Game Thread: Xavier v. Green Bay (December 4, 2019) Non-Conference Game

[Muskie]

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/kBAAAOSwqfNXkU44/s-l300.jpg

Xavier University Musketeers (7-1,0-0) vs. Green Bay (3-4,0-0)
Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
Cintas Center

Live Chat (http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=XavierHoops) (TBD)



Television: FS2






Xavier Radio: Xavier Gameday App (available in your phone's app store) with play-by-play from XU 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).










Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com. Fan stats at GoXavier.com.

______

Xavier defeated Lipscomb (Link (https://goxavier.com/news/2019/11/30/mens-basketball-xavier-vs-lipscomb-recap.aspx))
Green Bay defeated Montana State. (Link (https://greenbayphoenix.com/news/2019/11/30/mens-basketball-green-bay-shoots-past-montana-state-davis-nets-career-high-28-in-dominant-road-win.aspx))

Phoenix Media:
Green Bay Athletics Homepage (Link (https://greenbayphoenix.com/index.aspx))
Green Bay on Twitter (Link)

[GoMuskies]

Can Aaron Rodgers shoot?

[Muskie]

Can Aaron Rodgers shoot?

Likely no better than his State Farm agent?

[Xuperman]

Can Aaron Rodgers shoot?

He can't shoot free throws and he doesn't get to the line nearly enough.

[XU 23]

LaFleur must not be practicing free throw drills.

[GIMMFD]

We should roll them tonight, and hopefully do, looking forward to seeing more Kentucky Jelly, haven't really been as excited for a freshman since Tre Bae Bae came on campus.

[Masterofreality]

Green Bay plays a 3 guard offense. Sounds like a perfect game to get Bryce Moore deeply involved.
Methinks that Bryce will see more time tonight at the expense of Jason Carter. We. Shall. See.

[Jesuit4Life]

Let's Go X

[noteggs]

He can't shoot free throws and he doesn't get to the line nearly enough.

Nice poke at yourself...respect

[Smooth]

He can't shoot free throws and he doesn't get to the line nearly enough.

The food was bad and the portions were too small.

[X Factor]

This team sucks at shooting, but we all know that.

[xu82]

Freemantle is amazing for a Frosh! Love this guy too be so good so soon!

[Smooth]

ZFree or Die!

[X Factor]

I know we recruited Amari Davis but never really went hard after him. That kid is a shot maker. True freshman.

[X-band '01]

Is Green Bay under the impression that they're only allowed a 20-second shot clock on all possessions?

[X Factor]

Goodin misses a layup.

[X Factor]

And Goodin makes a layup

[Smooth]

Give me KyKy or give me death!

[Xville]

Kyky and free are going to be ridiculous when they are upper classmen.

[xu82]

The future is BRIGHT!

[paulxu]

We seemed to have figured out how to make FT's.

But boy do we suck at the 3.

[Smooth]

Carter misses more bunnies than Elmer Fudd.

[X Factor]

Honestly, Carter's been a little disappointing so far.

[X-band '01]

Carter misses more bunnies than Elmer Fudd.

Public reps since I need to spread private ones around.

[X Factor]

Good defense by Green Bay, just let Goodin shoot a wide open three.

[Xville]

Honestly, Carter's been a little disappointing so far.

Maybe Steele doesnt want to hurt his psyche, but if it is just about performance, he shouldn't be in the starting lineup right now

[AviatorX]

Obviously not worth reading much into this game (outside of a catastrophic loss), but damn that was an uninspiring half.

Terrible shot by Goodin on the last possession.

[GoMuskies]

Well, that was a half.

[paulxu]

I've determined Goodin is in for rebounding.(has the same # as Tyrique).

It sure as hell isn't for his scoring.

[Smooth]

Good defense by Green Bay, just let Goodin shoot a wide open three.

If I was GB I would leave Goodin and Carter uncovered and double the other three guys.

[bjf123]

Obviously not worth reading much into this game (outside of a catastrophic loss), but damn that was an uninspiring half.

Terrible shot by Goodin on the last possession.

The look on Steele’s face after that shot by Q was one of utter disgust. Wouldn’t surprise me to see Q on the bench to start the 2nd half.


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[X Factor]

Goodin has 8 shots in the first half. Why? He should literally have the least amount of anyone.

[noteggs]

I know they are a scoring team, but is it our defense or they’re making shots?

