By Paul Gotham

Setting: It’s Atlantic 10 action at the Cintas Center, Wednesday night when Phil Martelli brings his St. Joe’s Hawks (9-16/ 3-8) to Cincinnati for a showdown with Chris Mack and his Xavier Musketeers (17-7/ 8-2).

Plot: The Hawks will be playing with a sense of urgency. A win over the Musketeers could make up for an otherwise disappointing season.

Sub-plot: Tomorrow night’s game is Xavier’s first home tilt in the month of February. The Muskies head back out on the road for two more games before finishing the month at Cintas against Richmond. St. Joe’s has yet to win a conference road game this season. The match-up is part of the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight project using basketball to promote Jesuit education.

Flashback: B.J. Raymond and Derrick Brown scored 18 a piece last year as the Muskies won at the Palestra, 68-54. St. Joe’s leads the all-time series 21-16.

Xavier has earned 20 NCAA Tournament berths, including last year’s Sweet Sixteen run and Elite Eight showings in 2008 and 2004. St. Joe’s has made 19 appearances (five under Martelli) in The Dance. The Hawks advanced to the Elite Eight in 2004.

Foreshadowing: Sixteen Musketeers have played in the Association, including current stars Derrick Brown, James Posey , and David West. Eighteen Hawks have laced them up in the N.B.A., including Jameer Nelson and Delonte West.

Conflict: Anything can happen in conference play. The Hawks will look for this to favor them while the Musketeers will do what they can to avoid a pitfall.

Xavier averages 79 points per game while St. Joe’s drops 69. The Musketeers limit opponents to less than 69 points per game. Xavier grabs 38.7 rebounds per game to St. Joe’s 32.9.

Xavier is accustomed to playing a faster-paced game than St. Joe’s. The Muskies will need to guard against getting careless.

Darrin Govens leads three Hawks in double figures with 13.2.  The senior guard leads the Hawks with 54 three pointers on the season. Govens has 18 double digit games, including a 21-point performance against Fordham where he hit five of seven from behind the arc.

St. Joe’s starts three guards. Justin Crosgile and Garrett Williamson combine for almost 19 per game.

Todd O’Brien leads the Hawks with 6.4 rebounds. The sophomore had a double-double in a loss to St. Louis last week.

Idris Hilliard rounds out the starting five. The junior forward scores 10 points and grabs 5.8 boards.

Jordan Crawford leads the Muskies with 19.6 points. The sophomore transfer hit 40 percent of his shots from behind the arc. Crawford forced too much earlier in the year, but the Detroit native has let the game come to him of late. He is averaging almost three assists per game.

Terrell Holloway gets the Xavier offense moving. The sophomore point guard averages 11 points per game while maintaining an assist to turnover ratio of 2.1 : 1.

Jason Love finishes 59.8 percent of his shots. The senior center averages nearly a double-double with 11 points and 8.5 rebounds.

Jamel McLean has been coming on over the last month. The junior started slowly. He has had double-digit rebounding performances in two of the last three Musketeer games.

Dante Jackson does whatever is needed for his team to win. The junior small forward is capable of defending smaller guards or bigger post players. Jackson can also fill it up. Against Dayton, the Greenfield, Ohio native went five of eight from long range hitting a career-high 19 points.

Resolution: St. Joe’s does not have an answer to the Xavier bench. Brad Redford leads the Muskies with a three-point percentage of 43.9. Holloway is adept at finding Redford open in transition for the trifecta. Kenny Frease chips in six points and nearly five rebounds. Mark Lyons adds 7.6 points and relentless pressure on the perimeter.

Xavier can only beat themselves tomorrow night. The Muskies will need to show the ability to get prepared emotionally for what should be a win. This could be challenging coming off a big victory at Florida over the weekend.

St. Joe’s will keep it close in the first half.  McLean will have a career night as the Muskies win by double digits.

Got any comments on the game? Post them here.

By Paul Gotham

Setting: Atlantic 10 contenders crash at the Cintas Center when Jim Baron’s Rhode Island Rams (15-2/3-1) tangle with Chris Mack’s Xavier Musketeers (12-6/ 4-1).

