Game Thread: Xavier v. Western Carolina (December 18, 2019) Non-Conference

[Muskie]

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

Xavier University Musketeers (9-2,0-0) vs. Western Carolina (6-2,0-0)
Wednesday, December 18, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.
Cintas Center

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



Television: FS1






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.

______
Most Recent Results:
Wake Forest defeated Xavier (Link (https://goxavier.com/news/2019/12/14/mens-basketball-paul-scruggs-posts-career-high-30-points-in-loss-to-wake-forest.aspx))
Western Carolina defeated UNC-Asheville (Link (http://www.catamountsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=12100&ATCLID=211816785))

Catamount Media:
Western Carolina Athletics Homepage ( (https://gobearcats.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule)Link (http://www.catamountsports.com/)) (https://gobearcats.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule)
Catamounts on Twitter (Link (https://twitter.com/WCU_MBB))

[D-West & PO-Z]

15.5 seems high to me

[Xville]

15.5 seems high to me

Me too...which is why I put a token ten dollars down on x to cover because it makes no sense :)

[GoMuskies]

15.5 seems high to me

Sagarin would make it 14.5.

[D-West & PO-Z]

I don't know about you all but its hard for me to bet on any of my team because I am usually not objective. Either overly optimistic or overly pessimistic depending on how the team is playing. Hard for me to imagine we beat anyone by double digits the way we look right now. But I know thats not really the case. I think I picked an 11 point win in the pick the score contest but for us to win by 16 seems tough to imagine.

[Xville]

I don't know about you all but its hard for me to bet on any of my team because I am usually not objective. Either overly optimistic or overly pessimistic depending on how the team is playing. Hard for me to imagine we beat anyone by double digits the way we look right now. But I know thats not really the case. I think I picked an 11 point win in the pick the score contest but for us to win by 16 seems tough to imagine.

Agreed but that's why I only put 10 dollars on it. I put substantially more on uc losing tonight.

[surfxu]

Travis was pretty friggin blunt on his radio show this week about the disappointment so far about playing with energy and togetherness for 40 minutes so far. That was echoed in is pregame presser yesterday. Specifically called out the seniors, Q and Tyrique. Classes are over and it's been two a day practices this week. If they don't come out with some fire tonight then I don't know what is going to fix the effort issues. Jeez this team had the potential to be really good if they all want it. Hopefully we'll see that tonight. Woof Woof!!!

[XU-PA]

No Naji.
Not in the lineup, not in warmups.
What's up?

[SemajParlor]

I would feel a little more comfortable knowing what's up with Naji. Flu maybe?

[Xville]

No Naji.
Not in the lineup, not in warmups.
What's up?

Geezus.....seriously? Ugh

[XU_Lou]

stomach virus

[SemajParlor]

Stomach virus per Adam Baum

[Xville]

Maybe I'm completely making this up but for some reason, when one of the core four isnt playing, the team seems to play better. We shall see tonight.

[whopper]

tyrique the same thing..a foul trying to retrieve a miss! Each of 3 last three games!

[noteggs]

Maybe I'm completely making this up but for some reason, when one of the core four isnt playing, the team seems to play better. We shall see tonight.

Focus does seem better for sure.

[Xville]

Focus does seem better for sure.

Then, tandy and bishop came into the game. I really hope they start producing something positive.

[X-band '01]

This is - not positive.

[xukeith]

So far, our frosh guards suck. Man, they need to play in high school gyms. So many bricks. I guess KyKy needs another month to heal plus understand defense. yikes.

[Xville]

Our offense is such garbage glad to hear " it will work itself out" I have never seen such awful passing, awful shooting and missed layups.

[xu82]

So far......this is MUCH less enjoyable than what I was hoping for.

[Xville]

Good first 5 minutes, absolute garbage 15 minutes. Same mistakes over and over and over.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Any team in the country no matter how good or how bad easily gets their PG switched to one of our bigs whenever they want and either get a layup or foul. That is such bad and/or stubborn coaching by Steele. Either way it’s unacceptable. Everyone knows it’s coming and that’s what the other team wants to do. Doesn’t matter we let it happen.

[whopper]

Scruggs is so off and I love his game. He is getting stripped at the last second of that spin move in the lane and has 6 turnovers. Hope he can figure it out. This is frustrating to watch. Praying for more from Kyky and Dahmir.

