Ogo Adegboye

By Paul Casey Gotham

St. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — For twenty minutes, the St. Bonaventure faithful had reason to believe. But hope can prove itself to be a fleeting object.

Tu Holloway tallied 22 second-half points as the Atlantic 10-leading Xavier Musketeers rallied for a convincing 79-65 victory over the St. Bonaventure Bonnies at the Reilly Center, Wednesday night.

Holloway finished a perfect eight-of-eight from the free throw line to go with five-of-six from the field including three behind the arc to pace the Musketeers.

“He’s a heckuva player,” Bonnies’ coach, Mark Schmidt said of the Xavier point guard. “We knew going into the game that people talk about him as one of the top five point guards in the country. He may be. He hit some tough shots. We had a hard time stopping him off the bounce.”

After letting the game come to him before the break, Holloway took charge. When he wasn’t leaving defenders behind and getting into the lane with a series of shoulder jukes, the junior was knocking down threes.

Dante Jackson found him open on the right side, and Holloway pulled the Muskies within one at 39-38. He followed with a steal at the opposite end and led Jeff Robinson for a dunk and Xavier’s first lead of the game four minutes into the second half. Holloway proceeded to steal the ensuing inbound and get to the line where he hit his first of eight free throws.

“I’ve grown used to him as a coach,” noted Xavier head coach, Chris Mack. “He really shines in big moments and made some tough shots tonight.”

Bonaventure refused to give in. Demtrius Conger made it 44-41 with a pair of free throws.

Xavier would not be denied.

Kenny Frease split a double-team in the post and found Jeff Robinson at the free throw line. When Robinson’s attempt caromed to the left, Frease fought off Marquise Simmons with a left arm-bar and gathered the offensive rebound with his right. Frease found Holloway open behind the arc. The junior point guard returned the ball to Robinson who finished with his second attempt.

Holloway led a 22-8 run and put the game out of reach at 70-53 with a step-back trifecta twenty-five feet from the basket.

The Bonnies came out of the locker room with defensive intensity at the opening tip and rode hot shooting from behind the arc to a five-point edge at half.

Five Xavier turnovers in the game’s opening moments spurred a 14-3 Bonnie run to start the game.

Da’Quan Cook took a pass just inside the arc and drove to the basket. When the defense sagged to take away the penetration Cook pitched to Ogo Adegboye for the senior point guard’s first of four 3s in the first half.

On the next trip, Adegboye fed Andrew Nicholson in the post for a dunk and a quick 5-0 advantage.

Michael Davenport made it a seven-point edge when he used the basket as a screen and drove across the lane to finish with his left.

Adegboye gave the Bonnies a ten-point lead when he hit from the left side. With the defense doubling down on Nicholson, the forward kicked it to Matt Wright at the top of the key who found Adegboye for the 17-7 lead.

The Musketeers’ front court sparked a 19-9 run from there.

Robinson came off the bench and made an immediate impact. The sophomore forward scored six straight for the X-Men. After tipping in a missed lay up, Robinson followed with a steal and lay up the next trip down the floor. The Indianapolis, Indiana native made it 19-9 with a drive and finish from the left.

“Jeff’s play sort of inspired his teammates a little bit,” Mack commented. “We needed that because Bonaventure came ready to play.”

Jamel McLean and Frease took turns from there.

McLean scored the next four. The senior forward grabbed an offensive rebound and finished off the glass. One possession later, he scooped up a loose ball and finished inside again.

Frease slipped a ball screen and Mark Lyons led him for a layup. The 7′ center delivered with another deuce next time down the floor to draw Xavier within three at 20-17.

Davenport responded with a pull-up jumper from the right elbow.

Lyons took over for the Muskies.  The red-shirt sophomore found his spot just to the right of the top of the key and nailed back-to-back threes.  Holloway led Lyons with the first from behind the arc. Two trips later, Frease relocated the ball from the post, and Lyons connected again.

Holloway and McLean went to the bench with a pair of fouls apiece.

Lyons and Andrew Taylor helped Xavier keep pace.

Taylor tied the contest at 26-26 with a pair of free throws.

Conger found Adegboye in the right corner, and the Bonnies led by three.

Lyons knocked down a pull-up jumper from the left baseline, and Xavier trailed by a point.