Plot: Both schools trail Temple (4-0) for the conference lead. Saturday evening’s game is the only regular season meeting between the rivals.

Sub-plot: Rhode Island and Xavier rank 15th and 16th in the CBS RPI poll.  Rhode Island’s strength of schedule is rated 51st in the country. Xavier’s slate is ranked third.

The game is the first of three at home for the Musketeers.  Xavier touts a 26-game home winning streak in Atlantic 10 play. Temple holds the conference record of 34 wins between 1987-91.

Rhode Island plays at Dayton, Tuesday night.

Xavier lost their previous outing to Temple, 77-72. Rhode Island downed Duquesne, 75-67.

Flashback: Derrick Brown led four Muskies in double figures as Xavier overcame 22 turnovers to win at the Ryan Center, 67-65 a year ago. Xavier out-rebounded Rhode Island 42-34.

Xavier has made 20 appearances in the NCAA Tournament including two Elite Eights (’04 and ’08) and a Sweet Sixteen appearance last season. Rhode Island has earned eight berths in the Dance. The Rams advanced to the Elite Eight in 1998.

Foreshadowing:  Sixteen Musketeers have played in the NBA including current stars Derrick Brown, James Posey , and David West. Fourteen Rams have laced them up in the Association. Lamar Odom and Cuttino Mobley honed their skills in Kingston.

Conflict: Xavier is 11-2 when scoring 70 or more points. Rhode Island limits opponents to 70.5. The Rams will need to play the Muskies tight. Xavier hits 40.5 percent from behind the three-point arc. Rhode Island limits its opponents to 34.4 behind the line.

Xavier can score in bunches. In less than four minutes against Dayton the Musketeers hit three 3s to turn a four point deficit into a two-point lead. Rhode Island will need to avoid such a fate.

Nine Rams play 11 minutes or more per contest. Keith Cothran leads three in double figures with 16.6 points. The 6’4″ guard hits 34.4 percent from long range.

Lamonte Ulmer grabs just under eight rebounds per game. The 6’6″ senior grabbed 13 boards versus Duqesne and 14 against Fordham. Ulmer leads the Rams with a field goal percentage of 53.8.

Delroy James chips in 14 points and 5.6 rebounds. Akeem Richmond leads the way with 34 trifectas. The freshman leads the Rams with a 38.6 shooting percentage from behind the line.

If Rhode Island is to win this game, they will need to slow down the Musketeer attack.

Everything begins with Terrell Holloway. The sophomore point guard leads the A-10 in assist to turnover ratio at 2.4:1. In a win over Dayton, Holloway had two assist and zero turnovers. In a loss to Temple, the sophomore had four assists and two turnovers. Holloway averages 11 points per game.

Xavier’s transmission is shooting guard, Jordan Crawford. The sophomore transfer averages 19 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Crawford’s biggest challenge is containing himself. While he has a low number of turnovers (39) in comparison to his number of touches, Crawford tends to force some shots. These can count as turnovers just as well.

Jason Love adds 10.9 points and 8.9 rebounds. He is joined in the front-court by Kenny Frease. The 7’0″ Frease adds 5.6 points and 4.9 boards.

Dante Jackson rounds out the starting five. Jackson is coming off a 19-point performance against Dayton where he hit five threes.

Resolution: Rhode Island can score with Xavier, but the Musketeer bench will wear down the Rams. Mark Lyons, Brad Redford and Jamel McLean all provide valuable minutes off the bench. Redford leads the A-10 in 3pt. percentage at 47.5. The sophomore is deadly in transition. McLean had double-double performances against Wake Forest and LSU.  Lyons is a defensive stopper on the perimeter, but the guard has also seven double-digit scoring games.

The big difference might come at the line. Rhode Island opponents have had 64.7 success rate from the line. Xavier hits 71.9 from the stripe. Holloway is 90 percent from the line. A late lead Xavier lead is difficult to erase when Holloway is on the floor.

Rhode Island will stay close, but Xavier’s experience and depth will prove to be the difference in a game decided by single digits.

Got any comments about the game? Post them here.

View from Section 210 Row P

By Paul Gotham

When life gives you Section 210, Row P, enjoy the view.