[AviatorX]

I know they are a scoring team, but is it our defense or they’re making shots?

Defense was uninspiring for sure, but they definitely knocked down a few tough looks or it would be an 8-10 point game.

Don't worry, only 5 kills away from it being mathematically impossible to lose this game.

[GoMuskies]

I hope we play better on Saturday.

[Masterofreality]

36 Xavier first half shots. FIFTEEN FROM 3. We are dead last in Big East 3 point shooting.
WTF is Steele doing with this team. I am really getting on the wrong side of him here.

[Xville]

Is tandy and free starting by the end of the year?

[Masterofreality]

And we have a huge advantage inside and we refuse to use it. This is BoolSheet.

[Masterofreality]

Is tandy and free starting by the end of the year?

Maybe Saturday

[AviatorX]

And we have a huge advantage inside and we refuse to use it. This is BoolSheet.

22 of 38 points in the paint. It's almost like the other team is allowed to scheme against X's weaknesses. Crazy.

Regardless, it's pretty apparent that this team isn't going to be able to win playing through Tyrique in the post first against good teams, so no sense getting worked up about it during buy games IMO.

[paulxu]

Why wouldn't you clog the inside and dare us to make a 3? Seems logical to me.

[Xville]

Much better so far this half!

[Xville]

Ok you can take q and carter out now. Those two are freaking painful to watch tonight.

[X Factor]

Goodin with a 3rd grade level travel

[xu 89]

Bad call.....not a travel.

[Smooth]

Goodin with a 3rd grade level travel

good description.

[Xavgrad08]

I think Tim Miles has done some good analysis. I hope does some of our other games.

[Smooth]

X is on the Marshall Plan this half.

[GoMuskies]

I think Tim Miles has done some good analysis. I hope does some of our other games.

I know xubrew has to be loving it!

[GoMuskies]

I wish Amari Davis was on our team.

[noteggs]

Weird to see Scruggs and Goodin out at same time.

[GoMuskies]

I'm glad KyKy is on our team!

[X Factor]

More KyKy, less Q.

[AviatorX]

Gotta admit KyKy looks pretty damn good for still shaking the rust off. He will definitely have an impact (and surely make some head scratching plays as well).

[X-band '01]

I know xubrew has to be loving it!

If Brew had his way, Miles and Jim Les would both be calling games.

[paulxu]

We're 6 for 23 on 3's. 22.7%

Marshall, Scruggs and Kyky have made those 6. Perhaps they should be the ones taking them.

[Smooth]

We're 6 for 23 on 3's. 22.7%

Marshall, Scruggs and Kyky have made those 6. Perhaps they should be the ones taking them.

Quit talking nonsense. In Steele we trust.

[Smooth]

Scrubbing a court by hand is a job that requires wearing a tie?

[Smooth]

They need a Zamboni sanitizing vehicle.

[xu82]

OK, time to separate here. END this!

[xu82]

Scrubbing a court by hand is a job that requires wearing a tie?

That’s the $2 upgrade, it does the hubcaps and secondary wiping and drying.

[Xville]

Good gawd tandy is awesome

[noteggs]

Yes he is, as long as Naji stops smacking him in the mouth

[paulxu]

Did you listen to the guys at halftime talking about the "Mt Rushmore" of XU basketball?
Went through the coaches and some players for about 5 minutes.
As they were closing and mentioned Blueitt, one guy shouted out "JP Macura" who wasn't on the list.
Funny.

[paulxu]

Just sit Goodin for God's sake.

[X Factor]

Carter and Goodin have been huge negatives tonight. Where is Freemantle?

[xu82]

Yes he is, as long as Naji stops smacking him in the mouth

Just trying to toughen the young guys up! Rub some dirt on it! Walk it off!

[xu82]

“The team that falls down the most usually loses.”

Words of wisdom! We should take that under advisement!

[Smooth]

Jones' "tip-in" was epic.

[SemajParlor]

Is Dah Bishop hurt?

[AviatorX]

Is Dah Bishop hurt?

Seems like Steele has tilted those minutes towards James based on the last few weeks of practice. Personally, I'd rather see Bishop, but I'm an optimist that his shot will start to fall.

[Xville]

Well, it's a win.

[XUGRAD80]

Well, it's a win.

And that’s a GOOD thing!