Xavier’s defense was forced to shadow the hot-shooting Adegboye along with keeping track of Nicholson in the post. Wright took advantage of the opportunity and buried back-to-back treys to close the half.

Xavier finished the game shooting better than 58 percent (7 of 12) from behind the arc, but their effort on the defensive end proved to be the difference. They limited St. Bonaventure’s leading scorer, Nicholson, to just 13 points and two rebounds. The junior forward entered play averaging 20.9 and 7.9. Xavier guard’s, especially Holloway and Lyons, routinely harassed Nicholson in the post keeping the native of Mississauga, Ontario from putting the ball on the floor to create space and get to the basket. Nicholson fouled out with two turnovers after 23 minutes of play, but Schmidt refused to blame the referee’s for the game’s outcome.

“If we can play well, and they don’t play as well, we have chance,” noted the Bonnies’ head coach. “I said it before the game if they play their A-game, and we play our A-game, we’re not going to win. In the first half, we didn’t play our A-game, but they probably played their C-game and gave us a chance.”

Lyons finished with 15 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Robinson added 12 while Frease and McLean scored 10 apiece.

Xavier out-rebounded Bonaventure 31-17.

Xavier improves to 4-0 in the A-10 and remains in a tie with Duquesne as the top. St. Bonaventure falls to 1 and 3 in the league and 9 and 8 overall.

The Bonnies play at George Washington on Saturday before returning to the Reilly Center to host Massachusetts next Wednesday.

The Musketeers host Temple, Saturday and George Washington on Wednesday.

By Paul Casey Gotham

Setting: The Blackburn-McCafferty Trophy is on the line at the Cintas Center as Brian Gregory brings his Dayton Flyers (14-4/ 2-1) south on I 75 for a clash with Chris Mack and his Xavier Musketeers (10-5/ 2-0). The trophy honors former Dayton coach Tom Blackburn (1947-64) and Xavier coach and athletic director, Jim McCafferty (1957-63).

Plot: Position in conference standings is on the line. Along with the Musketeers, the Flyers trail three other unbeaten teams in the conference – Temple, George Washington and Duquesne.

There will be a plenty of energy on campus and plenty more on the court. Dayton will look to take advantage of Xavier’s short bench.  Ten Flyers average 10 or more minutes per game. Because of injuries, the Musketeers have nine scholarship players.

Sub-plot: Both squads enter play coming off a win. Chris Wright scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Flyers defeated the St. Joe’s Hawks 65-59. Tu Holloway led five Muskies in double figures as Xavier trounced UMass 79-50. Dayton has not won on Xavier’s home court since 1981.

Flashback: Holloway scored 22, and Jason Love corralled 10 rebounds as the X-Men advanced to the A10 semi-finals with a 78-73 triumph over the Flyers at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Dayton leads the series 82-63. Xavier has taken eight of the last nine meetings.

Xavier has earned 21 NCAA Tournament berths, including last year’s Sweet Sixteen run and Elite Eight showings in 2008 and 2004. Dayton’s resume includes 14 appearances in ‘The Dance.’ Brian Gregory took the Flyers to the tourney in 2009 and in 2004.

Foreshadowing: Sixteen Flyers have gone on to enjoy careers in the NBA, including Jim Paxson Jr. and Johnny Davis.  Seventeen Musketeers have played in the Association, including current stars Derrick Brown, Jordan Crawford, James Posey and David West.

Conflict: Both teams play games in the 60s. Dayton scores 66 while surrendering 62. Xavier scores 69 and gives up 64.  The Muskies hold a slight advantage in field goal percentage (44 percent to Dayton’s 39). Turnovers are a near wash. UD creates as many as they commit. XU has a slight advantage (.8). The Flyers take and make slightly more free throws per game than their adversaries as do the Musketeers.  But the Flyers have an edge on the boards. Their 5.6 rebounding margin ranks in the top 50 nationally.

Dayton’s Chris Wright and Xavier’s Jamel McLean could be the individual match-up of the night. Both average a near double-double (Wright 13.3 ppg/ 9.2, McLean 11.3 / 9.5).

Wright will end Dayton’s drought when he plays in the N.B.A. next year.  Wright can overpower with brute strength. He has developed a mid-range game that makes him difficult to guard. Opponents can not lay off him from 15 feet. Get too close though, and Wright will blow by a defender with one dribble and a dunk.