That’s what I said to myself Saturday as I followed the better half up the steps of Xavier University’s Cintas Center. I took a look around while we climbed, and then, like a scene from a Three Stooges episode, I nearly toppled over my wife.

“N… O… where’s P?”

It seemed like a simple enough question. The nearby attendant quickly erased our confusion. Row P was not an actual row of seats, rather an area along the walkway at the top of the arena with portable chairs provided.

We settled in and quickly I acclimated to the surroundings. It reminded me of  Silver Stadium – Rochester’s now defunct baseball stadium. Night after night we would trudge our way up the ramp to the general admission area and find our spot in L22. The walkway behind the bench seats provided a perfect spot for the baby stroller. As our daughters grew, and the stroller became unecessary, we stayed in the same row that offered that panoramic view.

View from L22

Saturday, we found ourselves with the same wide-angle look but in a different venue. Our daughters, now in college, were by our side.

For the first time in our family history, I was the neophyte, the newbie in a basketball situation.  Our eldest is now a sophomore at Xavier. She witnessed both of  I-75 rivalry games last season. The better half, a Dayton grad, has experienced at least that many.

Saturday was my first.

The game exceeded expectations.

Terrell Holloway earned my POTW.  The gritty sophomore point guard led a spirited attack as Xavier outlasted Dayton, 78-74.  The Musketeers went 10-19 from behind the three point arc. Dante Jackson hit five. The junior got so locked in that it was obvious before his release that the ball would grace the bottom of the net.

Brad Redford added a pair of trifectas. When Holloway found Redford in transition with a diagonal bounce pass from one side of the lane to the other, I was yelling “UH-OH” with the ball in flight. The pass caught Redford in stride, created perfect rhythm, and the ensuing basket was expected.

The result of the game might not have been as important as THE game.

With one of my daughters a student at XU, and wife a UD grad, how could I lose?

The final horn sounded, and many stayed in the arena for the awarding of The Blackburn / McCafferty Trophy commemorating the contributions of former Dayton coach Tom Blackburn (1947-64) and Xavier coach and athletic director, Jim McCafferty (1957-63).

Others filed out, and it was there I caught another of the game’s importance. I was greeted by lines out the door of the men’s restroom. After a ten minute wait, the message was clear: no one wanted to leave their seats with time on the clock.

Beating the crowds was not important on this day. BEING the crowd was what mattered.

Sure, the game was played at 11 a.m. A time probably dictated by television. If the schools wanted revenue, they would have to take what they got.

The early morning hour deterred no one. The Cintas Center filled to capacity and bounced with an energy fueled by the play on the court.

Somehow, Dayton and Xavier, like so many small schools, fall short in grabbing the national attention of casual fans.  But to this region and to these schools, their students, and alums this is THE game (Crosstown Shootout aside).  Few outside central and southern Ohio realize that the two schools have combined for 36 NCAA Tournament appearances.  Fewer still realize the two schools were regulars in the NIT Final Four during the decade of the 1950s (when that tournament mattered). Xavier beat Dayton in the 1958 NIT Finals.

They are two schools with significant contributions to the game as it grew in the 20th century.  The Dayton Arena has hosted 82 NCAA Tournament games. Only the Kansas City Municipal Auditorium has seen more – 83. The Arena opened in 1969 and was paid for by private funds.

Yes, basketball matters to Dayton.

But now that college basketball has become big business buoyed by national media, it is refreshing to know the  I75 rivalry still thrives.

The players, unlike their counterparts from self-proclaimed ‘basketball factories,’ have limited aspirations of basketball beyond their college experience. Any professional experience would more than likely pale in comparison to their time on the college hard wood. These student-athletes play for the moment. Most will enjoy at least a full four-year college experience.

Instead of using college as a stepping stone into the NBA, these guys live in the present.

The fans appreciate their efforts. They fill the arena and bring their enthusiasm.

Dayton and Xavier may not grab national attention. Neither does a game like St. Joe’s and Temple. The Gonzaga- St. Mary’s rivalry has its own history. Next week Niagara and Canisius will renew their rivalry at the Koessler Center.