[noteggs]

Best half I’ve seen Goodin and Carter play on offense. Carter on D needs work but did have a nice block. As for Ty and Paul, not a great performance on offense (borderline just bad). Ty did have some nice rebounds.

[Xville]

To get called out this week in multiple instances, and play like this is absolutely pathetic. Confidence in this team is dwindling by the second

[xu82]

I’ve learned that Xavier and the Bills cannot make me happy at the same time. Apparently that’s too much of a good thing, and not allowed.

[XU 23]

Any team in the country no matter how good or how bad easily gets their PG switched to one of our bigs whenever they want and either get a layup or foul. That is such bad and/or stubborn coaching by Steele. Either way it’s unacceptable. Everyone knows it’s coming and that’s what the other team wants to do. Doesn’t matter we let it happen.

This was going on under Mack too. I recall Marquette exploiting it every time we played them. Will never understand the defensive philosophy behind putting a PG on a Center. That has to change.

[GoMuskies]

No more games related to Skip Prosser!

[Xville]

I mean is this team absolutely embarrassed yet? You are losing to western Carolina by 7 at home? Are you effing joking

[kellernr]

Scruggs has 0 handle on the ball tonight.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[XU 23]

Yeah, we are not a top 25 team.

[GoMuskies]

After that second TO, we are at least finally playing with some intensity. Probably won't last.

[Xville]

I gotta say..q is playing well tonight. Might be the best game he has had this year.

[X-band '01]

No more games related to Skip Prosser!

Not even Loyola?

[IM4X]

In all seriousness, does anyone have stats on how many layups Carter has missed this year. Really do not get it. Just awful.

[xukeith]

I gotta say..q is playing well tonight. Might be the best game he has had this year.

Yes.

All the frosh seriously struggling tonight.

[IM4X]

Carter made one. Hallelujah.

[Xville]

Amazing what this team can do when they are focused and match the intensity of the other team.

[Xville]

I wonder if scruggs isnt feeling well either, he looks really off tonight.

[Xville]

Great last 10 minutes or so...light finally turned on after being down 7

[whopper]

must keep the focus on defense, crazy sequence by Jones. Marshall being out seemed to open it up a little for Carter and Goodin

[xu82]

Q with 23? This is so confusing!

[noteggs]

Yes he’ll be good and bad, but can we officially stop the Q hating?

[Xville]

Hell of a game by q...the last 12 or so minutes is how we need play for 40 minutes. They do that, they will win a lot of conference games.

[Xville]

15.5 seems high to me

Yep just a little too high :(

[noteggs]

Ok we saw Q, Naji, Paul, Carter step up where we needed. When do we see it together?

[Nigel Tufnel]

Got X -13 right before tip off. Not knowing about Marshall. Moore hustle play and dunk by Carter...Vegas...keep doing that voodoo that you do.

[Xville]

Agreed but that's why I only put 10 dollars on it. I put substantially more on uc losing tonight.

Let this be a lesson to not bet on sports or at least do the opposite of me.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Let this be a lesson to not bet on sports or at least do the opposite of me.

Doubt lightening strikes again...but there is plenty of time for UC to shit the bed against UT.

[Xville]

I bet uk to not cover tonight so get your bets in on uk now :)

[bobbiemcgee]

George Costanza betting. Like it


Sent from my REVVL 2 PLUS using Tapatalk

[xu82]

Ok we saw Q, Naji, Paul, Carter step up where we needed. When do we see it together?

Saving it for BE play....then MARCH!

[Jumpin_Jamal_Forever]

What did we learn about this team tonight?

This is a significant win, I think, because the Muskies did, in a sense, snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. I acknowledge that is a bit of an overstatement. The Muskies managed to turn their defense around in the second half and although some of the decision making in the last five minutes wasn't good, the boys got it done at crunch time.

1. We saw a different Q tonight. My hat is off to him because he stepped up BIG when we needed him. Where has that guy been? How, in the world, can he shoot threes tonight like he did having been so awful in other games?

2. Scruggs tried to do too much and he had one of the worst games I have seen him play. Some of his turnovers were atrocious and it is, now, difficult to imagine him at the P.G. position. It was just one game but clearly a bad one.

3. Carter and Moore stepped up. Moore's defense was tough and Carter finally hit some shots.

4. Freemantle showed he belonged, as he has previously. Tandy looked like he needs more minutes and more shots so he can become more of a contributor. Bishop looked like he needs less minutes and no shots.