McLean’s back-to-the basket game has quietly matured. He is patient with the ball in the post allowing the play to develop and finding open teammates. At the same time, he can finish with either hand. When the ball goes in the air, McLean is difficult to keep in check.

Dayton’s freshman point guard, Juwan Staten, and Xavier’s Tu Holloway are primarily responsible for feeding the ball into the post.

Staten hands out more than six assists per game and he possesses a better than 2:1 assist to turnover ratio . For a freshman, he has an uncanny ability to play within himself.

Holloway has the talent to be the best point guard in the country, when he keeps his emotions in check. The Xavier junior could dominate Staten. But he also could lose sight of winning the game and turn the point guard battle into a personal confrontation.

Dante Jackson hit five of eight shots from long range when the Muskies beat Dayton at Cintas last year. Chris Johnson averages two threes a game for the Flyers. Jackson and Johnson could tip the scales in the game. Whoever of these guys gets hot will affect floor spacing and the length of passing lanes to be defended.

Xavier’s Mark Lyons and Kenny Frease have played inconsistently this year. Both are capable of big performances. It is also possible for them to be a liability.

At 7′, Frease is a difficult match-up. Add to that a baby hook he has developed and Frease can get 22 like he did against Wake Forest. The following game he accounted for zero at Gonzaga.

Lyons averages 12 a game. He scored 11 in a loss to Cincinnati and two in a loss to Florida. His assist to turnover rate is one to one, but those numbers do not include shots that Lyons forces.

Paul Williams provides a deep threat for the Flyers. The junior guard hits almost 49 percent from long range.

Dayton’s Josh Parker, Devin Searcy and Josh Benson combine for 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Conflict: After limping through the end of December and an emotional game at Cincinnati, the Musketeers seemed to have found their just in time for conference play. The Flyers will take this game to final minutes, but Xavier’s play-makers will be too much. Staten will put up a struggle, but Xavier’s experienced back court will outlast the freshman. Xavier will come away with with a five-point victory.

AP Photo/Al Behrman

By Paul Casey Gotham

Setting: NCAA tournament contenders collide when Chris Mack brings his Xavier Musketeers (7-2)  to Spokane, Washington for a battle with Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs (6-5).

Plot: Atlantic 10 meets the West Coast Conference with tournament resumes on the line.

Sub-plot: The game is the second of four in thirteen days for the Muskies. Xavier knocked off Wake Forest over the weekend. Xavier hosts Albany on Tuesday and Florida, New Year’s Eve. Gonzaga trimmed Baylor on Saturday. The Zags take on Oklahoma State on the 31st.

Background: The match-up is part of the Jesuit Spotlight project using basketball to promote Jesuit education across the United States. Xavier and Gonzaga are two of 28 Jesuit universities in the country.

Flashback: The schools have split a pair of meetings in the past. Gonzaga defeated Xavier in the first round of the 2006 NCAA tournament 79-75. The schools first met in 1960 with Xavier laying claim to an 87-82 triumph.

Coach Few has led Gonzaga to 11 of its 13 NCAA tournament appearances including Sweet Sixteen showings in ’00, ’01, ’06, and ’09.   Seven different coaches have led the Musketeers to 21 NCAA tournament appearances including Eight Eight showings in ’04 and ’08.

Foreshadowing: Eight Bulldogs have gone on to play in the National Basketball Association including current players Austin Daye and Ronny Turiaf. Seventeen Musketeers have suited up in the National Basketball Association with Derrick Brown, Jordan Crawford, James Posey and David West holding down current roster spots.

Conflict: Gonzaga scores nearly 79 points per game while giving up 70. Xavier fills it up at a rate of 70 per contest but keeps opponents to 68. The Bulldogs finish 48.7 percent from the field and allow a rate of 42.2 percent. The Muskies hit 43.5 percent and give up 40 percent.

Gonzaga’s schedule is ranked 21st in the country. Xavier weighs in at 26th.

What gives?

On the surface, Gonzaga earned a big win over a ranked opponent in Baylor. But the Bears have not played much of a schedule and lacked an edge. Baylor came out and used a two-three zone to defend the Zags. Gonzaga took advantage of the comfortable space afforded on the perimeter for the win.