These games will not draw national attention, but that does not diminish their importance in the national fabric.

The seats might be referred to as cheap, but the experience was anything but.

By Paul Gotham

Setting:  It’s a battle for first place in the Atlantic 10 at 1776 N. Broad Street as Chris Mack’s Xavier Musketeers (12-5/4-0) take on Fran Dunphy’s No. 16 Temple Owls (15-3/3-0).

Plot: Both Temple and Xavier bring four-game winning streaks into the tilt.

Sub-plot: This is the Musketeers lone road game for the remainder of the month. Xavier is coming off an emotional win over Dayton on Saturday. Temple plays their next two games on the road: Saturday at Fordham and next Wednesday at Charlotte.

Xavier is 1-1 against ranked opponents this year. The Muskies lost a heart-breaker to then No. 21, Butler, 69-68. Xavier knocked off then No.19 Cincinnati, 83-79 in double overtime.

Xavier has won the last three regular season A10 titles. Temple won the last two A10 tournaments.

The Atlantic 10 is ranked fourth by the RPI.

Flashback: Dionte Christmas scored 20 and Lavoy Allen grabbed 10 boards as the Owls beat the Muskies, 55-53 in the semi-finals of last year’s A10 tournament.

Temple leads the series 11-9 with a 78-59 victory the last time the two met at the Liacouras Center.

Temple has made 27 appearances in the NCAA tournament including Elite Eight spots in ’01, ’99, ’93, ’91, and ’88. Xavier has reached the tournament 20 times with Elite Eight showings in ’08 and ’04.

Foreshadowing:  Sixteen Musketeers have played in the NBA including current stars Derrick Brown, James Posey , and David West.  Thirty-three former Owls have played in the Association. Mardy Collins is the lone Temple alum in the league.

Conflict: Xavier is 11-1 when scoring 70 or more points this season with their only loss coming in double overtime to Wake Forest. The Muskies make 45.1 percent of their shots from the field.

Temple opponents only hit 37.5 percent of their field goals while scoring 56 points per game.

Temple grabs fewer rebounds per game (38.2) than Xavier (39.2), but the Owls hold an advantage in rebound margin 3.7 to 1.8.

Xavier turns over the ball 12.9 times per game; Temple loses the rock 10.7 times. Xavier gets 6.4 steals per game while Temple swipes 4.7.

Ryan Brooks earned A10 Player-of-the-Week honors averaging 20 points and five rebounds as the Owls went 3-0 last week. The senior guard hit 10 three pointers for the week.

Juan Fernandez hits threes at a rate of 44.7 percent and leads the Owls with 42 total trifectas.

Temple will need these two to open up the floor for success inside.

Lavoy Allen leads the Cherry and White with 10.3 rebounds including 69 offensive boards.

Luis Guzman averages almost three assist per game.

Ramone Moore and Craig Williams combine for 10 points and five rebounds.

Xavier has held opponents to 29.6 from the three point arc. Terrell Holloway, Mark Lyons, Dante Jackson, and Jordan Crawford frustrate opposing perimeter shooters.

Jackson has established himself as the most versatile player on the Xavier squad. At 6’5″, the junior can defend players on the perimeter, but he has also drawn the assignment of bigger players such as Wake Forest’s 6’9″ Al-Farouq Aminu. Jackson hit five threes en route to a game-high 19 as the Muskies knocked off Dayton Saturday. He also grabs three boards per game.

Crawford leads three X-Men in double figures with 19 points. Crawford dished out four assists in Saturday’s win. The transfer has struggled at times trying to do too much. He averages 2.6 assists per game. This number needs to increase for Xavier to be successful over the long haul.

Holloway is a lunch pail type of player who scores 11 a game and has an assist to turnover ratio of 2.5:1. Holloway hits 90.7 percent from the free throw line. The sophomore performs his best in the tightest of games. Saturday, he hit 13 of 14. Against Cincinnati, Holloway was a perfect 11 of 11 line from the charity stripe.

Jason Love contributes 10 point and nine rebounds. The senior center has developed a jump hook that is nearly indefensible.

Kenny Frease rounds out Xavier’s starting five. The seven-footer averages just under six points and a tad below five rebounds per game.

