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Muskies Spank SLU-Head for Hinkle!!
By
Andy Mac Williams,
3/8/2013
The predictions for XU were dire heading into Wednesday's late night Cintas showdown versus No. 16 St Louis. The Billikens were favored by 3 and a half. They owned an 11 game win streak and were about the clinch the A-10 title. Their real concern was a stylish crushing of Xavier to enhance their NCAA seeding. Didn't workout that way!! X sucked it up on Senior Night-shrugged off a melt down late in regulation and smoked SLU 77-66 in overtime. That's 2 victories in the last two weeks over Top 25 teams for Xavier (Memphis and St Louis) plus an oh so close call against VCU.
At 17-12 overall and 9-5 in the conference, X probably has barely microscopic chances for an NCAA bid. But we can dream, can't we? The Muskies do own a bunch of wins over RPI Top 50 teams and can still finish in the A-10 top 4 with a win at Butler Saturday evening (6:30PM-CBS Sports Network) coupled with a Temple loss in Philly Sunday afternoon vs VCU (Noon-CBS).
Xavier played mostly like an NCAA team in throttling SLU. They outbillikened the Billikens bringing stingy defense and floor burn hustle and box-out rebounding to the table. The three Muskie guards Semaj Christon, Dee Davis and Brad Redford outplayed SLU's terrific backcourt trio of Kwamain Mitchell,Mike McCall and Jordair Jett.
The three XU Seniors closed out their Cintas run (barring an NIT game) with distinction. Travis Taylor played 43 huge minutes (19 points-19 rebounds-6 blocks). He just took over inside. St Louis had virtually no post-up game expect for muscular Dwayne Evans and X bottled him up with quick double and triple teams forcing him into inefficient 5-13 shooting.
Jeff Robinson delivered a focused 24 minutes (9 points-6 rebounds-no turnovers). Brad Redford scored 11 in 29 hustling alert minutes shagging 3 loose ball rebounds and blocking a Jordair Jett lay-up in OT.
Semaj was brilliant as usual. SLU played off him early and "0" rose up twice to bury open 3 point looks. Watch him next season! With a Summer to refine his left hand and fire up 10 or 20,000 jumpers, Semaj will be unguardable as a Soph. He was close to dominant versus SLU -- one of the top defensive teams anywhere (20 points-7 rebounds-7 assists-2 steals).
Dee Davis was back firing on all cylinders after the concussion. SLU led 24-20 at the half. Nobody had much success banging against sticky halfcourt defense. X again struggled to execute late in the period.
But the Muskies roared out of halftime and grabbed hold of the game by running a bit off Billiken mistakes and missed shots. X ran some nifty out of bounds plays and converted at the FT line. Redford swished open 3's. Then the familiar late game unraveling began. SLU tied it on a tip-in after XU missed a slew of FTs and X fumbled the final possession. 59-59 after 40 minutes.
Xavier just dominated the extra period by attacking the basket and canning FTs. It was a thing of beauty. Now it's onto Butler and the regular season finale. The Bulldogs are 23-7, 10-5 in the Atlantic 10 - tied for 4th with Temple.
XU, of course, clobbered BU back on Nov 13th at Cintas in the ESPN 24-hour Hoops Marathon, 62-47. Butler fans will tell you that their team just failed to post that day. X won all the hustle categories plus they ran smart extra pass offense and shot 50%FG. The Muskie guards limited BU snipers Rotnei Clark and Kellen Dunham to 2 made three pointers and just 10 3 point tries.
Jeff Robinson had a career game (17 points). Redford was good (3-of-4 from 3). Travis Taylor had a break-out game (15 points-9 rebounds-3 assists). Eric Stenger collected a dozen floor burns with all-out effort. Semaj was limited by a sore elbow. He could hardly shoot (1-of-2 FG) but he toughed it out for 27 minutes and dished out 8 assists.
Butler obviously expects to get revenge at Hinkle where they are 13-2 with wins over Gonzaga (#1 nationally) and Temple. It's a sold-out Senior Night. BU says goodbye to Final Four heroes Andrew Smith and Chase Stigall plus one year wonder Rotnei Clarke (Arkansas transfer).
Butler needs to win to clinch a first round bye in Brooklyn next week and Xavier has won 3 straight in the series destined to continue next season in the revamped Big East.
Butler played Thursday evening in Amherst and drubbed UMass ,73-62. BU crushed Mass on the glass (34-18). Andrew Smith was huge (13 points-14 rebounds). Rotnei Clarke scored 17 but struggled from long range (3-12). He's the serial shooter type though who keeps looking and lurking for his chances.
Brad Stevens has shortened his bench with fewer minutes lately to Eric Fromm and Chase Stigall and Jackson Aldrige and Andrew Smithers. Frosh Kellen Dunham started at UMass. He's a dead-eye FT shooter and 3 point sniper. Alex Barlow (Moeller HS, Springboro, Ohio-walk-on) came off the bench. He's the guy who hit the winning shot at Conseco Field House against then #1 Indiana.
Cameroon Woods 6-8 leaper poured in 17 vs Mass. He can be scary good working with Roosevelt Jones (point forward-8 assists UMass-winning shot vs Gonzaga) and Khyle Marshall. Butler is all about balanced scoring (5 players average in double figures), stingy extra effort defense and executing late game situations flawlessly.
They've showed a few cracks lately going 3-3 in their last 6,but Smith is now healthy as is Clark. X can win this with an effort akin to the St.Louis game,but FTS must be earned and made. Turnovers almost have to be in single digits. The defense has to harass Clark and Dunham consistently and strive to put a body on 6-11 Smith.
XU at 18-12 with recent wins over Memphis and St Louis and two "Ws" over Butler plus a Top 4 A-10 finish looks like an NCAA bubble team to me. Two wins in Brooklyn IMHO not only gets Xavier into the NCAA conversation but into the tournament-maybe playing in Dayton next Tuesday or Wednesday but in the 68.
That,folks, is a BIG ORDER but it would be a hell of an achievement. Just beat Butler first (Xavier 67, Butler 65) in regulation.
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