Gonzaga’s Steven Gray left Saturday’s game with back spasms. The 6’5″ shooting guard averages 15 points per game.  He leads the Zags in three point attempts (70) and makes (29). Gray will be hard pressed to continue his 41 percent rate from behind the arc with Xavier’s Tu Holloway up in his grill. Holloway will not allow Gray any comfort on the perimeter. Gray will be forced to go off the dribble, and Holloway is the quicker of the two. On the other end, Gray will have his hands full trying to limit Holloway. With Duke’s Kyrie Irving out because of injury, Holloway is the best point guard in the country. His performance Saturday might have been a turning point as the junior from Hempstead, New York accumulated more assists than points. He became a point guard’s point guard distributing to his teammates. Holloway scored five of twelve points late in the game as the Wake Forest defense was forced to extend on his teammates.

Elias Harris was hampered by early injury early in  the late. Harris scored 19 in Gonzaga’s loss to Notre Dame. He followed with anther 19-point output against Lewis-Clark State. His best asset is the ability to put the ball on the deck and take his man to the rim.  At 6’7″ he creates mis-matches for opposing forwards that have to defend him on the perimeter. Xavier’s Jamel McLean is more than athletic enough to neutralize Harris on the offensive end.

Baylor let Robert Sacre catch the ball in the post all day. The 7′ center is adept and catching and scoring. He has the tendency to put the ball to floor and cause turnovers. Kenny Frease poses a formidable adversary. For the first time this season, Sacre will find an opponent just as big as he. The difference is the Frease can finish around the rim. Sacre spent most of Saturday’s game in foul trouble. Frease scored a career high 22 points against Wake Forest. The emergence of Frease as a scorer could be the missing link for the X-Men. Frease will need to deny Sacre the ball as much as possible and play straight up when the Gonzaga center gets the ball.

Xavier’s Dante Jackson will match-up with Matthis Monninghoff. Monninghoff has a size advantage but that is it. Jackson is accustomed to playing in the post. Mack will go to his bench when needed, and 6’9″ Jeff Robinson will tilt the advantage back to the Muskies.

Mark Lyons will have the responsibility of defending Gonzaga’s point guard, Demetri Goodson. This might be Xavier’s biggest advantage. Lyons is capable is putting immense pressure on the ball. If he forces Gonzaga to start their offense further from the basket, he will neutralize any advantage Sacre might have in the paint.

Both coaches aren’t afraid to go to their benches. Kelly Olynyk, Sam Dower, and Mangisto Arop give the Zags a boost. Robinson, Andrew Taylor, and Jay Canty provide the Muskies will valuable minutes.

Resolution: Xavier’s having to travel cross-country would usually cause problems, but classes are not in session. The Muskies should be able to adjust to the different time zone. With that, Xavier’s defense will make Gonzaga play at an uncomfortable pace. The Muskies have shown the ability to change speeds easily. They can get out and run full court. At the same time, with the ball in Holloway’s hands, he is making decisions as to when Xavier needs to run half-court. Gonzaga’s injury woes will continue to plague them, and Xavier will get an important victory.

AP Photo/Al Behrman

By Paul Casey Gotham

It is that time again. Let’s hear from you readers. We had another week of stellar performances. Pick the ONE (1), UNE, UNO that stands out to you, and tell us a story.

Tu Holloway gets my POTW.

On a night where Xavier University inducted their latest hall-of-fame class, the junior point guard had his own HOF performance with a triple-double as the Musketeers burned the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 83-75. Holloway posted career highs of 10 rebounds and 14 assists to go with 14 points on the evening.

Holloway dished out more helpers than the entire Wake Forest team with 11.  He had seven assists by half-time as Xavier grabbed a 39-30 lead. When the Hempstead, New York native fed Jamel McLean for a dunk, the Muskies held 14-point edge with less than 2:20 remaining in the game.

Xavier enshrined the late Skip Prosser, Lauren Clary, and NBA star, David West.  West was the last Musketeer to turn the triple-double at the Cintas Center. West finished with 15 points,  10 rebounds, and 10 assists on December 8, 2001 as the Muskies downed Long Island.

Who gets your POTW?

