Check out Beth Mowins' latest article on ESPN.com featuring Ta'Shia Phillips. Mowins was one of the commentators for the XU vs. Charlotte game on Sunday. She was obviously impressed with Ta'Shia and the rest of the Musketeers judging from what she wrote.
Admittedly, the X Blog has been on hiatus but we plan on getting back in the swing for the remainder of basketball season. We will be live blogging from Kingston, R.I. for tonight's XU vs. URI MBB tilt.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Monday, December 29, 2008
Xavier Men's Basketball Schedule Toughest In The Nation According To New RPI Rankings
Today’s new RPI ratings back up what most Musketeer fans already know. Xavier plays a tough schedule. XU is ranked sixth the latest RPI ratings for collegerpi.com (12-29-08). One key reason for the lofty ranking is the fact that XU’s strength of schedule is ranked first in the nation. XU's only losses have come to RPI number two (Butler) and RPI number four (Duke).
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Xavier vs. Butler Live Blog
UPDATE 6:41 - Both teams are on the floor, shooting around. Cintas Center is still relatively empty less than 20 minutes before tip-off, especially considering this game is sold out. The weather is most definitely playing a role in the late arrivals. A "wintry mix" fell on Cincinnati this afternoon, causing treacherous driving conditions.
UPDATE 7:10 - Head coach Sean Miller prognosticated it may take the Musketeers a few minutes to get into this game after last weekend's loss to Duke. After junior Derrick Brown scored the first two points of the contest with his signature move, a dunk, the Bulldogs rattled off eight straight points - including two threes from Willie Veasley. The two teams headed into the first media timeout with Butler leading, 10-4.
UPDATE 7:19 - Freshman Kenny Frease has had a good showing early in this game. He's scored six straight points for XU and has three rebounds.
UPDATE 7:28 - Freshman Terrell Holloway's running jumper at 8:46 was the Musketeers' first field goal since Frease's jumper at 14:12. With that kind of drought one would think Butler should be ahead by more than five, 17-12, but XU's smothering defense has created several Bulldog turnovers and Xavier also has seven blocks already in the contest.
UPDATE 7:40 - Back-to-back threes from senior BJ Raymond and sophomore Dante Jackson got XU right back into this game as the score was knotted at 21 apiece with just under five minutes remaining in the first half. The Butler bench thought it best to cool off a hot-handed XU and called a quick 30-second break.
UPDATE 7:45 - Freshman Brad Redford is back in the game for Xavier and he stepped about a foot back behind the three-point line and launched a beautiful three with a Bulldog in his face. The ball swished through the bottom of the net to give XU its first lead, 26-24, since leading 2-0 to start the contest. BU's Ronald Nored answered with a three of his own. Butler's back on top, 27-26.
UPDATE 7:50 - Heading into intermission, Butler is leading by three, 29-26. Three Bulldogs have six points while XU's Jackson leads all scorers with seven. Xavier trailed by three to Miami, 27-24, at halftime back on Nov. 29 in a similar low-scoring event. In that game, the Musketeers outscored the RedHawks 36-26 in the second frame to collect the seven-point victory. Here's hoping this game turns out the same way.
UPDATE 8:06 - About a minute into the first half junior Jason Love and Butler's Matt Howard seem to be having some words under the basket. The refs stopped play to bring both guys together and have a little talk. The next trip down the floor for the Bulldogs Love fouled Howard on his way to the basket. Hmmm.
UPDATE 8:24 - Another tussle between Love and Howard resulted in Howard completing an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Bulldogs the six-point lead, 42-36. Xavier managed to put together a 6-0 run to pull to within two, 44-42, capped off by a putback by Derrick Brown. Brown only has five points so far in this contest; he averages 14.4.
UPDATE 8:28 - BU's Veasley just hit his fourth three of the night to end the XU run. After the media timeout, Veasley picked up his fourth foul as well. Redford drained two free throws on the ensuing possession. After an empty trip down the floor for Butler, Brown snatched on offensive rebound and "SLAMMMMMMMMMED" it home, as Cintas Center annoucer Herb Bauer would say. The Bulldogs called a timeout to quiet the crowd. BU still leads, 49-46.
UPDATE 8:40 - Garrett Butcher must have thought Derrick Brown wouldn't shoot a three because he definitely wasn't gaurding him so Brown swished it. Holloway converted on an and-one situation to get XU to within one, 53-52, but Gordon Hayward answered with a three. .... Cintas Center has errupted in a chorus of boos that has lasted the entire media timeout and now continues as play resumes. Brown was called for traveling after the made three and the 10,250 other refs in the building disagreed.
