Xavier Scouting Report

[businesslawyer]

This is the only game I get to attend this season and I’m hoping this breaks my streak of never having seen UConn win live. It’s getting kind of crazy haha. I’ve mostly only been to games in Cincinnati, but I’ve also been to Louisville a few times, Ohio state, Memphis, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh. I’m starting to think I’m cursed.

Then stop going. I’m 0-2 in regional finals. You won’t see me screwing up our chances in another regional final by showing up.

 

[Hankster]

This game feels like a trap. Looking for Karaban and Samson to have big games!

You may be right. They beat up Seton Hall like Seton Hall did to us. Scary.

 

[tykurez]

This would be an ideal game for Clingan but alas.

I’m most concerned about Claude as he’s in the Kadary Richmond mold this year which has historically presented challenges for us. I think we see a lot of Castle guarding him. Rebound the ball well, neutralize Claude as well as Olivari’s good looks and I think we should be able to win this one without too much drama.

 

[Husky68]

Wear your socks and underwear inside-out at the game. That'll fix it.

Underwear has and inside and an outside? Maybe that's what my wife means when she asks what am I doing when I get dressed.

 

[Khal Drogo]

Jogging is a good hobby.

Might I suggest a local highway to jog on? At night? And don't forget your blindfold!

Camping on railroad tracks is also a lot of fun

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Then stop going. I’m 0-2 in regional finals. You won’t see me screwing up our chances in another regional final by showing up.

This. I turned down tickets to Anaheim in '11 because they had lost the last three games I was at. Still waiting on my ring.

 

[UConn Esq]

UConn -3.5

 

[HooperScooper]

UConn -3.5

Surprised it's that low only because the spread was -6 against Butler and Butler seems better than Xavier.

 

[Leebo]

Surprised it's that low only because the spread was -6 against Butler and Butler seems better than Xavier.

Butler is 65 on kenpom while Xavier is 41

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Those second half possessions against Butler where UConn sold out for loose balls and rebounds won the game. Need to bring that same fight from the tip against Xavier and they'll be okay.

 

[UConn Esq]

Surprised it's that low only because the spread was -6 against Butler and Butler seems better than Xavier.

That was literally my exact text to my old UConn roommate. Seems like a game that Karaban could dominate since X has no PF, which tends to lead to lopsided victories for the good guys.

 

[businesslawyer]

This. I turned down tickets to Anaheim in '11 because they had lost the last three games I was at. Still waiting on my ring.

Right. It's not that we're superstitious. But somewhatstitious is appropriate.

 

[UConn Esq]

Right. It's not that we're superstitious. But somewhatstitious is appropriate.

 

[NatiHuskiFan]

Then stop going. I’m 0-2 in regional finals. You won’t see me screwing up our chances in another regional final by showing up.

This game probably doesn’t mean much in the long run, but if my streak isn’t broken by March madness I know the rules.

 

[caw]

Surprised it's that low only because the spread was -6 against Butler and Butler seems better than Xavier.

I somewhat agree, they are pretty similar when looking at resume.

Butler has won all the games it should have won but doesn't have a single high quality win yet. It's best was Texas Tech at home. They have only been blown out by PC, MSU and SJU. They have no bad losses right now.

X has been up and down but has beaten Cincy (home) and Saint Mary's (neutral). They have only been blown out by Purdue and SJU. They have two bad losses in Oakland and Delaware.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Here's an update of Xavier's numbers, now strictly in Big East play:

To me there are two biggest factors:

1) Desmond Claude is becoming the next great Xavier wing.

2) Dayvion McKnight is starting to look like the player he was at WKU -- an attacking, creative guard. He had some nifty moves in the Creighton game.

Also, I also think Swain will develop into a really good player for Xavier as a slashing, defensive specialist combo forward.

 

[Storrs South]

1) Desmond Claude is becoming the next great Xavier wing.

Very Jekyll and Hyde last night. Was electric in the first half and a liability in the second. Finished 7-23 from the field.

He's efficient more often than not, but there is definitely a trend of him every couple games just going off the rails and not knowing when to look for other options (e.g. McKnight was the guy with the hot hand down the stretch but he kept taking and missing shots).

Yes he's had 15 or more points 5 games in a row but often at a heavy cost. In the last month he's had games of 2-7, 5-17, 3-12, and now 7-23 from the field. Big thing will be to deny McKnight the ball and force Claude to continue to take shots under duress since he does not have a red light regardless of shot difficulty or circumstance.

 

[NYC_HUSKY22]

Can't wait to attend this game, besides the national championship game last year I haven't been in almost two years.

 

[gsmooth]

Very Jekyll and Hyde last night. Was electric in the first half and a liability in the second. Finished 7-23 from the field.

He's efficient more often than not, but there is definitely a trend of him every couple games just going off the rails and not knowing when to look for other options (e.g. McKnight was the guy with the hot hand down the stretch but he kept taking and missing shots).

Yes he's had 15 or more points 5 games in a row but often at a heavy cost. In the last month he's had games of 2-7, 5-17, 3-12, and now 7-23 from the field. Big thing will be to deny McKnight the ball and force Claude to continue to take shots under duress since he does not have a red light regardless of shot difficulty or circumstance.

And that was on full display yesterday against Creighton. He played fantastic and was utilizing the pick and roll and getting downhill in the first half. In the second half Creighton forced him further away from the basket in general and especially on the pick and rolls. They closed down his space as he got closer to the basket and contested much more. Despite that Claude still forced a bunch of shots in the 2nd half when he should have kept the ball moving. In fairness to him, he had to shoot some of the contested shots since Olivari was on the bench with foul trouble, but not at the amount he did. McNight was the best player for Xavier overall in the game and especially the 2nd half.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Very Jekyll and Hyde last night. Was electric in the first half and a liability in the second. Finished 7-23 from the field.

He's efficient more often than not, but there is definitely a trend of him every couple games just going off the rails and not knowing when to look for other options (e.g. McKnight was the guy with the hot hand down the stretch but he kept taking and missing shots).

Yes he's had 15 or more points 5 games in a row but often at a heavy cost. In the last month he's had games of 2-7, 5-17, 3-12, and now 7-23 from the field. Big thing will be to deny McKnight the ball and force Claude to continue to take shots under duress since he does not have a red light regardless of shot difficulty or circumstance.

You basically just described Colby Jones, hah, who I see a lot of in Desmond Claude (and I bet they used him as a comp when recruiting him).

 

[huskyharry]

always tough to beat a team three times. McKnight tore it up in the second half yesterday.
protect the MOJO!
fight the hubris...we are doomed, clearly DOOMED!