Jamel McLean takes it strong to the cup. AP Photo/Al Behrman

By Paul Casey Gotham

Setting: Batten down the hatches as Jeff Bzdelik brings his Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-4) north to the Cintas Center for a tilt with Chris Mack and his Xavier Musketeers (7-2).

Plot: Atlantic Coast Conference meets Atlantic 10 in the second annual Skip Prosser Classic. The late Prosser coached  both programs.

After starting 2-3, Wake Forest has taken four of five, but Bzdelik crew needs consistency. The Deacs have wins over Iowa, Hampton, and most recently, UNC-Greensboro. Losses to UNC-Wilmington and Stetson are cause for concern.

Fans of the Muskies should not be surprised by the team’s two defeats. Xavier had three losses this time a year ago.

Sub-plot: Wake Forest freshman, Melvin Tabb, was recently re-instated to the lineup after taking time to address academic concerns.  After sitting out a year due to his transfer from Georgetown, Nikita Mescheriakov made his debut two games ago for the Deacs. The red-shirt junior came off the bench and scored seven points with four rebounds.

The Muskies continue to evolve after the graduation of Jason Love and departure of Jordan Crawford.

Xavier has Gonzaga, Florida, and Cincinnati in the near future. Wake tussles with Gonzaga and Richmond in the next two weeks.

Flashback: “Call me” Ishmael Smith scored a career-high 28 points, and Al-Farouq Aminu added 26 with 17 rebounds as the Demon Deacons took a double-overtime thriller a year ago, 96-92 at the Joel Coliseum.  Saturday’s night’s meeting is the third between the inter-conference rivals with each school taking one. The Muskies downed the Deacs in the second round of the 1999 NIT Tournament, 87-76.

Wake Forest has punched 22 tickets to the NCAA tournament including an appearance in the 1962 National Semi-finals and Elite Eight showings in ’39, ’61, ’77, ’84 and ’96. Seven different coaches have led the Musketeers to 21 NCAA tournament appearances including Eight Eight showings in ’04 and ’08.

Foreshadowing: Twenty-seven Deacs have moved on to careers in the National Basketball Association including currently Al-Farouq Aminu, Tim Duncan, Josh Howard, James Johnson, Chris Paul, Darius Songaila and Jeff Teague. Seventeen Musketeers have suited up in the National Basketball Association including current stars Derrick Brown, Jordan Crawford, James Posey and David West.

Conflict: Wake Forest averages 74 ppg while allowing 73.  Freshman, Travis McKie leads a quintet of Deacs in double figures with more than 13 and a half points. Ari Stewart and J.T. Terrell also chip in 13 apiece. Gary Clark adds 11.8 and C.J. Harris gets 10.8.

Clark has hit 20-30 from behind the arc. Stewart and Terrell have hit 17 and 18 from long range.

Xavier is 4-1 when holding opponents under 70. The Muskies score 69.2 and give up 67.1. Last time out, the X-Men showed they can go toe-to-toe in a defensive battle beating national runner-up Butler, 51-49. But the targets were easy to find – Shelvin Mack from the perimeter, stop the dribble of Ronald Nored and take away Matt Howard. Wake has a variety of weapons.

Can Xavier make this a half-court game?

Xavier has struggled against the 2-3 zone. Will Wake go away from man-to-man?

The good news for Xavier fans is that Tu Holloway leads the team with 22.3 ppg. The bad news for Xavier fans is that Tu Holloway leads the team with 22.3 ppg.

The Musketeers have struggled to establish an offensive identity. Besides Love and Crawford, Xavier lost 3pt. specialist Brad Redford for the season with an injured knee. Senior forward, Jamel McLean then broke a bone in his eye socket. McLean is playing with protective goggles but is not 100 percent. Redford’s loss creates spacing problems. His absence is noticed most when the Musketeers lack a player capable of knocking down a 3 in transition.

Holloway is Xavier’s best three-point threat. The junior point guard needs a teammate to open the floor.

Mark Lyons might be the candidate. The red-shirt sophomore, though, has only hit 10-35 from long range.  He is averaging 16.5 over the last four contests. Lyons is also handing out 3.5 apg.

McLean averages 10.4 ppg and 9.9 rpg. The senior is difficult to keep away from the offensive glass leading with 23 offensive boards.