UPDATE 8:44 - And the booing continues...
UPDATE 8:48 - And just when you thought it was over, the same ref calls a foul on Redford and ... more boos.
UPDATE 8:54 - With 3:37 left, the last media timeout has been called. Xavier has the ball with 11 remaining on the shot clock, trailing by six. This one seems like it is going to come down to a marathon of free throws (there have been 36 taken in this contest so far).
UPDATE 8:59 - Xavier head coach Sean Miller has just received a technical foul. Seems like he was talking to the ref that everyone keeps booing at. Wonder what he said?
UPDATE 9:05 - Another three from Brown (they just don't seem to think he'll shoot it) and Xavier is back to within three, 68-65, with just under two left.
UPDATE 9:08 - 49.7 seconds remain, Butler has the ball with three on the shot clock and a five-point advantage, 70-65. Check in with www.GOXAVIER.com to find out the outcome of the game.
UPDATE 7:10 - Head coach Sean Miller prognosticated it may take the Musketeers a few minutes to get into this game after last weekend's loss to Duke. After junior Derrick Brown scored the first two points of the contest with his signature move, a dunk, the Bulldogs rattled off eight straight points - including two threes from Willie Veasley. The two teams headed into the first media timeout with Butler leading, 10-4.
UPDATE 7:19 - Freshman Kenny Frease has had a good showing early in this game. He's scored six straight points for XU and has three rebounds.
UPDATE 7:28 - Freshman Terrell Holloway's running jumper at 8:46 was the Musketeers' first field goal since Frease's jumper at 14:12. With that kind of drought one would think Butler should be ahead by more than five, 17-12, but XU's smothering defense has created several Bulldog turnovers and Xavier also has seven blocks already in the contest.
UPDATE 7:40 - Back-to-back threes from senior BJ Raymond and sophomore Dante Jackson got XU right back into this game as the score was knotted at 21 apiece with just under five minutes remaining in the first half. The Butler bench thought it best to cool off a hot-handed XU and called a quick 30-second break.
UPDATE 7:45 - Freshman Brad Redford is back in the game for Xavier and he stepped about a foot back behind the three-point line and launched a beautiful three with a Bulldog in his face. The ball swished through the bottom of the net to give XU its first lead, 26-24, since leading 2-0 to start the contest. BU's Ronald Nored answered with a three of his own. Butler's back on top, 27-26.
UPDATE 7:50 - Heading into intermission, Butler is leading by three, 29-26. Three Bulldogs have six points while XU's Jackson leads all scorers with seven. Xavier trailed by three to Miami, 27-24, at halftime back on Nov. 29 in a similar low-scoring event. In that game, the Musketeers outscored the RedHawks 36-26 in the second frame to collect the seven-point victory. Here's hoping this game turns out the same way.
UPDATE 8:06 - About a minute into the first half junior Jason Love and Butler's Matt Howard seem to be having some words under the basket. The refs stopped play to bring both guys together and have a little talk. The next trip down the floor for the Bulldogs Love fouled Howard on his way to the basket. Hmmm.
UPDATE 8:24 - Another tussle between Love and Howard resulted in Howard completing an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Bulldogs the six-point lead, 42-36. Xavier managed to put together a 6-0 run to pull to within two, 44-42, capped off by a putback by Derrick Brown. Brown only has five points so far in this contest; he averages 14.4.
UPDATE 8:28 - BU's Veasley just hit his fourth three of the night to end the XU run. After the media timeout, Veasley picked up his fourth foul as well. Redford drained two free throws on the ensuing possession. After an empty trip down the floor for Butler, Brown snatched on offensive rebound and "SLAMMMMMMMMMED" it home, as Cintas Center annoucer Herb Bauer would say. The Bulldogs called a timeout to quiet the crowd. BU still leads, 49-46.
UPDATE 8:40 - Garrett Butcher must have thought Derrick Brown wouldn't shoot a three because he definitely wasn't gaurding him so Brown swished it. Holloway converted on an and-one situation to get XU to within one, 53-52, but Gordon Hayward answered with a three. .... Cintas Center has errupted in a chorus of boos that has lasted the entire media timeout and now continues as play resumes. Brown was called for traveling after the made three and the 10,250 other refs in the building disagreed.
UPDATE 8:44 - And the booing continues...
UPDATE 8:48 - And just when you thought it was over, the same ref calls a foul on Redford and ... more boos.