Resolution: Dunphy deploys eight of his Owls for 13 or more minutes per game. Mack uses eight guys for 16 or minutes. Temple likes to front the post. Look for Xavier to try some lob entries into Frease. Jamel McLean will provide valuable minutes off the XU bench. The junior forward will be counted on to control the boards.

Brad Redford provides a spark off the bench for Xavier. Redford hits 47.9 percent from behind the three-point arc. The sophomore has learned how to get open in transition and finish from long range. Holloway and Jackson will need to continue to find the three-point threat.

It’s been a while since Xavier has won in Philly, but that changes Wednesday night. The Muskies with their balanced attack will win a one-possession game.

Got any comments on the game? Please post them here.

Photo by REUTERS/Brian Snyder

By Paul Gotham

Setting: SEC meets Atlantic 10 at the Cintas Center on the campus of Xavier University when Trent Johnson’s LSU Tigers (8-3) lock horns with Chris Mack’s Xavier Musketeers (7-4).

Plot: Both teams will look to shrug off any possible holiday hangover. Xavier last played on December 23rd (a 70-67 victory over Miami of Ohio). LSU lost in overtime to Washington St., 72-70 on December 22nd.

Sub-plots: After a season where both of these teams won their respective conferences, LSU and Xavier each need to prove themselves.  LSU is looking up at a revived Kentucky program while Mississippi State and Ole Miss have also improved. Xavier will need to knock off Temple and Dayton to win their fourth consecutive A-10 title.

Flashback: Derrick Brown dropped 22, BJ Raymond 21, and Kenny Frease scored 12 off the bench as the Musketeers won at Pete Maravich Assembly Center last season, 70-60. Xavier leads the all time series 2-1.

Foreshadowing: LSU and Xavier are well represented in the NBA. The Musketeers have sent 16 players to the pros including current players Derrick Brown, James Posey and David West. 31 The Tigers have graduated 31 to the pros. Shaquille O’Neal, Brandon Bass, Glen Davis, Anthony Randolph, Tyrus Thomas, and Marcus Thornton currently earn paychecks in the NBA.

Conflict: Xavier is 7-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points. LSU has allowed opponents to score 70 or more just three times. All those resulted in losses – Arizona State, U Conn, and Washington State.

At 6’9″, Xavier’s Jason Love will be the tallest starter on the floor. The senior averages 9.9 boards including a pair of 19 rebound performances against Marquette and Cincinnati. LSU counters in the front court with Tasmin Mitchell (6’7″) and Storm Warren (6’7″). Mitchell and Warren combine for 20 rebounds per game.  Love averages 10 points.  Mitchell and Warren score 31 points.

While Xavier goes with their four-guard lineup, Dante Jackson will draw one of the inside assignments. Mitchell and Warren will need to keep Love in check. Love has established a jump hook this season, and with his size advantage, he should be able to use it as long as he stays out of foul trouble. Jackson will force one of LSU’s post players outside. Jackson has dropped 43 per cent from behind the arc.

Chris Mack won’t hesitate to go to his bench where he can turn to Kenny Frease (7’0″) and Jamel McLean (6’8″). Johnson has a pair of 6’10″ towers to use – Dennis Harris and Garrett Green.

Harris and Green combine for six points and five rebounds per game.

Frease averages six points and 4.5 boards per game.

Chris Bass leads the SEC in assist to turnover ratio. The sophomore has 42 assists and just 13 turnovers this season.

Terrell Holloway leads the A-10 with a three to one assist to turnover ratio.

Bo Spencer averages 16.6 points for the Tigers. Mark Lyons has earned a starting spot for the Musketeers.

The difference in the game will come down to bench play. Besides Frease and McLean, Mack can go to Jordan Crwaford, Brad Redford, and Andrew Taylor off the bench.

Crawford will create match-up problems for the Tigers. The sophomore guard has scored 20 points five or more times and leads the Muskies with 18.5 points. Consisitency is the challenge for Crawford who tends to force too many plays.

Redford leads the A-10 in three-point percentage. The sophomore has connected on 22 of 43 attempts including 4 of 5 against Kansas State.

