Game Thread: Xavier v Fairfield (11/15/2022)

[paulxu]

https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/2a1f45a0-e1cc-4202-89d7-1b7b5c27f309_1.3c18d8e111cdcd7e8a271effb6000907.jp eg?odnHeight=612&odnWidth=612&odnBg=FFFFFFVS.https://i.pinimg.com/originals/30/f5/b6/30f5b617c98ffb4db4bfd24ab492c20f.jpg





THE MATCHUP

XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (2-0, 0-0 BIG EAST)
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY STAGS (0-2, O-0 MAAC)
TUESDAY, NOV. 15, 2022 AT 9 P.M. ET AT CINTAS CENTER (10,224)

TV, RADIO & LIVE STATS

Television: FS2 with play by-play from Matt Schumacker and analysis from Lavall Jordan.
Radio: 700 WLW with play-by-play from Xavier Hall of Famer Joe Sunderman ('79) and analysis from XU all-time leading scorer and Hall of Famer Byron Larkin ('88). The broadcast is also available on Sirius XM channel 383 and channel 973 on the SXM App.

Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com (http://statbroadcast.com/) and fan stats at GoXavier.com (https://goxavier.com/).

[D-West & PO-Z]

Ha, didn't realize Lavall Jordan was doing analyst work now!

[Muskie]

Big test tonight with Fairfield and IU on Friday.

[GoMuskies]

What's the big test? Whether our team can stay awake long enough to win by 20?

[Xville]

What's the big test? Whether our team can stay awake long enough to win by 20?

The big test is if they can hit 80 since I bet the over on X

[X Factor]

Colby out tonight with a sprained ankle?

[noteggs]

Looks to be the case. No Colby tonight

[Xville]

Sleepwalking so far tonight. It’s a trap

[xu82]

We should be able to control Fairfield without Colby. Ugly start, but it’s early. This is why we play these games.

[American X]

Maybe Colby Jones should not sprain his ankle and maybe we should not play two freshmen at the same time.

[IM4X]

It’s one thing if 1 or 2 players are cold, but pretty much the entire team is cold and playing sloppy.

[Xville]

This is all my fault. I bet x over 79

[American X]

Both freshmen do not want to take open shots, but want to drive into traffic.

Thankfully the calming presence of Jerome Hunter is out there.

[noteggs]

Is it bad to not score for 5 minutes?

[xudash]

Both freshmen do not want to take open shots, but want to drive into traffic.

Thankfully the calming presence of Jerome Hunter is out there.

Good one.

[IM4X]

If I didn’t know any better; I would think X was the mid major team in tonight’s game. My 5th grade team shoots much better than these guys are shooting tonight.

[xu82]

Is it bad to not score for 5 minutes?

It’s OK, we are saving it up!

[KabeX]

Fairfield Fugly

[xudash]

The wake up call was made and received.

[Xville]

Alright…x woke up finally…

[American X]

Much, much better when they committed to going inside. Excellent selfless passes by Freemantle.

[IM4X]

Nice to see the fellas moving it around to find the better shot.

[KabeX]

Was that Free's first Three attempt of the season?

[bjf123]

Was that Free's first Three attempt of the season?

Yep.


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[KabeX]

Might well be his last.


Yep.


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[IM4X]

Hope Miller is having a word with Boum about his poor decision to take those quick shots.

[Xville]

10 turnovers… against Fairfield… ugh

[KabeX]

Should be a spirited halftime discussion

[IM4X]

Really? Head scratcher there.
Don’t understand that play at all.
Why not work it inside where you can create contact?

[American X]

Did Miller really call brick a low-percentage jumper by a freshman out of that timeout?

[Xavgrad08]

That was not an enjoyable half of basketball to watch. Actually feel fortunate to only be down 2.

[noteggs]

Is it just me or does Kam look like a cross between Joey Chitwood and doc on back to the future?

[KabeX]

Is it just me or does Kam look like a cross between Joey Chitwood and doc on back to the future?

Maybe he can go back in time and fix the f'd up space time continuum that was the 1st half.

[xukeith]

Is it just me or does Kam look like a cross between Joey Chitwood and doc on back to the future?

Funny! Great Scott Marty.
X really missed Jones. X only has 2 bench points so far.

[Masterofreality]

Our defense is questionable.
And Kraft and Claude need to score and not be gaping voids out there.

[IM4X]

I think it might be official that Colby is X’s most important player. Thinking we’d be up 10 or more with Colby playing. He’s like an extra motor that keeps everything humming and working better on the court.

[IM4X]

Jack is Back!

[American X]

Huge lift from Nunge. Desperately needed someone else to step up.

[noteggs]

Time to put them away!

[xudash]

Step on their throats time.

[GoMuskies]

That cupping that Kunkel went through looks painful.

[IM4X]

Kunkel needs to reel it back in a bit. Guys need to play smart- keep passing and we should be good.

[IM4X]

Got to sit the freshman. Horrible and costly pass.

[American X]

Tu Holloway likes Adam Kunkel's scoop and foul.