UPDATE 8:54 - With 3:37 left, the last media timeout has been called. Xavier has the ball with 11 remaining on the shot clock, trailing by six. This one seems like it is going to come down to a marathon of free throws (there have been 36 taken in this contest so far).
UPDATE 8:59 - Xavier head coach Sean Miller has just received a technical foul. Seems like he was talking to the ref that everyone keeps booing at. Wonder what he said?
UPDATE 9:05 - Another three from Brown (they just don't seem to think he'll shoot it) and Xavier is back to within three, 68-65, with just under two left.
UPDATE 9:08 - 49.7 seconds remain, Butler has the ball with three on the shot clock and a five-point advantage, 70-65. Check in with www.GOXAVIER.com to find out the outcome of the game.
Freshman Walsh To Miss 4-6 Weeks
Xavier men's basketball freshman Brian Walsh suffered a broken hand, a left hand fracture, during Xavier's practice on December 18. Doctors have determined that it will take 4-6 weeks for Walsh to recover and heal. Walsh had played in eight games this season.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Musketeers Dodge The Snow
The men's basketball squad was scheduled to leave the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on a 3 p.m. flight on Friday. But Thursday night the travel agent informed Director of Basketball Administration Mario Mercurio that our flight was going to be cancelled due to a big snow storm headed East. That began a couple hours of scrambling to find a flight with 35 open spots. Fortunately, an 8:30 a.m. flight was found and the process of contacting all the travel party members began. That process took until well after midnight.
The XU basketball travel party left Cintas Center at about 6:30 a.m. Long check-in lines and security lines for the holiday season almost put the good luck to an end. But the last of the travel party made it to the gate just minutes before the doors closed for the flight. The flight arrived at LaGuardia Airport about 10 a.m., a short time before the snow began to fall. It's been snowing pretty steady ever since.
XU caught another break with its scheduled practice. The Musketeers were scheduled to leave their hotel in East Rutherford to practice in The Bronx at the Gauchos Gym, former stomping ground for current XU assistant Book Richardson. Scheduled practice was slated for 2-4 but travel to and from the Bronx looked like a long and slippery commute. It turned out, though, that the NJ Nets cancelled a scheduled shoot and the Musketeers were able to practice on the Izod Center floor that will be the site of Saturday's game. That's about 10-15 minutes from the hotel even with teh bad weather. The CBS producer and announce team of Clark Kellogg and Verne Lundquist took in practice and got the usual prep, rundown and notes from Tom Eiser.
The team finished a lively practice at about 4:15 p.m. and made the 10-15 minute bus ride to the hotel.
The squad's now back in the hotel, awaiting team dinner and a film session later this evening. Considering the blast of bad weather that's hit this area, the Musketeers can consider themselves very lucky. Hopefully they still have some left to go with a top effort tomorrow.
The XU basketball travel party left Cintas Center at about 6:30 a.m. Long check-in lines and security lines for the holiday season almost put the good luck to an end. But the last of the travel party made it to the gate just minutes before the doors closed for the flight. The flight arrived at LaGuardia Airport about 10 a.m., a short time before the snow began to fall. It's been snowing pretty steady ever since.
XU caught another break with its scheduled practice. The Musketeers were scheduled to leave their hotel in East Rutherford to practice in The Bronx at the Gauchos Gym, former stomping ground for current XU assistant Book Richardson. Scheduled practice was slated for 2-4 but travel to and from the Bronx looked like a long and slippery commute. It turned out, though, that the NJ Nets cancelled a scheduled shoot and the Musketeers were able to practice on the Izod Center floor that will be the site of Saturday's game. That's about 10-15 minutes from the hotel even with teh bad weather. The CBS producer and announce team of Clark Kellogg and Verne Lundquist took in practice and got the usual prep, rundown and notes from Tom Eiser.
The team finished a lively practice at about 4:15 p.m. and made the 10-15 minute bus ride to the hotel.
The squad's now back in the hotel, awaiting team dinner and a film session later this evening. Considering the blast of bad weather that's hit this area, the Musketeers can consider themselves very lucky. Hopefully they still have some left to go with a top effort tomorrow.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Xavier vs. Cincinnati Live Blog
UPDATE, 7:37: Well here we are at "lovely" Fifth Third Arena ... I never understood the layout of this building. There is tons of wasted space in the corners they had to build so steep and high on the sides that they give out O2 to people sitting up there upon entry. I just don't get it. Meanwhile the Musketeers just took the floor and were welcomes to a chorus of boos.
UPDATE, 8:01: The D'Artagnan mascot fell down as he led the team out onto the floor ... Inauspicious or meaningless? I guess we will find out.