Both teams connect 67 per cent of the time from the free throw line. The Muskies have made 37 more trips to the stripe. LSU is 51-171 from the three-point arc while Xavier is 82-190 from long range. Xavier has taken 19 fewer trifecta attempts than their opponents while making nine more than their adversaries from long range.

Resolution: Xavier’s bench will prove their strength. After a pair of sluggish games while recovering from the death of his father, McLean grabbed nine rebounds against Miami of Ohio. The junior has risen to the occasion in the past, and tonight will be no different.

by Paul Casey Gotham

Setting:  The Pete Maravich Assembly Center is the scene for this pivotal non-conference matchup as Sean Miller’s #15 Xavier Musketeers (16-2 / 5-0) travel south to take on Trent Johnson’s Louisiana State University Tigers (15-3 / 3-1).

Plots:  LSU rides a 17-game home-winning streak into the contest.   The Tigers are coming off an 81-57 triumph over Mississippi State – their third overall in a row.  Xavier bring a seven-game streak into the tilt.

Sub-plots:  The game pits teams from conferences battling for representation in the NCAA.   It might be hard to imagine that just three years ago the Tigers were one of two SEC teams in the Final Four.  The other was the eventual two-time champion, Florida.  The Gators are the lone representative at #24 in this week’s AP Poll.   The SEC might struggle to get many tickets to ‘The Dance.’  Beating a ranked team is vital for the Tigers.

Xavier will be LSU’s first Top 25 opponent of the season.   The Musketeers represent the A10, a conference looking to build its tournament resume.  Xavier is one of only nine schools to make multiple Elite Eight appearances in the last five years.

Trent Johnson has proven there is rebounding life after the Lopez twins.  After five years at the helm for the Stanford Cardinal Johnson’s Tigers rank seventh in the country with a rebound margin of 8.6.

Xavier has held 13 of their first 18 opponents under 40% from the field.  The game is the Muskies second against the SEC – beating Auburn earlier this year – 81-74.  Xavier’s strength-of-schedule is ranked in the Top 20 with wins over Virginia Tech, Virginia, Memphis, Missouri, and Cincinnati.

Flashback:  The game is the third meeting all-time between the schools.  With the Tigers winning the last meeting in 1980 – 78-62.

Characters to watch:  Marcus Thornton leads three Tigers in double figures with 18 ppg.  The senior has hit 36  trifectas on the campaign.  Sophomore, Bo Spencer has chipped in 32 from behind the arc and averages 12 ppg.   Tasmin Mitchell throws in 15 ppg and grabs 6 boards per game.  Chris Johnson leads the Tigers with 7.7 rpg.   Thornton, Mitchell, and Johnson all grab two offensive rebounds per game.

Miller has developed a nine-player rotation that gives Xavier’s opponents fits.  Three players average double figure points – B.J. Raymond, Derrick Brown, and C.J. Anderson, but Dante Jackson, Jason Love, Brad Redford, Terrell Holloway, Kenny Frease, and Jamel McLean have all taken turns scoring double digit points in a contest.

Conflict: LSU’s play on the arc is more about potential than it is consistency.  Nonetheless the Tigers are capable of scoring in bunches from long distance.  Just ask Washington St..  The Cougars were and are ranked number one in the country in scoring defense holding teams to 52 a game.  The Tigers shot 45% (9/20) from the arc and pasted a 64 on the board against Tony Bennett’s gang.   Xavier will need to use their depth and athleticism to neutralize LSU on the arc and keep the Tigers at bay on the boards.

Resolution:  C.J. Anderson has established himself as an inside scoring threat.  This will continue against the Tigers.  Watch for Redford coming off the bench.  He has no conscience when it comes to long range shots.

1st Team All-Casey

G Jeff Teague Wake Forest

G Stephen Curry Davidson

G/F Dionte Christmas Temple

F Blake Griffin Oklahoma

F Tyler Hansbrough UNC

2nd team

G LeVance Fields Pittsburgh

G Kyle McAlarney Notre Dame

G/F Jodie Meeks Kentucky

F Luke Harangody Notre Dame

F DeJuan Blair Pittsburgh