Kenny Frease can provide a spark. The junior recorded a double-double (12p/10r)in the win over Butler. He averages 10.6 ppg and 7.9rpg. He has developed an effective jump hook, but his conditioning (or lack thereof) is a problem late in games.

Dante Jackson gets 7.5ppg and 2.9rpg. The senior is the team’s best all-around defender.

Jeff Robinson has shown flashes of brilliance.

Resolution: Both teams enter play with a rebound margin of just +1. Xavier has established that stat against a tougher schedule. Wake has been hitting from the field at a rate of 46 percent. Xavier will trim that number with a stiff defensive performance. The Deacs will struggle to keep Xavier off the glass in particular McLean. The senior forward has shown a tendency to rise to the occasion. Saturday’s game will be no different. McLean will record his fourth double-double of the season, and the Muskies will win a close one.

By Paul Gotham

Setting: Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City is the site for the West Regional semi-final tilt between Chris Mack’s No. 6 seed Xavier Musketeers (26-8) and Frank Martin’s No. 2 seed Kansas State Wildcats (28-7).

Plot: Atlantic 10 clashes with the Big 12 for a spot in Saturday’s regional final.

Sub-plot: Revenge is in the air. K-State thumped Xavier, 71-56, back on December 8th.

Flashback: Xavier holds a 4-3 advantage in a series that dates back to 1961. Jacob Pullen dropped 16 and Curtis Kelly added 14 when the foes met at the Fred Bramlage Coliseum earlier in the ledger. Tyrone Hill, Derek Strong, and Aaron Williams led the Muskies as they topped K-State 87-79 in the first round of the 1990 tournament.

Xavier has earned 21 NCAA Tournament berths, including last year’s Sweet Sixteen run and Elite Eight showings in 2008 and 2004. K-State punched their 24th dance ticket this year. With a victory over BYU, the Wildcats advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 17th time in school history.

Foreshadowing: Sixteen Musketeers have played in the Association, including current stars Derrick Brown, James Posey, and David West. Twenty-one Wildcats have earned paychecks in the NBA. Current stars include Michael Beasley, Cartier Martin, and Bill Walker.

Conflict: K-State’s 1,055 trips to the free throw line ranks number one in the nation. It’s no coincidence that their lightning-fast guards, Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente lead the way with 447 and 485 respectively. Nobody on the rest of the roster comes within 200 free throw attempts. Xavier averages nearly 19 fouls per game.

Against BYU, Pullen and Clemente combined to hit all 13 of their free throws. The tandem also hit 10 of 21 shots from behind the arc. The strategy is nothing new. The Wildcats want to stretch the floor and drive into open spaces. Xavier’s guards will need to keep Pullen and Clemente in check.

Usually, Dante Jackson draws the assignment of defending a player bigger than himself. Thursday, Jackson will need to keep up with Pullen and get a hand in his face.

Martin goes 10 deep on his bench. Eight Musketeers play 16 minutes or more with Andrew Taylor playing just under 10 minutes.

Jamar Samuels and Curtis Kelly do the damage inside for the Wildcats. The two contribute 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Both teams hold a +5 in rebounding margin.

Jordan Crawford leads the Muskies with 20 points. He adds almost five rebounds and three assists. The shooting guard leads the X-Men with 76 from behind the arc and hits 40 percent from long range. Crawford mixes his game well for a deadly combination. He can hit from 20 feet and go off the dribble depending upon the situation.

Terrell Holloway has ignited the Xavier offense all season. The sophomore point guard maintains a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio. Holloway finishes 85 percent of his free throws.

Jason Love is nothing short of dominant in the paint. When on, the senior’s jump hook can be indefensible. Love scores 11.8 and grabs 8.5 boards.

Jamel McLean averages eight points and seven rebounds. The junior plays his best against the best. McLean has four double-doubles this season, including performances at Wake Forest and Charlotte. McLean has six double-digit rebounding nights and eight double-digit scoring games.

Dante Jackson rounds out the starting five for Xavier. The junior scores six and grabs three rebounds. Jackson draws the toughest defensive assignment.

Kenny Frease, Mark Lyons, and Brad Redford log valuable minutes off the bench.