UPDATE, 8:16: Good start for the Musketeers ... UC is the most prolific offensive rebounding club in the country and XU leads 4-to-1 in that category. Holloway got off to a quick start in his first Crosstown Shootout. The freshman buried a 3-pointer and then recorded a steal on the next possession.
UPDATE, 8:25: Well, UC scores on its first possession and then has gone 6:30 without a bucket. The Bearcats have missed their last six attempts from the field while turning the ball over six times. Make that seven times.
UPDATE, 8:29: The UC faithful are none too pleased with this officiating crew early. I have heard one "*** A-10 officials" complaint. For the record, Karl Hess, Tim Higgins and John Cahill (pronounced Cal for some reason) work a lot of BIG EAST games and have each worked a Final Four.
UPDATE, 8:44: UC has made its living on second chance points this year and XU leads 12-2 in that stat after the latest tip in by Derrick Brown ... XU up 32-19, its largest lead of the game.
UPDATE, 9:32: XU led by 14 at the break and they are currently in the midst of taking Deonta Vaughn's best shot. After burying a 3-pointer at the end of the first half, Vaughn has scored 10 of UC's 13 second-half points. XU leads by 11 with 15:19 to go.
UPDATE, 9:41: Perhaps UC's cold shooting was due to Mick Cronin's tie. Cronin took the tie off during halftime and UC heated up from the field. Coinscidence?
UPDATE, 9:47: Who says the Crosstown Shootout has lost its luster? That makes five technical fouls tonight. In other news, Deonta Vaughn actually missed a shot but still leads all scorers with 22. 15 of which have come in the last 9:30.
UPDATE, 9:54: The lead is down to five points with just over nine minutes to go Mr. Momentum has clearly gone over to sit down on UC's bench. Let's see if XU can string together a couple stops to stop this run. The Bearcats are scorching the nets at a 52.9 percent clip this half including 54.0% from deep. Can that last?
UPDATE, 9:59: Big stop and board there by XU. Brown goes to the line with the Musketeers up three. A coupule of free throws would really take some of the air out of this place. It is rowdy in here.
UPDATE, 10:11: Is it really 10:11 p.m.? There is still 3:49 to go here. Oh well, big offensive board by Kenny Frease there. He was in just to give Jason Love a little break before the under four timeout but he made a big play and will be shooting a pair of free throws with XU up five when we get back.
UPDATE, 10:22: Derrick Brown made play after play and free throw after free throw as XU seems ready to hold off the Bearcats. Just a little blemish as he was hit with his second technical foul of the night at the 1:20 mark.
UPDATE, 8:01: The D'Artagnan mascot fell down as he led the team out onto the floor ... Inauspicious or meaningless? I guess we will find out.
UPDATE, 8:16: Good start for the Musketeers ... UC is the most prolific offensive rebounding club in the country and XU leads 4-to-1 in that category. Holloway got off to a quick start in his first Crosstown Shootout. The freshman buried a 3-pointer and then recorded a steal on the next possession.
UPDATE, 8:25: Well, UC scores on its first possession and then has gone 6:30 without a bucket. The Bearcats have missed their last six attempts from the field while turning the ball over six times. Make that seven times.
UPDATE, 8:29: The UC faithful are none too pleased with this officiating crew early. I have heard one "*** A-10 officials" complaint. For the record, Karl Hess, Tim Higgins and John Cahill (pronounced Cal for some reason) work a lot of BIG EAST games and have each worked a Final Four.
UPDATE, 8:44: UC has made its living on second chance points this year and XU leads 12-2 in that stat after the latest tip in by Derrick Brown ... XU up 32-19, its largest lead of the game.
UPDATE, 9:32: XU led by 14 at the break and they are currently in the midst of taking Deonta Vaughn's best shot. After burying a 3-pointer at the end of the first half, Vaughn has scored 10 of UC's 13 second-half points. XU leads by 11 with 15:19 to go.
UPDATE, 9:41: Perhaps UC's cold shooting was due to Mick Cronin's tie. Cronin took the tie off during halftime and UC heated up from the field. Coinscidence?
UPDATE, 9:47: Who says the Crosstown Shootout has lost its luster? That makes five technical fouls tonight. In other news, Deonta Vaughn actually missed a shot but still leads all scorers with 22. 15 of which have come in the last 9:30.
UPDATE, 9:54: The lead is down to five points with just over nine minutes to go Mr. Momentum has clearly gone over to sit down on UC's bench. Let's see if XU can string together a couple stops to stop this run. The Bearcats are scorching the nets at a 52.9 percent clip this half including 54.0% from deep. Can that last?