5. This team came out with a much better attitude but, at times, it didn't help. For all but about the first five minutes of the first half, this team looked like they were on the ropes. They looked like they had no confidence. I thought they might go down early in second half. I give all of them along with Steele and the coaches lots of credit for fixing things at halftime.

6. The poster who commented way back after Midnight Madness something to the effect that "this team will struggle shooting the ball" sure looks prophetic---scarily so.

Is there anything about tonight that we can conclude, given that Naji was out? This is one game. Not much to go on and any conclusions may look, in retrospect, like they are premature. Nevertheless, I can't put my arms around it but, somehow, I think tonight---the good, the bad and the ugly is all in some way related to Xavier's offensive philosophy which has encouraged Naji and Scruggs to try and take over and go one on one. Without Naji, tonight, others stepped up. But, the guy we all might have expected to shine did not. Perhaps because he felt he had to wear Naji's cape. Carter and Moore, who are lower priority options at the offensive end, played well. Good for them. Still, at times, we looked like we had no clue on offense and it just looks like our offense is centered on giving the ball to one guy and let that guy get it done. Meanwhile, WCU moved the ball, penetrated, dished and nailed some three balls. They looked pretty good up until they didn't.

Despite tonight, I think something about our offensive play still stinks. And, it isn't just bad shooting. Steele needs to get it figured out and soon.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

Q is the STAR of the show tonight. Who would have thought that he can shoot like that? His shooting % is unreal. Please keep that up and X will win a lot of games.

[Nigel Tufnel]

George Costanza betting. Like it


Sent from my REVVL 2 PLUS using Tapatalk

So if every thought you have is wrong, the opposite must be....right. Classic Seinfeld. And while we are at it, hope everyone has a Happy Festivus.

[X Factor]

Goodin is now shooting 36% from three on the year. Who would've believed that? Very happy for him.

Scruggs has more turnovers (34) than assists (25) on the year.

Freemantle is shooting 55% from the field and 83% from the FT line. Tyrique is shooting 50% from the field and 60% from the FT line.

This is very bad passing team, and very poor at moving without the ball.

[xu82]

Freemantle will be amazing before it’s all over.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Freemantle will be amazing before it’s all over.

He’s pretty bad ass now. Best X big frosh in a long time. Game is not too big or fast for him.

[xu82]

He’s pretty bad ass now. Best X big frosh in a long time. Game is not too big or fast for him.

No doubt! Love that guy!

[D-West & PO-Z]

Some numbers that stood out to me:
Jones 6 assists
Q 4-4 from three
Carter 4 blocks
Scruggs 8 turnovers (ouch)
Moore 6 steals

[IM4X]

Freemantle will be amazing before it’s all over.

I think we are seeing the same thing.

[IM4X]

Some numbers that stood out to me:
Jones 6 assists
Q 4-4 from three
Carter 4 blocks
Scruggs 8 turnovers (ouch)
Moore 6 steals

+

82% from the line (not too shabby)

[UCGRAD4X]

So, who was that really, wearing #3 last night? When he went to the line and the announcer commented that he was the best free throw shooter (and immediately clanked one) after my spit take, I decided that must really not have been Q after all.

[muskiefan82]

Some numbers that stood out to me:
Jones 6 assists
Q 4-4 from three
Carter 4 blocks
Scruggs 8 turnovers (ouch)
Moore 6 steals

Some of those Tyrique assists were things of beauty too.

[bobbiemcgee]

Still need to play for the full 40 minutes. We've had a scoring drought in almost every game. The FL and WF ones killed. Still unsure about our game plan to come out and immediately start launching 3's , altho I would love it if Q could make them.

[XU 87]

A very uninspiring first 35 minutes. X gave up 21 points in the first 5 minutes of the second half. That's horrible.

That said, they then dominated the last 15 minutes of the game (as they should have all game). WCU scored 11 points in the last 15 minutes.

[scoscox]

carter's block in the first half was incredible. i never knew he could do that. where did that come from?

[bobbiemcgee]

carter's block in the first half was incredible. i never knew he could do that. where did that come from?

Carter's drive to the bucket when it was 55-55 and then his "rip away' of the the rebound at the other end when he also got the foul were really the turning points. Got everybody fired up.

[DexterBailey84]

Carter's drive to the bucket when it was 55-55 and then his "rip away' of the the rebound at the other end when he also got the foul were really the turning points. Got everybody fired up.

Either way, Carter can apparently get the eff up...Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) :biggrin: