Musketeer Madness

X keeping Findlay in the game. It's 67-63 with Findlay going to the line to try to complete a 3-pt. play. X has just stopped playing. Miller can't be happy with this 2nd half performance.

69-64 X w/4 minutes to go.

Mistakes and missed FT's have kept this from being a laugher.

It's an exhibition game, simply exhibiting the places the team needs to improve.

12-23 from the FT line, and 20+ turnovers. X certainly will have things to work on before the opener on the 14th. This team is going to struggle until the PG situation stabilizes.

Redford just gets its stolen away, and it's a 2-pt. game with 6.3 seconds to go. Geez.

Is the going to be another nail-biter season?
Anyway - that's a start.

A Findlay 3-ptr. doesn't go at the end, and X holds on to win by 3 after leading by 17.

26 turnovers! Yikes.

Xavier just looked a step slow all night and like they weren't quite all on the same page. There were so many terrible turnovers that Xavier just threw away to Findlay. That was to be expected with so many new guys that are just playing together in their first real game together. However, I did not think it would be anywhere close to that bad. With all those bad turnovers and horrible free throw shooting Xavier just completely gave away their big lead. I would love to see the stats to find out how many of the turnovers were new guys compared to the guys that have been here. They do not seem comfortable yet, and I'm worried the learning curve might be bigger then a lot of people expected.

There were some positives, but it is hard to acknowledge them after a 3 point squeaker to a division 2 team, albeit a good one. I thought our guys did fine with the new 3 point line and our outside shooting still seems to be there. Love looks like he can be a real force this year, I think he just fouls too much still and Sean was really trying to get Frease a lot of playing time. Jamel looks like he will be a huge asset for us this year, not only on the defensive end.

A win is a win, and Sean did try and get all the new guys plenty of playing time to get them adjusted to the game, I understand that. The team just couldn't quite respond and didn't have the killer mentality to knock them out. I think in the regular season Sean will let the older guys finish them off and just run them off the floor. I am still very positive about the season, and it isn't a real game, but I think the learning curve could be bigger then I anticipated.

<<...but I think the learning curve could be bigger then I anticipated.>>>

You could well be right. Posters (and fans and commentators) forget how big a change it is to go from a backcourt of two guards who were 4-year starters, to two brand-new starters, neither of whom is either (1) the ballhandler or (2) the defender that their predecessor was.

Keep in mind Lavender took most of non conference play his first year with the team to get the team rolling. To think the freshman would be ready for this game is expecting way too much. Findlay is a good team even if they are D2 and have plenty of experience.

That's a valid point, 31, but Lavender already had 2 years of high-major Div. I ball under his belt at that point. His learning curve was likely much, much faster than either DJ or Holloway's may be.