UPDATE, 9:59: Big stop and board there by XU. Brown goes to the line with the Musketeers up three. A coupule of free throws would really take some of the air out of this place. It is rowdy in here.
UPDATE, 10:11: Is it really 10:11 p.m.? There is still 3:49 to go here. Oh well, big offensive board by Kenny Frease there. He was in just to give Jason Love a little break before the under four timeout but he made a big play and will be shooting a pair of free throws with XU up five when we get back.
UPDATE, 10:22: Derrick Brown made play after play and free throw after free throw as XU seems ready to hold off the Bearcats. Just a little blemish as he was hit with his second technical foul of the night at the 1:20 mark.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Xavier vs. Ohio Live Blog
UPDATE, 7:39: You would think after about a month into the season we would have all the kinks ironed out here at Cintas Center ... but we don't. Hence the late blog start time. Anyway I guess there is some bad traffic on I-75 but this place looks pretty full. The crowd is also pretty into it early as XU jumps out to a 13-5 lead. CJ Anderson is a beast in the early goings.
UPDATE, 7:44: The McAllister's Deli trivia question asked which former XU head coach current Ohio head coach worked for A. Bob Staak, B. Skip Prosser, C. Pete Gillen or D. Thad Matta. 10,249 people cleary knew the answer because virtually all of Cintas Center booed loudly when Thad Matta's name was uttered. Unfortunately the one person in the building who didn't know the answer was the guy who was chosen for the contest and the crowd gave a collective groan when he answered A. Yikes.
First Terrell Holloway sighting in a while ... good to see him back on the floor.
UPDATE, 8:02: 19 of Xavier's 22 points have come in the paint ... the other three came on a 3-pointer by forward Derrick Brown. XU's frontline is once again dominating the opposition's big men.
UPDATE, 8:09: Derrick Brown becomes more and more unguardable every game ... he is 4-for-4 from the floor and has made each of his two attempts from deep. He has become a legit threat from beyond the arc this season.
UPDATE, 8:24: Pretty dominating conclusion to the the first half ... a 16-0 Xavier run over a 3:30 stretch did in the Bobcats. Great 20-mins for the Musketeers.
UPDATE, 9:08: XU shot 69.2 percent in the first half, the higest field goal percentage registered by the team since the quarterfinal round of the 2004 A-10 Tournament at UD Arena. Xavier shot 78.9 percent in the second half of that game en route to beating No. 1 Saint Joe's.
UPDATE, 9:10: Forgot to mention that then the Musketeers went and missed their first six shots of the second half. Anyone could have seen that coming.
UPDATE, 9:29: I think it's officially garbage time. With around five-minutes to go, Coach Miller emptied the bench. At least the squad will be well rested for Saturday's shootout. That does it for the blog tonight ... check GOXAVIER.com for a recap, notes, quotes and a photo gallery. Thanks for reading.
UPDATE, 7:44: The McAllister's Deli trivia question asked which former XU head coach current Ohio head coach worked for A. Bob Staak, B. Skip Prosser, C. Pete Gillen or D. Thad Matta. 10,249 people cleary knew the answer because virtually all of Cintas Center booed loudly when Thad Matta's name was uttered. Unfortunately the one person in the building who didn't know the answer was the guy who was chosen for the contest and the crowd gave a collective groan when he answered A. Yikes.
First Terrell Holloway sighting in a while ... good to see him back on the floor.
UPDATE, 8:02: 19 of Xavier's 22 points have come in the paint ... the other three came on a 3-pointer by forward Derrick Brown. XU's frontline is once again dominating the opposition's big men.
UPDATE, 8:09: Derrick Brown becomes more and more unguardable every game ... he is 4-for-4 from the floor and has made each of his two attempts from deep. He has become a legit threat from beyond the arc this season.
UPDATE, 8:24: Pretty dominating conclusion to the the first half ... a 16-0 Xavier run over a 3:30 stretch did in the Bobcats. Great 20-mins for the Musketeers.
UPDATE, 9:08: XU shot 69.2 percent in the first half, the higest field goal percentage registered by the team since the quarterfinal round of the 2004 A-10 Tournament at UD Arena. Xavier shot 78.9 percent in the second half of that game en route to beating No. 1 Saint Joe's.
UPDATE, 9:10: Forgot to mention that then the Musketeers went and missed their first six shots of the second half. Anyone could have seen that coming.
