Xavier once again wins the game without ever really looking dominant.
I have recently changed shifts at work and have to get up at 430 in the morning now. If you’re wondering what that has to do with Xavier basketball, it’s this: it’s incredibly hard to get moving that early after working midnights for 14 years. In much the same way, Xavier seems to struggle to get things going, stumbling and staggering until things finally click, the coffee hits the system, and they win. Unfortunately, you sometimes have to do things before the coffee gets going. At some point, the Musketeers will need to win a 40 minute game against a real team.
Recap
Xavier actually started well for just a second. By the under 16 the Musketeers had eight points and looked reasonably well acquainted with how to score points in this sport. It took over eight minutes for Xavier to score their next nine. At one point X was 2-10 from inside five feet. That is not a recipe for success. Xavier finished the half shooting 40% from the floor, but only because of a hot streak to end it. Ryan Conwell (19/1/4) had nine and Xavier had a lead, but their offense and defense both looked suspect at best.
One of those things changed in the second half. Xavier got absolutely scalding hot. Like, scalding. 79.2% from the floor hot. 6-8 from deep hot. They scored 26 in the paint and 17 on the run. They were simply unstoppable. This kind of Musketeers offense is nearly a force of nature. It was a 56 point barrage.
But Xavier allowed 47. IU Indy shot 8-13 from behind the arc and 51% from the floor. Maybe you’re thinking that the Jaguars are an unstoppable force themselves. But they aren’t. They are shooting 50% from three after two games, but they shoot 43.8% inside the arc and are still only 62nd in the nation in effective field goal percentage. In short, they are basically decent but nothing special. Do with that what you will.
Takeaways
Ryan Conwell is really good- There’s not really a lot to add here. He’s an excellent player who keeps scoring at a high rate. Sean Miller is good at finding these guys.
Actually, the whole backcourt is good- Dayvion McKnight (17/2/5) didn’t miss a shot. Trey Green (5/1/2) and Marcus Foster (9/5/2) did a sort of lightning and thunder thing at the off guard spot. Dante Maddox (3/3/2) played great defense, but couldn’t find his shot. All the indicators were strong.
Zach Freemantle, please stay healthy- 17/6/2 in 26 minutes is an incredible return for a guy who at this time last year couldn’t walk under his own power. Xavier is an entirely different team with Big Frosty on the floor.