Xavier's tournament hopes rest in no small part on this guy being himself. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images The superest of all games to be contested this Sunday won't involve Taylor Swift's boyfriend. The difference between throwing a lifeline and prolonging agony is one of fine margins, and it isn't always clear in anything but retrospect. The last time these two teams … [Read more...] about Xavier v. Villanova: preview, matchups, keys to the game
Addressing the backcourt
Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images As Xavier battles their way back, their veteran backcourt pair has stumbled a bit. Guards win games. Great big men help, of course, as do wings that can run and shoot. A four that can pick and pop helps as well. All of those people, though, key off the point guard and his running mate. Someone has to bring the … [Read more...] about Addressing the backcourt
Xavier v. Georgetown: preview, matchups, keys to the game
Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images The first of nine straight must-win games for the Muskies is Georgetown at home. I’ll confess that I don’t know exactly how KenPom’s conference strength of schedule rating is calculated, but it certainly tracks with my gut feeling when placing Xavier on top of the Big East in that metric by a large margin. The gap between Xavier in first … [Read more...] about Xavier v. Georgetown: preview, matchups, keys to the game
Xavier 74-69 Georgetown: LaPhonso Ellis finds love, but it’s Xavier who finds the win
Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Xavier just about did enough to win a game they very much could not afford to lose. They don’t ask how, they just ask how many. Imagine a world in which Georgetown is a good basketball team. Yikes. Anyway, they aren’t, so Xavier got away with one tonight. Joel said Xavier faceplanted across the line, but that would seem to imply that they had … [Read more...] about Xavier 74-69 Georgetown: LaPhonso Ellis finds love, but it’s Xavier who finds the win
Looking at the week ahead
What a resurgence this would be | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images One big chance remains There is a temptation to take a sigh of relief as a Xavier fan right now. The Four Games are in the rearview, the season is now salvageable, if not yet salvaged, and the road ahead isn’t laden with the same level of competition as the first half of the Big East season was. Xavier has … [Read more...] about Looking at the week ahead