[Xville]

Kunkel has made a couple of mistakes but thank gawd for him tonight… this game has been hideous

[xudash]

You do not lob to HUNTER!

[IM4X]

Slow it down fellas. Work it back inside

[XUBison]

“Excellent defense by Freemantle!” The announcer just said that. Holy moly.

[IM4X]

That was really nice. Free with the pass.

[xudash]

How is this: take the win, hopefully by more than 10 points.

Erase it from the DVD; don’t even rewatch this.

Move on.

[XUBison]

“Excellent defense by Freemantle!” The announcer just said that. Holy moly.

Now he has a triple double.

[KabeX]

I will forgive the 1 3 attempt by Zach - this time. And only if he continues to post triple doubles.

[American X]

Tough win. Plenty of highlights to outshine the lowlights. Defense and passing improved as the game progressed.

What an exceptional game by Freemantle. We saw the best version of Zach, more please (but not the three).

Honorary Steel Balls Award to Kunkel for stepping up with Jones out.

[X-band '01]

Tonight was also the first bad night of foul shooting - there was a bit of a Bronx cheer when Nunge finally hit a couple of freebies in the final 2 minutes.

Telling line from Sean Miller postgame - the offense won't solely be the guards feeding the bigs like Freemantle and Nunge. The bigs are also capable of feeding the guards when necessary, case in point Zach tonight.

Now please do not fall behind by 11 against Indiana on Friday. Do not want a repeat of the Wisconsin home game from 4 years ago.

[xukeith]

Now we all monitor Colby Jones' foot/ankle. Play Colby if foot is 80%? Or sit him for 100% strong foot for rest of season?

I vote to sit Jones unless he can play with a 100% healthy foot?

[paulxu]

Can not afford these slow starts, especially in conference.

[bleedXblue]

Man I really thought after game 1 that Hunter was going to develop into a nice bench player for us......but holy crap his decision making is horrendous and at times plays like he has never played this game before. Guy is a total mystery to me

[murray87]

It seems that Freemantle loves playing for Sean Miller!

And Cesar Edwards must not be cut out for hoops at this level?

[GoMuskies]

Finally, the real season can start!

[drudy23]

3-0 is 3-0. Can't complain.

Still a bit concerned about sloppy play and turnovers. Hope Colby is ready for Friday.

My gut tells me we're still a pretty average team as the results have been inconsistent, but the desire to improve seems to be present with everyone. I just hope we're not exposed going into these games against really good teams. Excited for some real tests.

It's not a make or break stretch, but I think it will provide some evidence if we're a legit tournament team, or if we're going to have to scratch and claw again to make it.

[XUGRAD80]

Nunge and Free are going to struggle defending good low post players, and nothing is really going to change that. However their passing abilities will also likely make it hard for opposing bigs to guard them. They are playing well off of each other when they are both setting up near the paint. Steele had them playing one low and one outside, and that was not effective hardly ever. Free can’t shoot 3 balls if he is near the paint! Keep him there! Nunge has shown that he can make them, so it’s OK to let him roam out there from time to time, but not Free. Free got a lot of his rebounds because the Fairfield bigs were out of the low post area and we’re trying to stay with Nunge at the top of the paint. It would be great if another player could step up and give quality minutes when one of them needed a rest, but I’m not sure any of the backups can do that right now. That’s certainly going to bite X somewhere down the line.

Miller said afterwards that all of the players were struggling in the 1st half trying to figure out where they needed to be with Jones out of the lineup. It seems that during halftime there was some teaching going on and they did a much better job in the 2nd half. The team has shown through 3 games that they will most likely play better in 2nd half’s, than 1st half’s. That the coaches and players can recognize problems and fix them during a game. What a refreshing change from what we had been seeing. If how adept they are at making changes/improvements over the course of a game are any indication, I believe that we will see a team that is playing better later in the year, than they are at the beginning of the year. Won’t that be something different?!!

As Joe Namath once said, “I can’t wait for tomorrow, because I get better looking everyday.” I can’t wait for March because I think that this team (if it stays healthy) will be very dangerous come tourney time.

[Jumpin_Jamal_Forever]

Nunge and Free are going to struggle defending good low post players, and nothing is really going to change that. However their passing abilities will also likely make it hard for opposing bigs to guard them. They are playing well off of each other when they are both setting up near the paint. Steele had them playing one low and one outside, and that was not effective hardly ever. Free can’t shoot 3 balls if he is near the paint! Keep him there! Nunge has shown that he can make them, so it’s OK to let him roam out there from time to time, but not Free. Free got a lot of his rebounds because the Fairfield bigs were out of the low post area and we’re trying to stay with Nunge at the top of the paint. It would be great if another player could step up and give quality minutes when one of them needed a rest, but I’m not sure any of the backups can do that right now. That’s certainly going to bite X somewhere down the line..