Defense stepped up the 2nd half and GB started missing shots they were making in the 1st half. But then the refs decided everyone was there to see them.

[xukeith]

Man, KyKy is a muscled up guard but he is way out of control like Burrell's frosh year.

[X Factor]

Man, KyKy is a muscled up guard but he is way out of control like Burrell's frosh year.

I didn't think he was out of control. He didn't turn the ball over tonight in 15 minutes. He finished off a tough drive in the lane with a nice basket, made 2 threes, and both of his FT's.

[SemajParlor]

https://twitter.com/slrussell/status/1202416107518222336?s=20

[bobbiemcgee]

I didn't think he was out of control. He didn't turn the ball over tonight in 15 minutes. He finished off a tough drive in the lane with a nice basket, made 2 threes, and both of his FT's.

10 pts. in 15 mins - I'll take it. Plus he got a tooth pushed thru his lip and came back out.

[XUGRAD80]

Steele expressed, in the post game radio interview, that he was not happy with the teams effort or its togetherness tonight. I image that tomorrow’s practice is not going to be a lot of fun.

[scoscox]

imagine how good this team would be if carter could make layups

[Jumpin_Jamal_Forever]

imagine how good this team would be if carter could make layups

Carter will be O,K, (I think). The shots he took (and yes, mostly missed) were open looks and he has made them in the past. So, I'm fine with him continuing to shoot and hopefully he shoots his way out of this slump. Remember he makes free throws (as in UConn) and that is a skill this team needs.

I do not give that permission to Q who nearly reverted to the human turnover and three point jacking machine we have seen before. Except, to Q's credit, he knocked down two BIG threes late in the game.

Tandy is going to be hard to keep off the floor.

Let me say that again. Tandy is going to be hard to keep off the floor.

Those stupid, freaking, careless turnovers are a sign of lousy ball discipline and they will, at some point soon, really hurt this team. The thing is many of them are unforced errors of the dumbest kind and so easily preventable.

Agree than James seems to have taken Bishop's minutes. I'm O.K. with that. Bishop is very athletic and he will develop. But, right now he is an offensive liability. James, although he didn't exactly scorch the nets tonight, seems to have more confidence in his shot. So, I say go with James until you have a reason not to.

[Masterofreality]

Carter was 2-10 tonight. Blahhh.

Meanwhile Zachary Freemantle barely saw the court in the second half. Was he hurt? I don't know but it seemed like Steele was bound and determined to let Carter play his way out of his funk...but he didn't and hasn't .

We'd better get some production out of our 4 on Saturday.

[Masterofreality]

Regardless, it's pretty apparent that this team isn't going to be able to win playing through Tyrique in the post first against good teams, so no sense getting worked up about it during buy games IMO.

Well, we're sure as hell not going to be able to win jacking up 3's in a game against good teams either. I expect for UC to pack the paint on Saturday and make us shoot from out. I hope to hell for one game the Three God is smiling on us.

[X Factor]

Carter was 2-10 tonight. Blahhh.

Meanwhile Zachary Freemantle barely saw the court in the second half. Was he hurt? I don't know but it seemed like Steele was bound and determined to let Carter play his way out of his funk...but he didn't and hasn't .

We'd better get some production out of our 4 on Saturday.

Carter is giving us nothing.

[X-band '01]

Steele expressed, in the post game radio interview, that he was not happy with the teams effort or its togetherness tonight. I image that tomorrow’s practice is not going to be a lot of fun.

There's a part of Steele that's probably happy that he can light into the team the next 2 days and try to get to kick into another emotional gear that's necessary to win Saturday.

[scoscox]

the thing about carter is that he has a great handle and gets to the rim really well, he just can't seem to finish at all

[sirthought]

Watched the game late on DVR recording. Glad for the win and hope that Davis kid for Green Bay really can make a name for himself. Impressive!

Man, lots of talent on this team! Too bad they play so disjointed most of the time. They can't run the pick and roll, struggle finding the open man in the plays they do run, hesitate too often when opportunities for good ball movement exist, and then too often lose the ball when trying to force something. At least free throws went in a bit more today and there defense did improve in the second half.

Steele is starting to sound like Cronin in his press conferences. I never gave Cronin the flack others do so often, but it's remarkable because Steele's team is starting to perform like Cronin's did. Can't easily score and have to hustle like crazy on defense to win. We have guys who shot great in high school (and Carter at OU), so you wonder what's changed with the teams we face.