Resolution: K-State got the better of Xavier earlier this season. That was then. This is now, and this game is on neutral court. The Wildcats out-rebounded Xavier 39-30 in the win. McLean played 17 minutes and Taylor logged four.  That game came during a time when McLean needed to re-focus. McLean grabbed 14 boards in the opening round win against Minnesota. Pittsburgh tried to neutralize the junior’s impact, but that cleared the way for Love who scored 14 and grabbed eight boards in Sunday’s win. Taylor does not post the numbers, but his presence has paid dividends over the last month. Xavier’s guards will contain Pullen and Clemente. The Musketeers punch a ticket to the Elite Eight.

Got any comments on the game? Post them here.

By Paul Gotham

Two wins earns a spot in the Sweet 16. Two more victories finds the Final Four. Then, if all goes well, two triumphs in Indy for the title.

How can something that looks so simple be so difficult?

Coaches and their teams have bunkered down feverishly making plans. They have been and will continue to pour over scouting reports and game tapes looking for answers, looking for weaknesses in their opponent. They will analyze match-ups and lineups seeking the right mix.

For the teams that endure and earn four victories or more, they will likely need a role player to step out of the shadows and take over the game.

Casual fans know Syracuse’s Wes Johnson and Andy Rautins. The two have been the faces of a surprising Orange squad. While many thought SU could not overcome the personnel losses from last year, the Orange proved addition can happen by subtraction.

A big part of Syracuse’s success is sixth man, Kris Joseph. When opponents have keyed on Johnson and Rautins, Joseph has exploited the middle of the floor. He blends size with quickness into a troublesome mixture for opponents. The sophomore forward gives the Orange 11 points and five rebounds off the bench. More than that Joseph brings an attitude. The native of Montreal could start for many teams. Rather than sulk about a diminished role, Joseph relishes it. He comes off the bench with an energy and enthusiasm opposing teams find difficult to counter. Joseph’s role for this weekend increased due to the injury of Arinze Onuaku. When Onuaku returns, watch for Joseph to maintain his contributions to the cause.

Scouting the Duke Blue Devils come down to this: figure out how to stop Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, and Nolan Smith. The three average almost 54 of Duke’s 78 points per game. Averaging nearly eight three-pointers per game, the Blue Devils stretch out their opponents. Brian Zoubek has taken advantage in the paint. Much maligned for most of his career, the seven-foot senior has found his niche. Zoubek averages over seven boards a game and has some of his biggest outputs against Duke’s toughest opponents: Maryland (17 and 13), Virginia Tech (16), UConn (11), and North Carolina (13).  Zoubek has developed a jump hook that he uses sparingly. He averages almost six points a game, but more than that he keeps opponents honest and helps the Blue Devils spacing on the offensive end.  With his size Zoubek allows Duke to extend pressure on the defensive end. After problems in the past the senior averages three fouls in nearly 18 minutes of playing time.

Xavier’s Musketeers have won nine NCAA Tournament games over the last six seasons. Twice, the Muskies advanced to the Elite Eight (’08 and ’04). If the X-Men are to return to the Regional finals, the brunt of the responsibility falls on the shoulders of Jordan Crawford. The sophomore transfer leads the way with 19 points. Opponents will also need to limit Jason Love in the paint and slow down Terrell Holloway at the point. But the player who could make the difference for Xavier is power forward Jamel McLean. At 6’8″, McLean takes up plenty of space. Opponents struggle with his athleticism. McLean is a ball-getter who slices through opponents for rebounds. The junior plays his best when the pressure is at its highest. McLean averages seven rebounds a game including seven double-digit nights. He grabbed 10 boards at Wake Forest and 13 at Florida. In a late-season win over Richmond, McLean turned in 13-rebounds and  nine points. Opponents will need to focus on Crawford, Love, and Holloway. McLean will take advantage of the opportunity.

If Butler is going to shed the Cinderella dress for the title of contender it will take the three-point mastery of Zach Hahn. Playing just 16 minutes a game, Hahn is second on the Bulldogs roster with 43 three-balls. He hits at a rate of 43 percent. Butler will need that to continue as opponents look to neutralize Gordon Hayward, Matt Howard, and Shelvin Mack.

Coaches often profess that there are no small roles. To win a championship, a team needs each player to accept his role. None do it better than Joseph, Zoubek, McLean, and Hahn.

