Farr a top 20 PF-C in the country and is Bluiett a top 20 overall player in the country? Myles is a top 20 pure shooter for sure. Oh my.

[xu82]

Is Farr a top 20 PF-C in the country and is Bluiett a top 20 overall player in the country? Myles is a top 20 pure shooter for sure. Oh my.
Now you're getting greedy, and a little silly. But it is fun to consider. But no, not all of that.

Or maybe ANY of that.

[xu82]

I did not forecast enough point for X.

[XMuskieFTW]

That was fun.

[xu82]

"They've never been ranked this high" just pissed me off.

[BMoreX]

Enjoyable two hours

[XfansinKy]

Just askin

[XfansinKy]

Farr 18pts in 18 min. Are there really a bunch of bigs out there having games like that? Silly?

[GreatWhiteNorth]

In addition to his great rebounding skills, Farr has developed a very nice baby hook shot, and NOT shooting 3-pt shots. He is going to have a great year.

[xu82]

Just askin

And I'm not bashing, at all. Just being honest.

[sirthought]

Great game!

[gladdenguy]

Boy this team is fun to watch. The maturity of Trevon is just pure beauty. I know he's made efforts with his weight. He is rebounding much better, shooting the ball with confidence. Wow.
This team is very unselfish. The depth is truly unreal. Great win.

[muskiefan82]

This is team 33 for me.I am not sure I've ever seen a team this"gelled" this early in the season.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Austin had a rough game. Only stats in the box score tonight were 3 turnovers and a foul in 11mins

[X Factor]

Austin had a rough game. Only stats in the box score tonight were 3 turnovers and a foul in 11mins

He didn't look good tonight. Hopefully he bounces back next week. With Quentin Goodin coming in next year, Austin might be the 3rd PG on the roster unless he really picks it up, and I'm not just saying that because he had a bad game tonight.

[waggy]

Supposedly a virus went thru the team, so he could've still been a little under the weather.

[Caveat]

This team has the ability to hurt you with so many different lineups and combinations -- and, shockingly, they seem to be getting better.

[OTRMUSKIE]

Any chance Reynolds stays for his Senior year? He would be 24 I think if he did. Right now Farr looks like a NBA pick ahead of Reynolds. Reynold just has that NBA body

[LA Muskie]

Any chance Reynolds stays for his Senior year?
No. No. No. No. And no.


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[markchal]

No. No. No. No. And no.


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I agree that he won't but I think you could make the case that it's an appealing option. Let's face it, with his age and play to date, there's nothing about his game that says he'll be in the NBA next year. So he's gonna be making good money playing ball, but overseas. And next year's team could likely be the best X team in history if he did stay. There are plenty of examples in college sports of guys turning down the paycheck for a year to do something truly special in college. That being said, I would be very surprised if he returned.

[X-Fan]

Any chance Reynolds stays for his Senior year? He would be 24 I think if he did. Right now Farr looks like a NBA pick ahead of Reynolds. Reynold just has that NBA body

I had the exact same thought watching this game. Farr has a way better move to the hoop, and has developed a nice little hook shot. I think the level of competition is a factor here though. Will be curious to compare the two once we play teams that have good inside play. Outside of Bama I don't think X has faced a team that can matchup down low at all (and Bama's guys had no inside game).

[XUGRAD80]

Don't know what I can add to all the compliments this team is getting. They do seem to have very little in the way of weaknesses, and seem to have the depth needed to overcome a player having an off night....aka Mr. Austin last night.

But I must admit to being somewhat "bengalized" and I don't want to get my hopes up to much. I'm going to try and just enjoy the season game by game and not concentrate on what might be. They will get another tough test in 6 days and I'm hoping that this time next week I'm sitting here with a big smile on my face.....:)

[Muskie1000]

Until Reynolds gets his foul trouble under control, he isn't going to go enough consistent playing time to keep improving. I'm not sure why he is so foul prone, but he needs to stop getting so many fouls.

[xu82]

No. No. No. No. And no.


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So, can I take that as a maybe?

[bleedXblue]

Until Reynolds gets his foul trouble under control, he isn't going to go enough consistent playing time to keep improving. I'm not sure why he is so foul prone, but he needs to stop getting so many fouls.

We've been saying this for 3 years........he simply makes too many STUPID fouls. Fouls away from the ball in particular.

