Xavier

[Cin City]

Guys! Ellis played in this game last year and he was fine. He'll be fine Saturday. Throw away records and rankings...our guys want to win, as do theirs.

I've been feeling good this week. Doesn't mean much, but as a natural pessimist, I'm taking this good feeling as a sign. I'm sticking with our Cats +12. Maybe I'm crazy. Go Bearcats!

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

I def feel it coming. Let's be honest and point out the elephant in the room...

X has straight up owned UC the last 15 years. They have beat UC 11 times. Not much of a rivalry if you ask me.

Obviously we have had our personal down years when Mick started but it is what it is. Part of Xavier's success against us is because they treat it as their biggest game on their schedule. They have never tried to hide that and it shows in the win/loss column. I could go on and on about the differences in how both teams treat this game but its not worth it. I think it would be repeating things everyone on this board already knows. 4 wins for UC in the last 15 years is straight up embarrassing. But like Mick said, there's no banner for the Victor, it won't stop one team from playing a championship, or going to the tourney, so its a matter of pride. When it comes to this game, it always seems UC has to swallow theirs, tuck it between their legs, and take a L and move on.

This years game is pretty simple for me, both teams have good players. They are playing better then us right now. Hopefully that changes come Saturday.
UC is trying to change their identity. It will not happen over night and has not happened. Every team goes through this to some extent each year. With the Cats it is not just building on what we did last year but reinventing ourselves. it will take time. We will be a better team at years end then we are now. I just hope we have enough to beat X on Saturday.

 

[Mcginnjw]

Listening to Mick's media availability today. He's already making excuses. I think he sees a beatdown looming after watching Xavier on film.

Yeah, I thought the same thing. If we play zone against Xavier they will shoot us out of the gym. We will most likely play zone so I don't have a good feeling about this game.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

What will be interesting to me is if Mick try's to slow game down in a effort to win or continues the up tempo approach that he is trying to transition to. My eyes tell me that we can not run with X. They are playing much better then us now. Teams have been able to exploit us from the 3 line with dribble drive penetration and kicking the ball out to the soft spots in our zone. If that does not change and we do not slow the game down limiting the opportunities for X I can not see us winning. If we try to run up and down with them at this point in season we will lose. Gosh, I hope I'm wrong. This game will be a huge win for the Cats Resume. I really can not remember a time when both teams were ranked heading into the game. Pulling off the upset would be a confidence builder as well.

Like many I root for X to lose every game but at some point I have to tip my hat to them. They have grown that program through many Coaching changes, league changes and being the red headed step child in their own city. I hate them but certainly respect their abilities.

 

[waterhead]

It's a big game...we have to treat it like a big game. There are no excuses like it's a bigger game for them or they always have a break out shooter. There will be a winner and a loser and we play them every year. We have to beat this team EVERY year. I don't care who has been playing better lately. We have a great team which is capable of beating their team and we need to get the job done!

It sounds like much of the board are making excuses on why we might lose so they can emotionally manage with a loss. If the team and coach does that...we lose...simple as that.

Bearcats win this game because we man up and get the job done!!

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

It's a big game...we have to treat it like a big game. There are no excuses like it's a bigger game for them or they always have a break out shooter. There will be a winner and a loser and we play them every year. We have to beat this team EVERY year. I don't care who has been playing better lately. We have a great team which is capable of beating their team and we need to get the job done!

It sounds like much of the board are making excuses on why we might lose so they can emotionally manage with a loss. If the team and coach does that...we lose...simple as that.

Bearcats win this game because we man up and get the job done!!

WH trust me. I raised 4 athletes losing is never alright. This game is huge for the Cats. Playing and beating X is a huge factor in defining the success of our season. Always was and always will. When I lay out my expectations for the season it always starts with beating X.

 

[L-T]

Only two times in the history of the series has X won three games in a row, once during the Badger/Yates years, and once during Mick's tenure. If we let them do it again, shame on us. We're due to play better, and we must play better. I think we will win. History says we should win.

 

[L-T]

Defeating X has never been a huge factor in defining our season. That is part of the problem. We always perceived ourselves and our program as being far superior to them, which is why the results of this game never defined our season. If we are now saying this game is big in defining our season, then we're admitting that we're now the little sister in the series. I'll never go that far.

 

[TheLongHaul]

One game never defines a season..for any team. However, I want to beat the crap out of X. It seems Mick is really downplaying this game which is what Huggs used to do while X plays it up. No coincidence X almost always seems ready while UC always seems slow out of the gate.

 

[waterhead]

One game never defines a season..for any team. However, I want to beat the crap out of X. It seems Mick is really downplaying this game which is what Huggs used to do while X plays it up. No coincidence X almost always seems ready while UC always seems slow out of the gate.

