Xavier plays UC at 7pm on ESPN2. If you live in the upper Midwest and don’t have the game on cable, treat yourself to the inimitable Byron Larkin and Joe Sunderman on 700 WLW or 55(0) KRC. The always excellent Shannon Russell has her keys to the game posted on her blog, as well as nice little note about the tone of the game among the team members . Swing by the Enquirer’s Xavier page for more of her reporting and follow her blog updates during the game’s action. Finally, stop back by here for analysis postgame.
Showing posts with label Crosstown Shootout. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crosstown Shootout. Show all posts
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Crosstown Countdown: It's Never Too Early...
Today we'll be having a look at how the Crosstown Shootout will affect Xavier's tournament chances come March.
As has already been mentioned, UC has not played the most challenging of schedules so far this year (324th, to be exact). The soft schedule combined with a current RPI of 65 means Cincinnati doesn't represent good value for a win at this point. Ignore the AP and USA Today rankings, it seems the national media is currently in love with paper tigers. Thankfully, the season doesn't end here.
As per the norm, the Big East is loaded. Georgetown, Syracuse, Pitt, St. John's, UConn, Notre Dame, and Villanova all hold RPI top 20 spots as of right now. UC will eventually meet this murderer's row of opponents and see a corresponding spike in SOS and RPI. When UC's numbers jump, so will Xavier's, albeit to a lesser degree.
What all this means is that X is in a unique position now to pick up a win against a mediocre team that could end up looking like a win against a very good team. If the Musketeers are able to beat the Bearcats you can almost guarantee seeing that count as a quality win come March. This is one of the last opportunities on the schedule to do major damage. With Joe Lunardi currently not having X anywhere on his radar, it cannot afford to be missed.
As has already been mentioned, UC has not played the most challenging of schedules so far this year (324th, to be exact). The soft schedule combined with a current RPI of 65 means Cincinnati doesn't represent good value for a win at this point. Ignore the AP and USA Today rankings, it seems the national media is currently in love with paper tigers. Thankfully, the season doesn't end here.
As per the norm, the Big East is loaded. Georgetown, Syracuse, Pitt, St. John's, UConn, Notre Dame, and Villanova all hold RPI top 20 spots as of right now. UC will eventually meet this murderer's row of opponents and see a corresponding spike in SOS and RPI. When UC's numbers jump, so will Xavier's, albeit to a lesser degree.
What all this means is that X is in a unique position now to pick up a win against a mediocre team that could end up looking like a win against a very good team. If the Musketeers are able to beat the Bearcats you can almost guarantee seeing that count as a quality win come March. This is one of the last opportunities on the schedule to do major damage. With Joe Lunardi currently not having X anywhere on his radar, it cannot afford to be missed.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Crosstown Countdown: Top Five Crosstown Shootouts
It's that time of year again, actually, it's past that time of year. For the first time since 2006, Xavier meets UC in the Crosstown Shootout in January. For many Xavier fans, this game is the climax of the season. The teams have meant 77 times before, with UC leading the rivalry matchup 47-30. While other, far more hyped, rivalries are played twice a year and seem to mean much more to the fans than the players, the Shootout is a once yearly occasion that often brings out the ugly side of basketball. Here then, are the top five most memorable Crosstown Shootouts.
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