Musketeer Madness

For fifth place
When: Sunday, February 9
Where: Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, Pa.

TV: FS1 with play-by-play from John Fanta and analysis from Jim Spanarkel.
Radio: 700 WLW-AM also available on the Varsity Network and on Sirius XM.

Villanova (13-10 overall, 6-6 BIG EAST) and Xavier (14-9 overall, 6-6 BIG EAST) in a key game with an eye towards next month's BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden.

Nova is 10-3 at home
Xavier opens up as 3.5-point DOGS on the road at Villanova.
Total 141.5
ESPN analytics 65% Nova 33.5% Xavier
Team Ranking.com gives X a 40.4% chance of a win.
Key Offensive Stats

• Stat .........XAV adv VILL
  Off Efficiency 1.072 1.144
  Effective FG % 52.6% 55.4%
  Turnovers/Play 14.8% 13.7%
  Off Rebound % 22.6% 31.3%
  FTA/FGA 0.384 0.270
  Points/Game 76.8 75.3
  Avg Score Margin+6.7 +7.7

Key Defensive Stats

• Stat ........ XAV adv VILL
  Def Efficiency 0.979 1.027
  Opp Effective FG % 49.0% 50.2%
  Opp Turnovers/Play 15.3% 14.0%
  Def Rebound % 74.9% 74.8%
  Opp FTA/FGA 0.303 0.323
  Opp Points/Game 70.1 67.6
  Block % 5.0% 4.7%
  Personal Fouls/Play 20.3% 22.2%

In the last game, Conwell scored 34 points, the most points scored by a Villanova opponent this season. Ryan has averaged 2.3 3-pointers made over the last 10 games.

Nove is 5-5 in the last ten games averaging 70,3 points and shooting 44%, while X is 6-4 averaging 73.2 points and shooting 43.5%

Obvious keys to the game:
1} Slow down Dixon 2) Produce in half court with no too early one-on-one attempts. Move the ball and without turning over the ball 3) X's Defense has improved drastically in January but has given up 46 against Creighton and 43 against Georgetown in the second half and can not find consistent wins doing this.

X needs to keep Nova from gaining momentum runs because Nova ranks in KenPom 4th in 3 point shooting and 18 in overall efficiency

X needs this win any way they can get it. Quad 1

Well if we are going to make it we might as well start today. Both teams are good at home and struggle on the road. Very winnable game but need to keep playing defense and play with poise.

Rough start for Swain . His man blew by him for a dunk and than drove by him to give a assist on a layup he also has a turnover and is trying to come out already. Maybe he got hit in the chest?

Conwell is forcing it and we are way to careless with the ball. Glad to see Hugley get in. We need some physical play.

Threemantle is active so far 2-3 from three. X is looking good, tipping the ball away early and getting good transition basketball. 12-12 11+ minutes to go in half.

We need to toughen up. Swain is going under screens and getting shoved around like a rag doll. Six turnovers already. We need to wake up quick.

Enoch Boakye looks like a taller Dixon(except for the three-point shot) and, with Poplar, has all but 2 of Nova's points.

If Swain is guarding the out-of-bounds man, he has to avoid falling for the fake. X has turned it over too much, 7 so far. If they clean it up, the score could go in favor of X. Overall X is hanging in there as both teams seem to have early game time lethargy.

Is Swain sick? He doesn't look right. Maddox is playing well but 7 turnovers is brutal. Freemantle needs to stay aggressive.

Maddox is putting on show Poplar 13 points. Maddox has 13. Leading scorer for x from the bench, with Threemantle with 8. Tied at half. X needs to clean up the turnover and put back by Nova. Nova has decided that only one shot of the basket is not going to be their story today and has scored 11 second-chance points. X needs to get Conwell going, as he has zero points at the half. Hate to say it but Rome has not played well.

Look for refs to make their mark in the second half. They didn't get enough face time in the first half