UPDATE, 9:29: I think it's officially garbage time. With around five-minutes to go, Coach Miller emptied the bench. At least the squad will be well rested for Saturday's shootout. That does it for the blog tonight ... check GOXAVIER.com for a recap, notes, quotes and a photo gallery. Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Xavier vs. Auburn Live Blog
Welcome to tonight's live blog of the Xavier vs. Auburn men's basketball game. Jason Love just floated up a turn-around hook to open the game, followed by a B.J. Raymond three-pointer. The Muskies are off to a great start.
UPDATE 8:19
Derrick Brown and Jamel McLean just worked a perfect give-and-go off the fast break to the tune of a Brown alley-oop slam. The junior seemed to take off from outside the paint.
UPDATE 8:25
B.J. Raymond is the leading scorer for XU so far with 10, including two three-pointers. Two Tigers have four points a piece to lead Auburn. The lead is 26-18. No dramatic runs, but the Musketeers are steadily building a healthy lead.
UPDATE 9:18
Dante Jackson saw Auburn's Korvotney coming from a mile away, stepping in on the block to take a charge and avoid the likely Tiger layup. Jackson has commanded the floor well this half, and more importantly, has committed no fouls.
UPDATE Halftime
At the half, it was all Raymond as the senior led all scorers with 16 points on 6-7 shooting, including 4-5 from behind the arc. Danté Jackson and Derrick Brown each contributed seven points and two rebounds apiece in the first stanza, pushing the Musketeers to a 37-26 halftime lead.
UPDATE 9:42
Raymond is red hot from behind the arc, now at five-for-six after the bomb he just dropped from three feet behind the line. The arc might as well be in the stands for Raymond tonight, he leads the Muskes with 19.
UPDATE 9:32
Brown just slammed home a wide-open dunk, pushing the Xavier lead to 56-37. The Tigers have yet to mount a run that would challenge the Muskie lead, and Raymond has added yet another three-ball to his line.
UPDATE 9:12
Kenny Frease just hit his first collegiate three-pointer. The freshman has had a few attempts earlier in the season and finally dropped one down. Maybe Raymond gave him a little advice during that last timeout.
UPDATE 10:05
B.J. Raymond cannot be stopped, he just hit his seventh deep ball tonight, eclipsing his previous career high set at... you guessed it, Auburn. Some players fill a full season stat line with the three-pointers Raymond has downed against the Tigers. There's something special about this match-up for him, maybe he should invite them to watch his next three point contest.
UPDATE
UPDATE 8:19
Derrick Brown and Jamel McLean just worked a perfect give-and-go off the fast break to the tune of a Brown alley-oop slam. The junior seemed to take off from outside the paint.
UPDATE 8:25
B.J. Raymond is the leading scorer for XU so far with 10, including two three-pointers. Two Tigers have four points a piece to lead Auburn. The lead is 26-18. No dramatic runs, but the Musketeers are steadily building a healthy lead.
UPDATE 9:18
Dante Jackson saw Auburn's Korvotney coming from a mile away, stepping in on the block to take a charge and avoid the likely Tiger layup. Jackson has commanded the floor well this half, and more importantly, has committed no fouls.
UPDATE Halftime
At the half, it was all Raymond as the senior led all scorers with 16 points on 6-7 shooting, including 4-5 from behind the arc. Danté Jackson and Derrick Brown each contributed seven points and two rebounds apiece in the first stanza, pushing the Musketeers to a 37-26 halftime lead.
UPDATE 9:42
Raymond is red hot from behind the arc, now at five-for-six after the bomb he just dropped from three feet behind the line. The arc might as well be in the stands for Raymond tonight, he leads the Muskes with 19.
UPDATE 9:32
Brown just slammed home a wide-open dunk, pushing the Xavier lead to 56-37. The Tigers have yet to mount a run that would challenge the Muskie lead, and Raymond has added yet another three-ball to his line.
UPDATE 9:12
Kenny Frease just hit his first collegiate three-pointer. The freshman has had a few attempts earlier in the season and finally dropped one down. Maybe Raymond gave him a little advice during that last timeout.
UPDATE 10:05
B.J. Raymond cannot be stopped, he just hit his seventh deep ball tonight, eclipsing his previous career high set at... you guessed it, Auburn. Some players fill a full season stat line with the three-pointers Raymond has downed against the Tigers. There's something special about this match-up for him, maybe he should invite them to watch his next three point contest.
UPDATE
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Xavier Reserve Point Guard Expected To Miss 2-4 Weeks
Xavier freshman point guard Terrell Holloway has been diagnosed with a left foot "low grade stress fracture." Holloway is expected to miss 2-4 weeks.
