This will not be probably going to be a season wherein we’re learning the bubble come mid-March. The final two seasons we did. Each sport was fraught and stuffed with the strain that may make that point of 12 months so pleasing. Those groups have been stuffed with expertise, led by a coach who will end this season over 500 wins, and had a whole lot of expectation on them. That expertise and people expectations, although, typically made watching these groups play a little bit of a chore. Each sport was a referendum, and people aren’t enjoyable.
This workforce, however, has a younger coach, a roster stuffed with dudes nobody has ever heard of, and can hope to be at .500 when the season ends. That all could seem unfavorable, however they’ve introduced loads enjoyable again to Xavier basketball. Two level subject objectives? Silly, nobody wants them. Protecting the ball on the way in which to rim? Goofy, let somebody swat it. Three pointers? Yes, please. Running throughout creation? Sounds like a blast. Antagonizing opponents? Let’s join two of these.
This workforce is enjoyable. They may be enjoyable after they lose (Georgia), they have been a blast immediately in a win. Xavier was 9-30 contained in the arc. That is hilariously unhealthy. They grabbed 4 offensive rebounds. That’s unhealthy. They bought blocked one other 5 instances and are actually 361st within the nation in that. None of that ought to result in a win.
But it led to Xavier’s greatest win. X has one put up participant, Anthony Robinson, and he managed 4 rebounds and 4 fouls in 9 minutes. The remainder of Xavier’s “post players” simply form of run round, doing stuff. Tre Carroll (17/5/3) determined to impersonate Steph Curry tonight, together with on one fallaway three within the second half. Filip Borovicanin (9/6/4) continues to steer the workforce in help price regardless of standing 6-9 and typically dribbling like he’s not precisely certain the place his fingers are. That ungainliness is only a guise although, Borovicanin not often turns the ball over. He additionally joined the three level parade, after his compulsory airball, on a shot wherein he wanted 23 ft, bought 25, and banked in. At least he laughed.
Xavier’s greatest man, Jovan Milicevic (21/7/2), performs like a 6-10 variation on JP Macura, draining threes, driving, speaking, displaying up opponents, and beginning to present some actual character. He is driving this workforce proper now. When the workforce wants a bucket, he hunts the ball. He blocked a shot immediately and, when Xavier wanted a late cease, picked a move and went finish to finish to complete with respect, moderately than authority.
This sport ought to be enjoyable to look at. This workforce of dudes, beginning to punch a bit above their weight, is taking part in with swagger. Roddie Anderson (11/1/5) form of begins issues off. He’s violent in the most effective form of method. He made a 3 within the first half after which spun to let a docile to that time WVU bench learn about it. Every huge play he was flexing, chest thumping, yelling. Leading, if you’ll. The concept of he and Richard Pitino sitting alone within the first “team meeting” has paid off with this. Was it a Sweet 16 win? No, however its Roddie’s workforce.
All Wright (14/2/4) is perhaps the inheritor to that crown. He’s not the dynamo that Good Roddie is true now, however he’s rising to it. He’s additionally fearless. He missed to finish the sport on Friday, he got here again immediately and went 4-4 behind the arc. He additionally threw a hilarious match when he was victimized by an extremely terrible name.
Altogether, this workforce confirmed some coronary heart immediately. They constructed a lead, then they defended it. Against relentless ball stress they turned it over 10 instances for a 14.7% price. They didn’t offensive rebound in any respect, however in addition they solely allowed 9 second likelihood factors. This workforce has come a good distance since that first sport. They’ve come a good distance since Santa Clara. This is enjoyable Xavier basketball.
Xavier continues to be 4 guys and Good/Bad Roddie
Roddie was 1-7 contained in the arc, 1-4 behind arc, and 6-6 from the road. I don’t know the place that matches on the Good/Bad scale, however he added an important 11. Once once more everybody else was functionally AWOL. Malik Messina Moore didn’t rating and solely shot twice. Anthony Robinson has been talked about above. Isaiah Walker did get six factors in simply minutes and was extra aggressive on offense. He additionally contributed to the 12-12 from the road.
I imagine Zach Freemantle would describe him the identical method he did Donovan Clingan: “b**chmade.” (Still a household website, guys.) Huff was ineffective the whole first half and stands my peak however wandered round like he owned the place. He bought three free throws off a name when All Wright made no contact with him, after which celebrated like he’d been something apart from the beneficiary of canine filth officiating. He bought a 4 level play later by throwing his leg into the defending participant. If he performed like that in any of the pickup video games on the east facet of Dayton that the Banners workers frequented as youngsters, he’d have been proven what an actual foul is the subsequent time down, then requested to depart. I hope we will in some way knock them out of the post-season so I can level and snort.
Richard Pitino has this workforce clicking
Back to positivity. Pitino has this workforce doing what it does properly. They aren’t going to throw the ball into the put up and do a lot except Milicevic will get Treysean Eaglestaff on him once more. They can shoot, although, so Xavier is operating offense that will get them probabilities to raise. These guys are sharing the ball higher than all however eight different groups within the nation. Over their final three video games they’re a high 40 workforce within the nation by effectivity. Is {that a} little bit of a cherry picked stat? Of course, but it surely speaks to how the workforce is taking part in in the mean time. They’re doing that as a result of their sometimes hyperactive coach (he ran onto the ground throughout play to slap Roddie on the butt after an enormous shot) has them doing what they do properly.