I knew when this schedule came out it was slightly softer in order to have the team gel and get some confidence leading up to conference play. I was good with that, honestly. But now every time they make a stupid pass or a really questionable shot I'm hearing George Michael singing in my head the chorus from "Careless Whisper": "I'm never gonna dance again, guilty feet ain't got no rhythm." Ugh

This weekend should be a fun game.

[OTRMUSKIE]

Well, we're sure as hell not going to be able to win jacking up 3's in a game against good teams either. I expect for UC to pack the paint on Saturday and make us shoot from out. I hope to hell for one game the Three God is smiling on us.

3 point god, you can’t capitalize god unless it’s the one and true god. Ha ha. This team looks like amateurs out there and I know they are but they just do not play as a team. They look like a group of guys that have a world of talent but no guidance. Steele better learn how to get this guys playing on the same
Page fast. So far very disappointed in how Steele has coached. He still has another year IMO to prove he can do the job but right now he is not doing a great job. Time will tell and that time is coming.

[X-man]

It sure doesn't seem like this team is progressing. What I hope is that with all the player combinations, injury issues, and newbies, that the gelling time is longer than any of us expected. What I fear is that Steele, for whatever reason, is simply unable to get this team to run an offense. When you watch players off the ball on offense, there is no movement. They just run a few high screens and then hope for an open three or a seam to open up. I agree with others that this team is very talented individually. But man are they underperforming at the offensive end. Unless this ship gets righted quick, we are going to get killed when league play begins. Four more non-conference games to get things right.

[bleedXblue]

This team is frustrating to watch........just hoping we can at some point put it all together. The pieces are there but not playing as a team for sure. Feel bad for Carter, I know he wants to contribute, but he is downright awful right now.

[kellernr]

3 point god, you can’t capitalize god unless it’s the one and true god. Ha ha. This team looks like amateurs out there and I know they are but they just do not play as a team. They look like a group of guys that have a world of talent but no guidance. Steele better learn how to get this guys playing on the same
Page fast. So far very disappointed in how Steele has coached. He still has another year IMO to prove he can do the job but right now he is not doing a great job. Time will tell and that time is coming.I think this team will look better next year once Q graduated. Having a backcourt of Odom and Tandy will be refreshing. Havijg 2 guys that can drive or shoot will be great. Gonna miss Scruggs and Jones but I will not be upset if Naji leaves early too. Guy thinks hes a PG but cant dribble or pass to save his life.

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[Lloyd Braun]

So far very disappointed in how Steele has coached. He still has another year IMO to prove he can do the job but right now he is not doing a great job. Time will tell and that time is coming.


It sure doesn't seem like this team is progressing.



I can feel it getting closer.... who is going to start the “fire Steele!” thread? :loco:

[Xville]

Is x 8-1 or 1-8? I get that the offense isnt there currently but the wailing and gnashing of teeth is a bit odd.

And I'm sorry but those questioning Steele are flat out insane at this juncture. The team has bought in on the defensive side of the ball this year and it is essentially the exact same players
Is that not coaching?

[muskiefan82]

I choose to see the bright side of what Tandy brought to the game in only his second outing. When he gets really comfortable, he looks like a force. 15 minutes. 10 points. 3 pointers and driving scores. Smooth free throw shots. I like what he might mean for this team this year.

[XUGRAD80]

Lost in all the angst seems to be some perspective....

14 assists on 29 made shots
18 OFFENSIVE rebounds
84 points scored...2nd highest this year behind 87 in the LAST game

Have we ever heard a coach not complain about the teams lack of focus and effort in the game before the shootout?

I get that it wasn’t a perfect game and that X is not playing perfect ball. They have deficiencies and need improvement in many areas in order to be as good as they can be. Show me a team where this isn’t the case in early DECEMBER.

[muskiefan82]

Lost in all the angst seems to be some perspective....


18 OFFENSIVE rebounds


Anyone else think Jones sees Freemantle's effort taking some of his minutes? Jones was a beast on the boards last night. Those extra possessions. Wow. What did X have? 29 second chance points? That is impressive

[atljar]

I think this team will look better next year once Q graduated. Having a backcourt of Odom and Tandy will be refreshing. Havijg 2 guys that can drive or shoot will be great. Gonna miss Scruggs and Jones but I will not be upset if Naji leaves early too. Guy thinks hes a PG but cant dribble or pass to save his life.