Holloway has played in all five Musketeer games, averaging 7.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 21.0 minutes per game as a reserve. Holloway leads Xavier in free throw percentage at .964 (27-of-28).
Xavier, 5-0, hosts Miami (Ohio) on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
Holloway has played in all five Musketeer games, averaging 7.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 21.0 minutes per game as a reserve. Holloway leads Xavier in free throw percentage at .964 (27-of-28).
Xavier, 5-0, hosts Miami (Ohio) on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
NOTES: This is the matchup the Musketeers must have looked forward to most when they saw the field for this tournament. As the top-ranked team in the tournament draw, Memphis will give XU a good gauge of where it stands at this early juncture. And with the long history between head coach Sean Miller and Tigers' head man John Calipari, there's no doubt the "little brother" would like to get the best of his "big brother." Memphis will present a tough test for the Musketeers, having shown through two games in this tournament that the Tigers are still among the fastest teams in college basketball, despite numerous new faces.UPDATE 7:36 p.m.: Musketeers lost the tip put got a steal on their first defensive possession. It's going to be key for XU to contain the potent attack of the Tigers tonight.
UPDATE 7:44 p.m.: XU came out strong, jumping out to a 7-1 lead as the Tigers were forced to take most of their shot from outside the arc. They finally hit on, pulling it to 7-4 as we go into the first media timeout. With a team like Memphis, it's important to either withstand the first 'punch' or dish it out, and the Musketeers seem to be doing a little bit of both. This game, on a neutral court with strong support from fans on both sides, has a distinct tournament feel.
UPDATE 7:54 p.m.: This game is living up to its billing as a championship game. Sophomore Jamel McLean turned a nice entry pass into a two-handed flush, and XU leads 14-11 at the under-12 media break. Most impressively, the Musketeers seem unphased by the stage they are on right now. Hopefully you are all getting a chance to watch this game on the ESPN family of networks!
UPDATE 8:00 p.m.: He's not just big, he's athletic. Kenny Frease just got some air and reached behind his head for an offensive rebound and drew the foul, hitting one of two to give XU a 17-13 advantage. With the Tigers cut to one with a three-pointer on the other end.
UPDATE 8:05 p.m.: At the under-eight-minute media timeout, the Musketeers are holding onto a two-point lead, 18-16. XU has done a good job keeping the Tigers out of the lane and off the offensive glass. Also, Derrick Brown has two fouls, so the Musketeers are out in front of Memphis without the preseason First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection.
UPDATE 8:10 p.m.: Memphis is pressure the rebounder on the defensive end, keeping him from getting the ball into the XU point guard's hands. It forced Coach Miller to call a timeout on last time down the floor and it's something Xavier will have to adjust to keep from giving up easy baskets.
UPDATE 8:13 p.m.: On any given night, any Musketeer can be the star. We saw it with Terrell Holloway hitting 10-of-10 free throws down the stretch in the first game of this tournament. We saw it with C.J. Anderson taking over in the second half against Virginia Tech. And now Jamel McLean is doing for Xavier in this first half. He has 1o points, scoring on a transition layup to put XU up 24-18.
UPDATE 8:18 p.m.: With the last media timeout of he half upon us, the Musketeers are ahead by six, 26-20, keeping the high-octane offense of Memphis mildly at bay. But that can change quickly, forcing XU to keep up the defensive intensity for all 40 minutes. Every minute is a battle, and the play is getting more physical each time down the floor.
UPDATE 8:29 p.m.: While the foul count doesn't always go up in a physical game, I can say that it has in this case. Both teams are denying easy baskets and fighting for every loose ball. That has both squads in the double bonus and has slowed down the pace of play as we near the end of the first half.
UPDATE 8:32 p.m.: After a three-pointer by the Tigers, XU will get the last possession of the half, already with a three-point lead...but Holloway travels to give the ball to Memphis with 10 seconds left on the clock.
UPDATE 8:33 p.m.: Although they gave up an offensive rebound in the final moments, the Musketeers take a three-point lead into the break after denying Memphis on the last possession of the half. At 32-29, I think it would be fair to say this score is more up the Musketeers' alley than the Tigers'.
UPDATE 8:45 p.m.: We are a couple minutes from the start of the second half, but I wanted to take some time to applaud the people here in Puerto Rico and, specifically, at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico. The accommodations have been wonderful...food superb...and the people wonderful. This is a fairly new facility and it shows. And with the competition at the tournament, it seems like this event has the chance to grow over the next couple of years.