The next game up is always the biggest game of the year. This one has a little more meaning than most.

However, my main wish is always NCAA tourney success. I would trade a loss with X (or any other team) every year for post season success.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

Guys! Ellis played in this game last year and he was fine. He'll be fine Saturday. Throw away records and rankings...our guys want to win, as do theirs.

I've been feeling good this week. Doesn't mean much, but as a natural pessimist, I'm taking this good feeling as a sign. I'm sticking with our Cats +12. Maybe I'm crazy. Go Bearcats!

I'm with you. I have us winning by 9. The inferiority complex of our fan base needs to stop. We act like Xavier will score 100 and we'll be lucky to get 50. It's weird. They are good...but let's not forget that we've also been wrecking teams. We were up 51-27 at half last game...then one down half and we all forget. X just played Wright St and outscored them by only 7 in the 2nd half after a huge 1st half. You think they are freaking out?

Our guys didn't go through all they did this offseason to get scared and fold up shop the 10th game in. We can play against anyone.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

Trying to slow it down would be a mistake imo.
1. We did that last year and were down 12 at half at home.
2. That isn't our style anymore. We shouldn't adjust for anyone.
3. You have to score to beat Xavier.

I think the best chance of us losing is to try to go slow. Teams that feel inferior play slow. And there is no guarantee that would stop them from scoring (especially if we play zone). I expect our guys to go out there and lay it all on the line.

 

[[email protected]]

I'm with you. I have us winning by 9. The inferiority complex of our fan base needs to stop. We act like Xavier will score 100 and we'll be lucky to get 50. It's weird. They are good...but let's not forget that we've also been wrecking teams. We were up 51-27 at half last game...then one down half and we all forget. X just played Wright St and outscored them by only 7 in the 2nd half after a huge 1st half. You think they are freaking out?

Our guys didn't go through all they did this offseason to get scared and fold up shop the 10th game in. We can play against anyone.

Rivalry aside, winning this game is a tall order. Remember it's a rivalry for the fans not the players. They just want to win a game.

 

[ucswais]

It's a big game...we have to treat it like a big game. There are no excuses like it's a bigger game for them or they always have a break out shooter. There will be a winner and a loser and we play them every year. We have to beat this team EVERY year. I don't care who has been playing better lately. We have a great team which is capable of beating their team and we need to get the job done!

It sounds like much of the board are making excuses on why we might lose so they can emotionally manage with a loss. If the team and coach does that...we lose...simple as that.

Bearcats win this game because we man up and get the job done!!

Yep. No excuses. They have a good team, so do we. Time to get one of these.

 

[justinhub2003]

Man everyone acting like Xavier is gods among men.

What team have they beat that had the size of UC? The Defense of UC? None.

Hopefully thats made them soft. Because they were vastly bigger than most teams they played.

I think Caupain will force Sumner into mistakes

 

[L-T]

Man everyone acting like Xavier is gods among men.

What team have they beat that had the size of UC? The Defense of UC? None.

Hopefully thats made them soft. Because they were vastly bigger than most teams they played.

I think Caupain will force Sumner into mistakes

I think Sumner will make mistakes. I don't know if Troy will be forcing a lot of them. Sumner is blazing fast. If Troy is the one guarding him, that is a worry.There is a big difference in the speed of those two guys.

 

[cincrulz11]

I think Sumner will make mistakes. I don't know if Troy will be forcing a lot of them.

Troy gets tons of deflections. If Sumner is sloppy with the ball, Troy will poke it out.

 

[Bearcat_NTS]

Man everyone acting like Xavier is gods among men.

What team have they beat that had the size of UC? The Defense of UC? None.

Hopefully thats made them soft. Because they were vastly bigger than most teams they played.

I think Caupain will force Sumner into mistakes

We could barely even force Morgan State into mistakes. After those first 4 or 5 cupcakes, we cannot turnover anyone. Big reason why the defense (that is designed to force turnovers) has struggled.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

I think Sumner will make mistakes. I don't know if Troy will be forcing a lot of them. Sumner is blazing fast. If Troy is the one guarding him, that is a worry.There is a big difference in the speed of those two guys.

If we play nan, I'm putting Caupain on Abell to keep him fresh.

Edit- Or Mecura. I think we might go a lot of 3 guards if Evans is out/limited.

 

[UCBearcats]

It's a big game...we have to treat it like a big game. There are no excuses like it's a bigger game for them or they always have a break out shooter. There will be a winner and a loser and we play them every year. We have to beat this team EVERY year. I don't care who has been playing better lately. We have a great team which is capable of beating their team and we need to get the job done!

It sounds like much of the board are making excuses on why we might lose so they can emotionally manage with a loss. If the team and coach does that...we lose...simple as that.

Bearcats win this game because we man up and get the job done!!

Love this post......