The X Blog

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!