UPDATE 8:47 p.m.: And the cake is awesome.
UPDATE 8:50 p.m.: Derrick Brown is back, after missing most of the first half with two fouls. He took his first shot off the dribble and missed, but it will still be interesting to see how long it takes him to get his rythm.
UPDATE 8:57 p.m.: Well, the halftime break hasn't seemed to slow down the defensive intensity of the Musketeers. They have held the Tigers to two points through the first three and a half minutes.
UPDATE 8:59 p.m.: First media time of the second half, and we are right where we started the last 20 minutes: with the Musketeers in front by three. A three-point play by the Musketeers made it a 37-34 game, and Memphis will have possession coming out of the break. Although a total of four fouls have been called in a little over four minutes played, the game hasn't been as physical as it was late in the first half. I get the distinct feeling that will change as more and more time ticks off the clock.
UPDATE 9:03 p.m.: We have our first tie. A three-pointer from the corner has us 37-37 all. After a strong offensive rebound by McLean (surprise, surprise) Holloway will go to the line for two with a chance to give the Musketeers the lead once again.
UPDATE 9:05 p.m.: Coach Calipari has just been given a technical foul. He didn't like a steal Holloway made, and was a bit too eager to argue his case. Incidentally, Holloway knocked down both the free throws. That turns out to be a four-point swing swing as Holloway stopped an easy layup for the Tigers and then hit both the free throws.
UPDATE 9:08 p.m.: B.J. Raymond is showing he's not just a three-pointer shooter. At his size, it's difficult for a lot of two-guards to D him up man-on-man in the post. He is adjust by backing people down and making shots in the lane. That will help him open up his game outside and make the Musketeers more dangerous on offense.
UPDATE 9:12 p.m.: At the under 12-minute media timeout, the Musketeers hold a six-point advantage, although it's been quietly built up. It's not that XU is flying around on offense, it's that the defense is shutting down the Tigers once again. Xavier has one the first two segments of this second half, but there is still just under 12 minutes to play...a lot of basketball.
UPDATE 9:17 p.m.: A block and a steal by the Tigers an this is a two-point game, 45-43, with the Musketeers holding onto the lead. Coach Miller has called a timeout, and you have to believe he is going to make sure the squad gets the most out of this next possession. He's going with the lineup probably the most efficient in Holloway, Raymond, Anderson, Brown and Love.
UPDATE 9:20 p.m.: Holloway to Frease. That's a combination Xavier fans should probably get used to as the duo perfectly executed a pick-and-roll. Frease finished it off with a nice mid-air adjustment to put the Musketeers back up by four, 49-45.
UPDATE 9:23 p.m.: This is has truly been a case of conflicting styles of play. While Memphis looks to run pretty much anytime it gets the ball, Xavier has been much more comfortable working its way through possessions, even winding the shot clock down on a couple occasions. While the Tigers' transition game had been held mostly in check through the first 30 minutes, it has started to show signs of life in the last three. XU still holds a three-point advantage, 51-48, but Memphis will be shooting a pair of free throws after the media timeout.
UPDATE 9:28 p.m.: As if the players aren't competing hard enough, the fans for their respective teams are getting into this contest, as well. They are trying to out-do each other with cheers during timeouts, and it's honestly to call a winner at this point.
UPDATE 9:30 p.m.: For the first time since being up 1-0, Memphis took the lead with a three-pointer to go up 52-51. But showing the confidence that put him at the line for 10-of-10 in the final minutes of the first round matchup against Missouri, Holloway took it the basket on the ensuing possession and gave XU a one-point lead by making both free throws.
UPDATE 9:33 p.m.: It will be a season of first's for Kenny Frease...but I am sure he wasn't looking forward to this one: he has fouled out with 4:21 remaining. Memphis went to the line and hit 1-of-2 to tie the game at 53-53.
UPDATE 9:35 p.m.: The horn blows signaling the final media timeout as the clock is stopped with 3:52 remaining. At 53-53, the stage is set for a great finish to an exciting O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off Invitational!
UPDATE 9:41 p.m.: HUGE bucket from Jackson with a chance to make it a three-point play after drawing the foul, as well. Xavier now has a three-point lead, 56-53, with Jackson going to the line and 2:25 on the clock. There's a good chance the next post will look like garble because the excitement is overwhelming in the arena. AND he hit the free throw. Four-point game.
UPDATE 9:45 p.m.: With under two minutes on the clock and post game responsibilities to attend to, that will be the end of the blog. Xavier leads by three, 57-54. Be sure to check GoXavier.com to get the final or just tune in to ESPN!
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