[XUGRAD80]

Not sure why there is such consternation about Reynolds and fouls. Through 8 games he has not fouled out yet and has a total of 26 personal fouls. That is only slightly over 3 per game and is only ONE more total fouls than Bluiett. I think it might be thst we have become conditioned over the years to Mack's policy of sitting anyone that has 2 fouls in the 1st half. Combine that with the way most games have gone.....X being comfortably ahead in the 2nd half and not needing it's starters getting lots of playing time........and we can see why he is not logging a lot of mins. right now.

[xu82]

I nominate '09 (or any other industrious type) to tell us how many fouls per minute Jalen averages and how that compares to the rest of the team. It's noy how many fouls he has, it's how quickly and effortlessly he seems to get them. If we NEEDED him of the floor we'd be in trouble. Eventually we WILL need him of the floor when competition steps up.

[LA Muskie]

I nominate '09 (or any other industrious type) to tell us how many fouls per minute Jalen averages and how that compares to the rest of the team. It's noy how many fouls he has, it's how quickly and effortlessly he seems to get them. If we NEEDED him of the floor we'd be in trouble. Eventually we WILL need him of the floor when competition steps up.

This is true. Total fouls is a rather useless stat because it doesn't take into account context. Jalen played only 16 minutes yesterday, almost entirely due to foul trouble. He also sat through most of a game in Orlando due to foul trouble.

I actually think he has improved defensively. He's not committing the same types of senseless fouls -- or at least not with the same frequency. But, as evidenced yesterday, he still has plenty of room for further improvement.


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[paulxu]

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/jalen-reynolds-1.html

[markchal]

I do think the new rules sort of negate his improvements, but yeah, the time will come when we absolutely need him on the floor. For now, it's been nice at times to see the younger guys in the first half. That will pay off later in the season.

[Masterofreality]

I do think the new rules sort of negate his improvements, but yeah, the time will come when we absolutely need him on the floor. For now, it's been nice at times to see the younger guys in the first half. That will pay off later in the season.

We're gonna need him in spades next Saturday. I want to see him posterize that damn Octavious Ellis so bad I can taste it!

[XUFan09]

Reynolds averages 6.5 fouls per 40 minutes. Meanwhile, Farr averages 5.6 per 40 (inflated by one game where he fouled out), O'Mara is at 6.7, and London is at 6.3.

The difference between Reynolds and the other bigs is he is the only one who we want playing more. The other guys can pick up more fouls because they are playing more limited minutes. Farr is the only one who we really care about getting more minutes possibly but outside the game of perpetual foul trouble where he eventually fouled out, it hasn't really impacted his minutes.

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[XUFan09]

We're gonna need him in spades next Saturday. I want to see him posterize that damn Octavious Ellis so bad I can taste it!
Over under on how many minutes into the game their double technical happens?

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[Cheesehead]

Over under on how many minutes into the game their double technical happens?

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This.

[markchal]

This.

I just hope it's within the first few minutes so we can play basketball after that. The last time we had a team ranked this high this early, the shootout derailed everything.

[XU 87]

Another dominant performance last night. Defensively, they just shut W. Ky down. Just a dominating performance. Well done, again.

This team has a chance to very special this year.

[XUGRAD80]

Reynolds had THREE fouls yesterday....when was he ever in foul trouble? JP had 3 also...anybody claiming he was in foul trouble? I'm not saying that he couldn't do a better job, but I'm not nearly as worried about it as others seem to be.

Also.....how many times does he GET fouled? Well, he has shot 30 FT's this season, compared to a total of 38 for the other 3 big men combined. So it would be safe to say that he is drawing lots of fouls too. In fact he is #3 on the team in number of FT's attempted, only behind Summers and Macura, who I'm sure have the ball in their hands a lot more time than he does.

[waggy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRc7oeKTffo

[XUFan09]

Reynolds had THREE fouls yesterday....when was he ever in foul trouble? JP had 3 also...anybody claiming he was in foul trouble? I'm not saying that he couldn't do a better job, but I'm not nearly as worried about it as others seem to be.

Also.....how many times does he GET fouled? Well, he has shot 30 FT's this season, compared to a total of 38 for the other 3 big men combined. So it would be safe to say that he is drawing lots of fouls too. In fact he is #3 on the team in number of FT's attempted, only behind Summers and Macura, who I'm sure have the ball in their hands a lot more time than he does.
He picked up two early fouls. Hence, the foul trouble; it's about timing. Now, he only picked up one more over the course of the game, but that can easily trend the other way (e.g. Farr vs. Dayton). Against a weaker team, I'm sure Mack also took advantage of the situation to play bench players more and to show Jalen how he's missed when he's on the bench. When we're playing a close game, though, I don't want Jalen to be on the bench because we're forced to save him for the last few minutes rather than just get him the whole time.

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