Lets Talk Matchups

[bearcat jeff]

We can have all the advantages in the world in this matchup, but someone has to contain Tu. If he is beating our press, penetrating our defense, and scoring 25 points, not much else will matter.

If I had to simplify this game, I'd say Tu either goes off and carries X or they lose. The problem we have is, he is very capable of doing that and I'm not entirely convinced Cash can/will do anything about it. Maybe he can, he just hasn't really proven yet that he can shut down a really good guard.

Like everyone else, I'd like to see the Cats win by pounding it inside, but I can also see Dixon and SK having big days off the dribble. If Yancy or Thomas aren't having success inside, we need to be able to score other ways as well. I like our offense in this regard. Plan A can be to score inside, but if they shut that down we can score pretty well off the bounce or with jump shots. Our offense needs to be efficient against X though because they won't be playing all zone and missing box outs constantly like a lot of our recent opponents.

Stopping penetration takes team defense. You have to be good on the ball but the secondary line has to make the right rotations on time. That's what it'll take Thursday.

X plays good defense. They are tough mentally with many players that have played in high stakes games. I don't understand the people who think this will be a cake walk. Offensively UC needs to do what they've been doing. Move the ball. The offense stagnants when they stand and dribble. Xavier goes thru long scoring draughts. The Bearcats need to be efficient offensively during these times.

 

[Thegreatone]

Get Xaviers big in foul trouble- win the game. The team is head and shoulders better with Frease on the court. He has gotten into foul trouble a lot- in fact the past 2-3 games he has been coming off bench so he stays out of early foul trouble.

That is not a good thing.

 

[DontMissHim]

That is not a good thing.

He actually has played pretty good lately. Im not saying they need him in to score but team just plays better with him in- He is a very underrated passer but more so it gives us at least a threat down low. Much more then Andrew freakin Taylor.

 

[bearcat jeff]

Jeff Goodman predicts Xavier will beat Cincinnati and calls them pretenders. He also said Seton Hall would test them and UC controlled things the whole game.

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebas...g-unbeaten-teams-in-college-basketball-123010

 

[BearcatAlum1]

Jeff Goodman predicts Xavier will beat Cincinnati and calls them pretenders. He also said Seton Hall would test them and UC controlled things the whole game.

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebas...g-unbeaten-teams-in-college-basketball-123010

Got to love these people.

Predict the big fall of a "pretender." If it happens, you're a genius. If it doesn't, oh well.

Hahaha.

What a joker.

 

[bearcat jeff]

Got to love these people.

Predict the big fall of a "pretender." If it happens, you're a genius. If it doesn't, oh well.

Hahaha.

What a joker.

BA, I am amazed by some of these guys. UC beats a 12-3 Dayton team and they minimize it in one breath and build the other team up in another. Andy Katz gives Dayton props in Weekly Watch and belittles the win for UC. Look at the losses some of these teams have that the media loves. It's not just who you beat but who beats you. Last I checked every game counts in your win/loss record. It's not just that UC is winning, they are blowing people out! Oliver Purnell knows what a good team is and he says UC is legit. Charlie Coles is well respected and played some very good teams this season, he says UC is legit. People that understand, and watch the team play, know they are good. Are they a top 10 team at this point? No, but based on what I've seen they are a top 25 team with an opportunity to be better. The good thing is they can prove their own point by winning. The road is definitely going to get tougher. This week is a big week for our Bearcats. Beginning Thursday night. So far every media person I've seen has picked Xavier because of their non-conference schedule..

 

[ralph1950]

The Sporting News predicted Miami would be UC's 1st loss, they was wrong!

 

[BearcatAlum1]

BA, I am amazed by some of these guys. UC beats a 12-3 Dayton team and they minimize it in one breath and build the other team up in another. Andy Katz gives Dayton props in Weekly Watch and belittles the win for UC. Look at the losses some of these teams have that the media loves. It's not just who you beat but who beats you.

You raise interesting and valid points.

I don't have the time, but there are so many teams that schedule to create "smoke and mirrors." Scheduling is a fine art, as many on this forum know. We've scheduled too many 200 RPI and above teams, which really hurts our SOS and RPI.

I looked at some of the teams in the BE and how they have an RPI in the top 20, and the real difference is that their "buy games" come against teams in the RPI between 125-199....with the expectation that these teams will have close to 20 wins.

We didn't do that... It doesn't make us a lesser team. We'll be fine.

Beat X.

 

[Bearcat_NTS]

Money is a huge issue in scheduling

 

[david aka the TYZ]

Why make it a half court game when 5 guys for X average 30+ minutes a game? They will be exhausted with 10:00 to go in the 2nd half if UC presses them all game and picks their spots to run in transition. I say unleash the hounds.

Normally I would agree with you, but I think X's best chance in this game is to use their quickness and get us in foul trouble. Our half court defense against them should be more effective than our full court. I would like us to try our press early and see if it is effective, but something tells me they'll beat our press or the refs will kill us in calls and that will lead to easy baskets for them.

 

[bearcat jeff]

You raise interesting and valid points.

I don't have the time, but there are so many teams that schedule to create "smoke and mirrors." Scheduling is a fine art, as many on this forum know. We've scheduled too many 200 RPI and above teams, which really hurts our SOS and RPI.

I looked at some of the teams in the BE and how they have an RPI in the top 20, and the real difference is that their "buy games" come against teams in the RPI between 125-199....with the expectation that these teams will have close to 20 wins.

We didn't do that... It doesn't make us a lesser team. We'll be fine.

Beat X.

Xavier and Villanova this week will help. Then after S. Florida there's Syracuse, Notre Dame and and St. Johns all on the road. The SOS is fixing to jump. That's #2, #10, #13, #17, and #53 (Xavier) in the next couple of weeks.