AP Photo/Al Behrman

By Paul Gotham

Setting: Atlantic 10 heavyweights collide when Chris Mooney brings his No.23 Richmond Spiders (22-6 / 11-2) to the Cintas Center to face Chris Mack’s Xavier Musketeers (20-7/ 11-2).

Plot: A piece of first place is at stake. The Spiders and Musketeers sit atop the A 10 with the Temple Owls.

Sub-plot: Richmond is undefeated in the month of February and brings an eight-game winning streak into the contest. The Spiders have been ranked back-to-back weeks for the first time since the 1957-58 season. Xavier has won their last four and finishes February with only their second home game of the month.

Xavier is undefeated at home this season.

The A 10 has 18 victories over BCS schools. Nine different teams have posted non-conference triumphs over the BCS conferences. Temple leads the way with four victories. Richmond, Rhode Island, and Xavier each have three.

Flashback: Richmond and Xavier closed the regular season a year ago. Kevin Anderson scored 29, Justin Harper Harper chipped 20 off the bench as the Spiders took an 80-75 decision.

Xavier leads the series 10-3.

Xavier has earned 20 NCAA Tournament berths, including last year’s Sweet Sixteen run and Elite Eight showings in 2008 and 2004. Richmond has been invited to the Dance seven times, including most recently in 2004.

Foreshadowing: Two Spiders have laced them up in the National Basketball Association: Johnny Newman and John Schweitz.  Sixteen Musketeers have played in the Association, including current stars Derrick Brown, James Posey , and David West.

Conflict: In five seasons under Mooney, Richmond has allowed 70 or more points just 37 times. The Spiders rank in top 20 nationally in field goal percentage defense (38.7), scoring defense (60.2), and 3-pt. percentage defense (28.6).  Richmond is also 14th in the nation with a turnover margin of 4.4. The Spiders play a stingy match-up zone that confuses opponents and limits open opportunities.

Xavier averages over 79 points per game. The Muskies have only lost twice this season when hitting the magic mark of 70. One of those defeats came in double overtime at Wake Forest. The Muskies have a rebound margin of +4.7 while the Spiders struggle at -4.6.

Kevin Anderson leads three Spiders in double figures. The junior point guard scores 17.5 while handing out 2.7 assists. Anderson is joined in the back court by senior, David Gonzalvez. The senior scores 13.6 a game and leads the Spiders with 56 threes.

Justin Harper leads the Spiders with 5.8 rebounds. The junior adds 10 points a game.

Ryan Butler and Darrius Garrett combine for 10 points and six and  a half rebounds.

Dan Geriot provides valuable minutes off the bench for the Spiders. The junior scores seven and grabs four boards.

Jordan Crawford leads the Muskies with 20 points. He adds almost five rebounds and three assists. The shooting guard leads the X-Men with 60 from behind the arc and hits 40 percent from long range. Crawford mixes his game well for a deadly combination. He can hit from 20 feet and go off the dribble depending upon the situation.

Terrell Holloway has ignited the Xavier offense all season. The sophomore point guard maintains a 2.2:1 assist to turnover ratio. Holloway finishes 84 percent of his free throws.

Jason Love is nothing short of dominant in the paint. When on, the senior’s jump hook can be indefensible. Love scores 11.8 and grabs 8.4 boards.

Jamel McLean averages eight points and seven rebounds. The junior plays his best against the best. McLean has four double-doubles this season, including performances at Wake Forest and Charlotte. McLean has six double-digit rebounding nights and eight double-digit scoring games.

Dante Jackson rounds out the starting five for Xavier. The junior scores six and grabs three rebounds. Jackson draws the toughest defensive assignment.

Kenny Frease and Mark Lyons log valuable minutes off the bench. Brad Redford has been hobbled of late with a bad hip.

Resolution: Richmond will try to slow down this game. The Spiders want to keep the Musketeers in the 60s. This will only work if Richmond can stymie Xavier in transition. Mooney’s club already struggles on the glass. Can they afford to give up offensive rebounding chances to stop Xavier from getting easy buckets?

Xavier has too many ways to score. The Muskies will win the battle of the boards and in particular on the offensive glass. Love, McLean, and Frease will lead the way as Xavier takes a close one.

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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.

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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.

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