What We Do

Game previews: Pretty much speaks for itself. We draw on what we've seen in past games and what the stats (especially those from espn.com and kenpom.com) tell us about our opponents to get an idea of what the keys to the game are going to be. In lieu of a traditional game prediction, we rate each game's "Toughness Factor" on a scale of 1-5. One means the walk-ons should make sure their families come because they're going to get some minutes; five means that the Muskies are going to have to play their best - and get a little lucky - to come away with the W.


Game recaps: Also somewhat obvious. A breakdown of what happened and why, who the key components were, and what strategic decisions were made. Game balls are awarded, and players who efforts were less than spectacular are singled out. Each recap ends with a brief big picture summary and a peek ahead on the schedule.


Box Score Breakdown: When one of us - usually Joel - can't witness the game live, he takes a look at the box score and gamecasts and picks out key players, game trends, interesting statistical minutia. Odds and ends from within the game are also examined. Box Score Breakdowns are usually quickly followed by full recaps.


It's Never Too Early... : Brad's recurring look ahead at what each game means in the big picture, with a special eye towards how a win or loss will affect Xavier's RPI and at-large standing. Once conference play begins, this segment also keeps an eye on X's position within the A-10 hierarchy.

We also feature occasional analysis of particular players, big picture previews, and articles on the broader scope of all things Xavier basketball. During the off-season, content becomes more esoteric in nature, but also features updates on the progress of the program with a special eye toward recruiting.