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Musketeers Bully the Bulldogs
11/13/2012
 | | Dee Davis gets a “hug” as he drives to the basket.[enlarge] Photo by Bob Stevens |  | | Travis Taylor gets free for a slam dunk.[enlarge] Photo by Bob Stevens |  | | Justin Martin and Brad Redford celebrate after Redford buries a 3-pointer.[enlarge] Photo by Bob Stevens |  | | Jeff Robinson comes from behind the basket to lay in two points.[enlarge] Photo by Bob Stevens |
Thoughts of March in November are unfounded and irrelevant. Predictions in June and July about how a basketball season will unfold are just as bad.
It's far too premature to start thinking about Xavier's hopes in March, but it's not too early to start wondering about all of the so-called pundits that called for a down year. More so than previous years, this version of Xavier basketball is a true team.
When Xavier was picked to finish 9th in the A10 by the coaches, most judged the Musketeers' season to be over before it ever begin. After thumping the Butler Bulldogs 62-47 at the Cintas Center on Tuesday, expectations for the season shouldn't change. But there is no doubt that Xavier is far more talented and stronger team than most believed.
“A lot of people were saying we’ll have a down season or we won’t have as good a season as we’ve had in traditional years at Xavier. This year is no different. We have a great group of guys who are ready to play every day," said Jeff Robinson.
Robinson led the way for the Musketeers, finishing with 17 points and 8 rebounds in 32 strong minutes of play. He even surprised most of the fans (and the Butler defenders) by stepping outside and knocking down a three, as well as a couple of 17-footers.
"My teammates were feeding me the ball in the right positions and encouraging me to shoot," said Robinson.
“I told our guys at the end of the game in the locker room that he was the best player on the floor in the first half. He doesn't do anything great, doesn't do anything spectacular, but he does everything pretty well. He can play on the perimeter. I think his face-up game has gotten so much better over the last couple of years. He can also hurt you on the offensive glass and around the basket, too. He’s very versatile," said Chris Mack, of Robinson.
Led by sparkling forward play and strong defense, the Musketeers jumped out to a 14 point lead at one point in the first half over the 4.5 point favorites. A relay from Brad Redford to Semaj Christon brought the raucous Cintas Center crowd to its feet. Later, a 20 point lead became insurmountable for the Bulldogs.
Those were the only points on the night for Xavier's much-hyped freshman. Christon also finished with 8 assists and 5 turnovers, while recovering from his infected elbow.
Taylor also played well, scoring 15 points and grabbing a team-high 9 rebounds. He put on a couple of nice moves on the low block while playing stifling defense on Roosevelt Jones, who turned the ball over five times for the Bulldogs.
Justin Martin, who started for the second straight game as the other guard, looked much more under control in his second contest, finishing with 10 points. He had a very nice twisting drive through the lane where he finished.
Erik Stenger failed to score in his second regular season game for the Musketeers, but he has quickly become a fan favorite for his hustle. At one point there was a loose ball and Stenger brought the crowd to their feet when he dove across the floor to get the ball. He drew a foul on the play.
Redford and Dee Davis scored 9 points each, with Redford hitting a trio of threes that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Davis managed the offense to perfection again, scoring 9 points with 2 assists and coming up with a huge steal and a bucket. It's clear he's becoming the leader of this team, especially the way the offense runs with him at point.
But it wasn't just the Musketeers' offense that carried the team. The defense, particularly in the second half smothered the Bulldogs.
The defense was relentless all night with on ball pressure that held Rotnei Clarke to 7 points on 3 of 11 shooting, and the Butler offense to just 7 of 28 in the second half. With the defense clamping down on Butler's best shooter, the Bulldogs never had a chance after the early minutes.
"Hats off to Xavier," said Butler Coach Brad Stevens. "Xavier was the better team. They were the better team, they had better players, they were better-coached. I see them having a great year. I laughed at that whole ninth-place thing. I thought that was pretty silly."
Whether this is a sign of things to come or just a flash in the pan, one thing's clear. This Xavier team is still talented. And they are fun to watch.
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