I think "somewhere down the line" might be Friday. IU roster is bigger than X and, were I Mike Woodson, I would attack Nunge and Free from the start. If they can force one to the bench, we seem to have no backups. Perhaps we can play with Hunter for longer stretches than heretofore but perhaps not. And if both Nunge and Free go the bench for any longer than a minute or two, look out below. Miles, from whom I hoped to see significant improvement, is simply not a serviceable backup. He just doesn't possess the skills needed. And, Miles is our best option. Edwards hasn't gotten off the bench against three inferior teams---at least for meaningful minutes. I hope Miller figures this out by tournament time (and I'm even confident that he might). But, today lack of frontcourt depth is a very real and significant weakness.

As it pertains to the Hoosiers, their guards are bigger than ours and that could be a problem on Friday as well.

While I'm hopeful, I think Friday could be a smackdown.

[Xavier]

Kunkel really saved us last night. We need Colby healthy….I saw he had to get an X-ray, which made me think he might be out longer. Would love for him to be good for next week.

[drudy23]

Friday advantages:

- Two capable bigs in the post - hard to guard
- Sean Miller
- Homecourt


Friday disadvantages:
- Frontcourt depth
- Backcourt size
- Colby out or limited - will need his defense immensely

[American X]

With the extra playing time last night, maybe the freshmen will only be partial and not complete spazs on the court against Indiana. Claude inherited the #1 jersey from Scruggs and on cue passed the ball directly to the other team just like Paul loved to do as a freshman.

Hopefully more of those point blanks shots roll in versus IU, especially with the lackluster FT percentage.

[xuwin]

You do not lob to HUNTER!

I think they will take that play out of the playbook and reserve it for when Nunge is in the game. Hunter doesn't have the size to receive it. It might work with Miles if he seals off correctly.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Highlight of the season by far was everyone on the team and in the building knowing the final 5 possessions or so that Free needed 1 assist for the triple double, Miller leaving him in, and the team actively working to get Free the chance to get it, AND THEN him actually getting it on the last possession of the game where they were very lucky to have to shoot due to there being a 4 second differential in the shot and game clock.

Would have been interesting to see if there was no differential if Miller would have run an offense still to get Free the chance or if they would have just run it out.

What a scene from Zach, the team, and the fans when he got it though!

[IM4X]

It seems that Freemantle loves playing for Sean Miller!

And Cesar Edwards must not be cut out for hoops at this level?


Honestly, I was a little surprised Steele brought in Edwards, thinking he could one day be a starter at the BE level. I remember not being overly impressed with his hIgh school tape. He often looked too relaxed (almost lethargic). He didnÂ’t very aggressive. He didnÂ’t seem to have the best footwork. He didnÂ’t look very athletic (he rarely finished above the rim).

I got to see Free play in HS. He was just the opposite. I was very impressed with how quick he was, how well he handled the ball and how he finished most fast breaks with dunks. I felt great about his chances in the BE. While he had a bit of a disappointing season last year, I knew Zach had it in him to be a better player than we had yet seen. IÂ’m really happy for him. I appreciate that Steele recognized he had the talent and athleticism to play in the BE. I just believe he needed a coach who figured out how best to use him in games.

Maybe Edwards can continue to develop and earn some more minutes- IÂ’m just not seeing how he can develop enough to become a starter at this levelÂ… and I think Sean is seeing the same thing. I believe when Sean mentioned in one of his press conferences that he will be bringing in a few more players, he was really talking about bigs. I mean, if Zach leaves next year along with Nunge, who is left at the 4 or 5 that looks capable of being a BE starter?

[drudy23]

I really hope Sean builds the power forward pipeline. We need these guys in the Big East.

If they can shoot, even better.

[Cincypunk.org]

I thought Cesare Edwards looked great in his limited minutes last year. I am prett surprised he is behind Miles this year as I thought he would have surpassed him over the summer.

I see nothing in D. Miles except mop up minutes. I hope he proves us all wrong.

[xukeith]

Hope Miles can use his strength and simply stay on the block and deter players from making layups . If he can box out vs teh opposing teams' weakest post player, I will be happy.
He can be a strong defender.

[XUBison]

FWIW, Byron was effusive during one of the broadcasts about Edwards’ one-on-one prowess during practice— said he’s hardly seen a big man with his moves. Then said he can’t figure it out within the team concept yet, for whatever reason.

[Xavier]

In the limited time we saw him he seemed decent on offense. I thought he showed some potential. I have no clue what he was recruited as but did seem to fit the Steele role of Stretch four who preferred to play 16+feet out but would be a frustratingly below average shooter.

I’m in the minority of being ok with Freemantle averaging 1.5 3 attempts a game. His game is much better off in attack mode overall- but I think he has the ability to make open ones too. He shot 35% from 3 his freshman year on 34 Attempts which Is basically one a game

[IM4X]

I’m in the minority of being ok with Freemantle averaging 1.5 3 attempts a game. His game is much better off in attack mode overall- but I think he has the ability to make open ones too. He shot 35% from 3 his freshman year on 34 Attempts which Is basically one a game

I am with you. I didn’t love the one he took last game, but I do agree he is good enough from behind the arc to be given the green light to take a few - IF they are good looks from one of his sweet spots on the court (wherever that is). Nunge’s sweet spot seems to be just beyond the top of the key.