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Those are our 3 best players, and its not even close. Losing Naji is going to be a huge loss.

[Muskie in dayton]

Man, KyKy is a muscled up guard but he is way out of control like Goodin's senior year.

fixed that for you.

[X-man]

I can feel it getting closer.... who is going to start the “fire Steele!” thread? :loco:

Don't include me as inching toward a "fire Steele" thread supporter. Nowhere close.

[kellernr]

Those are our 3 best players, and its not even close. Losing Naji is going to be a huge loss.Naji is good but he isnt great. He shows flashes but doesnt play within his limits. He will never be a good outside shooter. His skill set is for more of a slasher and finish at the rim but for some reason he thinks he can shootblike Curry. Q is the same way except he struggles to get layups to go down for some reason. Naji has hit some big 3s this year but he shouldn't be shooting as many as he does.

Jones is great for 10 minutes a game then goes off into lala land and becomes invisible.

Scruggs will be the biggest loss of this 4 if he does decide to leave early. Would love for him and Naji to stay but highly doubt that happens.

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[kellernr]

Don't include me as inching toward a "fire Steele" thread supporter. Nowhere close.Give the guy a few years with his players. He helped recruit all these guys but they are Mack's players. If the offensive game plan hasnt improved after 3 or 4 years then it might be time to warm up his seat.

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[Xville]

I do think that sometimes the pieces in our starting lineup dont really fit together. It does seem that with this freshman class, and the 2020 class, steele is doing a good job of identifying players with skill sets that are going to compliment each other.

Q, naji and paul on the offensive side of the ball, sometimes seem to get in each others way.

[scoscox]

naji was awesome last night. if he plays like that the rest of the year, we're definitely gonna lose him. it was good to see his threes go down. maybe he's finally starting to adjust to the deeper line

[GoMuskies]

Hate to skip over this season to look ahead to next season....but with the mention of Q, Naji, etc. I would just note that the core 4 who are all likely to be gone next year combined to score 66 of our 84 points yesterday. Jason Carter got 4 more, so 70 of those 84 points will be missing. In fact, all 5 starters will need to be replaced. There's a (pretty convincing) argument to be made that we'll be more talented next year, but it might be a real slog at the beginning.

[Jumpin_Jamal_Forever]

Let's not go off the deep end. We had high expectations for this team, rightly so. But, does anybody think maybe a tad too high? Naji and Scruggs are unquestionably talented. Tyrique is a quality starter and Carter (I believe) will turn his shooting around and be an important contributor.

Q is just an enigma to me. I thought, following his sophomore year, that he had great things ahead of him---all he had to do was keep improving. But, he hasn't and it has occurred to me that perhaps he has been playing out of position his entire time at X. His slashing game is more natural at the two guard and his ballhandling + decision making don't fit tightly with the P.G. position. Now, teams are daring him to shoot the three. Still, he is a solid defensive player and he did hit some big shots last night. Freemantle and Tandy are going to be really good players and will contribute even more as the season progresses. I'm unsure about Bishop and James but think Moore probably has earned more floor time. So, we've got decent players.

The early season schedule is soft otherwise this is not an 8-1 team. Still, right now their record is 8-1 with plenty of room to improve play. The Big East is a tough conference and I see no path for X to win conference or tournament the way they are currently playing. I don't know if last year's late season run was a freak thing or not but I'm hoping that Steele's coaching mindset is focused on getting them to peak late again. Hell, I don't even know if coaches think that way or if its possible to run a team so they save their best play for end of season. But, this team needs a spark--not sure what will do that---maybe its Tandy. But, they are experienced with solid talent. So, nobody slit their wrists; let's see how it goes.

I think it could go either way but too soon to say.

I think the next thing to watch is which team shows up for the Crosstown. I can stomach a loss but if they come out flat, sloppy and out-of-focus, that signals a problem.

[Xville]

Hate to skip over this season to look ahead to next season....but with the mention of Q, Naji, etc. I would just note that the core 4 who are all likely to be gone next year combined to score 66 of our 84 points yesterday. Jason Carter got 4 more, so 70 of those 84 points will be missing. In fact, all 5 starters will need to be replaced. There's a (pretty convincing) argument to be made that we'll be more talented next year, but it might be a real slog at the beginning.

True...young as hell, but tons of talent. Next year will be fun but it may be like last year where it took until almost the end of the season for guys to find their roles.

Hopefully by kyky junior year, the roster is a bit more balanced and we begin to reload instead of rebuild. Essentially not having a sophomore recruiting class really hurts next year with naji and paul probably gone.

[Olsingledigit]

Hate to skip over this season to look ahead to next season....but with the mention of Q, Naji, etc. I would just note that the core 4 who are all likely to be gone next year combined to score 66 of our 84 points yesterday. Jason Carter got 4 more, so 70 of those 84 points will be missing. In fact, all 5 starters will need to be replaced. There's a (pretty convincing) argument to be made that we'll be more talented next year, but it might be a real slog at the beginning.

Carter has another year left next year.

[GoMuskies]

Carter has another year left next year.

Well there you go. I just assumed.

[SemajParlor]

I think this team will look better next year once Q graduated. Having a backcourt of Odom and Tandy will be refreshing. Havijg 2 guys that can drive or shoot will be great. Gonna miss Scruggs and Jones but I will not be upset if Naji leaves early too. Guy thinks hes a PG but cant dribble or pass to save his life.

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Yeah... check back in a year.

[Lloyd Braun]

Don't include me as inching toward a "fire Steele" thread supporter. Nowhere close.

Was mostly quoting you for remarks of increasing disdain which in herd mentality can contribute to unrest in current coaching prowess.... also, “fire Steele!” is a joke that goes back a ways. See “fire Mack!” thread from years past.

[X-man]

Was mostly quoting you for remarks of increasing disdain which in herd mentality can contribute to unrest in current coaching prowess.... also, “fire Steele!” is a joke that goes back a ways. See “fire Mack!” thread from years past.

Sorry. Missed the irony in your post.

[kellernr]

Yeah... check back in a year.Having guards that can shoot, distribute and drive will open the floor up for other players. Right now X does not have a reliable PG to get guy the ball. Q drives out of control and then chucks the ball to where he thinks a player is instead of having a plan. Tandy and Odom will be refreshing next year.

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[bleedXblue]

Having guards that can shoot, distribute and drive will open the floor up for other players. Right now X does not have a reliable PG to get guy the ball. Q drives out of control and then chucks the ball to where he thinks a player is instead of having a plan. Tandy and Odom will be refreshing next year.

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FYI, Odom is not known for his shooting prowess. He's ultra quick and very athletic. He can get the rim.......think a shorter more athletic Sumner

[GIMMFD]

Did we lose last night??? I understand it's a bit frustrating with the team looking so sloppy on offense, and it's really tough to be optimistic considering our Core 4 have boat loads of experience, but last I checked a win is a win. We're 8-1 going into the shoot out, that's pretty good. We're actually playing defense, something that started happening at the end of last year and is progressing to this year, something I haven't seen in a while from an X team. At this point we know we don't have that strong of a shooting team, that's not going to magically change over night unfortunately, but I do think it'll creep up a little higher than what's it's been at this point. Ultimately, this team has some short comings, but have the talent to compete, with the defense we play we can stay in any game. It's early December, we want to peak in March, as long as we're picking up wins, and each game is a lesson point, we'll do okay. It may not seem like we're progressing, but each 40 minutes is another boost to chemistry levels around a lot of new pieces in the rotation. I have no doubt we'll be fine.

[SemajParlor]

Having guards that can shoot, distribute and drive will open the floor up for other players. Right now X does not have a reliable PG to get guy the ball. Q drives out of control and then chucks the ball to where he thinks a player is instead of having a plan. Tandy and Odom will be refreshing next year.

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I don't necessarily disagree with your take on them being frustrating and often unfit to work cohesively on offense, but I just disagree with the idea that there will be some sort of addition by subtraction, especially someone as talented as Naji.

We have to find a way to run our offense like last Feb -March (even though it took us the year to get there). It was very simplified and cohesive. Need to tighten a few screws, I have faith we'll keep getting better.

[Xville]

Its early but just saying in the kenpom we are:

50 offense
21 defense
27 overall

I know small sample size but still it is encouraging

[xcellentx]

Its early but just saying in the kenpom we are:

50 offense
21 defense
27 overall

I know small sample size but still it is encouraging

Even with a decent amount of offensive issues, I think we are close to being much better on that end. Get KyKy and Carter a little more comfortable, continue with the at least decent 3pt shooting from the past couple of games and I think we will see a vastly improved offense.

[bobbiemcgee]

Don't get any "warm fizzies" watching this team. Pretty lackluster performance against GB. Seems like we are hitting on 5 of 8 cylinders sometimes and too many offensive droughts. Throwing up 7 0f 8 bricks to open the game when everyone knew we should go inside, didn't seem like the greatest strategy. Need to improve for UC.

[bleedXblue]

Did we lose last night??? I understand it's a bit frustrating with the team looking so sloppy on offense, and it's really tough to be optimistic considering our Core 4 have boat loads of experience, but last I checked a win is a win. We're 8-1 going into the shoot out, that's pretty good. We're actually playing defense, something that started happening at the end of last year and is progressing to this year, something I haven't seen in a while from an X team. At this point we know we don't have that strong of a shooting team, that's not going to magically change over night unfortunately, but I do think it'll creep up a little higher than what's it's been at this point. Ultimately, this team has some short comings, but have the talent to compete, with the defense we play we can stay in any game. It's early December, we want to peak in March, as long as we're picking up wins, and each game is a lesson point, we'll do okay. It may not seem like we're progressing, but each 40 minutes is another boost to chemistry levels around a lot of new pieces in the rotation. I have no doubt we'll be fine.

We keep playing the way we are and the losses will start to pile up.....that's the entire point of most posters on here......

[Xville]

We keep playing the way we are and the losses will start to pile up.....that's the entire point of most posters on here......

I dont know if that is necessarily true. It's going to be ugly, but we can win a lot of games the play the team is playing on the defensive side of the ball overall.

[bleedXblue]

I dont know if that is necessarily true. It's going to be ugly, but we can win a lot of games the play the team is playing on the defensive side of the ball overall.

Maybe........but we've played a whopping total of 1 good team thus far. BE play is gonna be a lot different.

[Lloyd Braun]

Maybe........but we've played a whopping total of 1 good team thus far. BE play is gonna be a lot different.

I’m not sure the BE is very good either... it’s better than our noncon schedule however.

[Xville]

Maybe........but we've played a whopping total of 1 good team thus far. BE play is gonna be a lot different.

I think uconn is a tournament team, but I hear ya.

Butler may prove me wrong Saturday but I feel like florida is better than anyone in the big east this year and x was right there.

[GoMuskies]

I’m not sure the BE is very good either

Huh? There may not be any great teams, but the Big East is rock solid 1-9 (sorry Provi).

[xcellentx]

I’m not sure the BE is very good either... it’s better than our noncon schedule however.

When DePaul is 9-0, 5 teams in the Kenpom top 30 and all but St Johns in the Kenpom top 60, it's hard to say that the Big East isn't good. There may not be any elite teams, but there doesn't seem to be many scrub teams.

[SemajParlor]

Maybe........but we've played a whopping total of 1 good team thus far. BE play is gonna be a lot different.

Uconn will be a nice OOC win in my opinion.

[bleedXblue]

Uconn will be a nice OOC win in my opinion.

I think UCONN is at best a bubble team this year.

[GoMuskies]

UConn is Sagarin-ing (is that a word) 6th in the AAC at #58. I think that's probably about right for them. Neutral court wins over NIT teams are still pretty decent wins.

[sirthought]

No suggestion to "fire Steele." We need him to improve in quality of play, not just wins. Fans can support the players, while still acknowledging the drop in good basketball development of our most experienced guys. Chemistry might be an issue, but I think some guys have just stopped developing under his guidance. That will hopefully change in due course. This season will continue to be a nail biter.

Yeah, they've won a lot of games on talent, improved defense, and some luck. The number one issue ALL struggling college basketball teams have is the lack of a solid point guard. Our most experienced point guard this year lack confidence and awareness.

Goodin has achieved many things here, but he's regressed, especially considering expectations. He often knows what to do, but loses ball control too often. (1 out of 4 possessions is a turnover.) His defense has been important in the scheme of this roster, but his overall production (advanced stats wise) is one of the lowest amongst Big East players right now. Still, he has a leadership role this season and I hope things start to click for him.

Jones is the second most important player for us. His positive development to stop fouling means we're seeing the good player he has likely always been. But he's not so gifted to take over by himself. A better point guard would help him use his skill and advantages and produce even higher. Now he's mostly getting field goals on his own, which is great, but limiting.

Skrugs has been the most important player on the court for us. He's playing point better than Goodin, but only in that he shows confidence when driving and shooting himself. He's really good at that, and it's critical. But he's not setting up others at a high level. Or they aren't converting by his efforts to assist.

[Lloyd Braun]

What is the conference’s best win so far? DePaul at Iowa? I guess I am not yet convinced there are a lot of good teams in our conference, X included.

[sirthought]

What is the conference’s best win so far? DePaul at Iowa? I guess I am not yet convinced there are a lot of good teams in our conference, X included.


Best wins so far based on Bart Torvik's ranking (very similar to Kenpom, but free):

Villanova over Mississippi State
Butler over Stanford
X over UCONN
Marquette over Perdue
Creighton over Texas Tech
Georgetown over Texas AND OK State
Depaul over Texas Tech AND Iowa

I think on paper Texas Tech is the highest rated win, but since that school lost three in a row to Creighton, Depaul, and Iowa, I'm not so sure why they rated highly. Probably the early-season curve based on last year.

[AviatorX]

I dont know if that is necessarily true. It's going to be ugly, but we can win a lot of games the play the team is playing on the defensive side of the ball overall.

Thank you. X is 8-1 and a top 30 KenPom team - isn't that pretty much in line with expectations? I mean do people think this is supposed to be a top 15 team? I was never under that impression.

[GIMMFD]

We keep playing the way we are and the losses will start to pile up.....that's the entire point of most posters on here......

They could, but I'd argue that defensively, with that level of commitment to that side, that can keep us in any game, and we're battle tested in close games, a couple OTs already, etc. I think it's really speculation on whether losses will pile up or not. I mean I get it, we've looked downright awful at times, and even Steele is disgusted in it, but at the end of the day, as AviatorX said above me, we're 8-1 and top 30 in KenPom. It's not like we're drastically performing worse than what we expected, I don't think before the season people were thinking "this is a championship level team," and honestly I much rather them be performing well defensively opposed to offensively at this stage in the season. I think we can be better on offense quite easily because of the talent, but getting a team to buy in defensively is a little tougher to do. It hasn't been pretty so far, but it just feels like this board wants the world to burn down right now lol.

[bleedXblue]

They could, but I'd argue that defensively, with that level of commitment to that side, that can keep us in any game, and we're battle tested in close games, a couple OTs already, etc. I think it's really speculation on whether losses will pile up or not. I mean I get it, we've looked downright awful at times, and even Steele is disgusted in it, but at the end of the day, as AviatorX said above me, we're 8-1 and top 30 in KenPom. It's not like we're drastically performing worse than what we expected, I don't think before the season people were thinking "this is a championship level team," and honestly I much rather them be performing well defensively opposed to offensively at this stage in the season. I think we can be better on offense quite easily because of the talent, but getting a team to buy in defensively is a little tougher to do. It hasn't been pretty so far, but it just feels like this board wants the world to burn down right now lol.

I don't sense that at all.......I sense frustration more than anything with the lack of improvement in the areas that plagued this team most of last year.

My take is that we will improve and get better. You can see the talent and potential. We're just not clicking yet.......its only Dec 6th, we have long way to go

[xudash]

Some of our 3-point attempts have been near misses. And I mean near misses: good looking shots that just catch too much rim one way or the other and bounce away. The shots themselves were taken by players who got into position for a clear shot via running an effective or effective enough offensive set. They weren't wildass fade away attempts with 2 seconds left on the shot clock.

Imagine if just 3 more of them dropped in per game to-date.

I know "if's and but's" is not a good way to go in stating a case for something, but the fact is that they have been just off with some of those shots.

We are not going to look like we looked during the Blueitt regime, but I still believe they'll begin to find their range to a differentiating degree. I hope that begins this Saturday. Then we can have something else to bitch about, albeit hopefully not turnovers.

[drudy23]

We keep playing the way we are and the losses will start to pile up.....that's the entire point of most posters on here......

This.

Coach sees this. We see this. Everyone sees this.

Don't let 8-1 make you believe everything is fine and dandy. At the same time, the sky isn't falling either.