You might have seen that Xavier doesn’t play as we speak. The Musketeers have their open date on the schedule right here as we hit the midway mark of January. There is one other Saturday off arising in February, however that is the first day without work for the Big East season for this crew.
Seven video games in, Xavier is 3-4 and center of the pack in the Big East. Actually, there actually isn’t a pack in the Big East. There are the high 5 groups, then Xavier and DePaul, then the backside 4. Providence picked up a win at Creighton final night time that didn’t which means totally transfer the needle for the Friars, however put the probabilities of a 5 crew Big East in much more critical doubt.
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But we’re right here about Xavier.
This crew is healthier than we thought
When on music, this crew can play with nearly anybody. They demolished each Providence and Butler. Both of these groups harbored match goals. Xavier performed each of them off the courtroom. The rating reveals a 13 level win over Providence, however the recreation was determined with ten to play. They led Butler by 23 with eight minutes to play. Neither of these video games have been shut as Coach Pitino’s imaginative and prescient of a crew that runs and runs (and runs) got here to life.
But it wasn’t simply these two beatings that confirmed what this crew can do. They smashed ODU, beat a West Virginia crew that has gone on to beat Kansas, and took 14-3 Georgia to the wire. More than any of that, they play a enjoyable (when it really works) model of basketball that makes them straightforward to love and cheer for. You don’t must squint laborious to see them making a Big East match run that ends with a bid to the match.
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This crew is able to being completely horrendous
Take Santa Clara, or the begins to each Creighton and UConn, or the final six minutes at Marquette. The lack of depth of expertise signifies that the margin of error is razor skinny. If Xavier does one thing objectively hilarious like shoot 11-35 inside the arc in a recreation like they did towards Marquette, they’ll lose. If they sluggish even a bit on protection, they’ll lose, in the event that they shoot beneath 50% EFG, they’ll lose. There are simply so many ways in which this Musketeers can journey over its personal ft that it takes one thing like a superbly rounded effort for them to win.
There are nice personalities on Xavier
Tre Carroll is main the line on this regard. He’s a pink lemonade swilling, spin transferring, Twitter grinding, spin transferring, hair flailing, spin transferring 6-8 bundle of vitality. He’s humorous, spirited, gifted, and outwardly humble. He’s on that Zach Hankins arc.
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But he’s hardly the solely man that makes this crew enjoyable. Jovan Milicevic wears his coronary heart on his sleeve and really clearly deeply cares. The man steadily confused as being his compatriot, Filip Borovicanin, seems to be like the smoking Matthew McConaughey meme after a loss, however when he’s taking part in he’s so extremely clean and gifted that you just neglect he’s a 6-10 ahead. He tops Xavier in defensive rebounding fee and help fee. That’s an extremely uncommon ability set.
If Tre Carroll isn’t your favourite, odds are it’s Roddie Anderson III. Roddie was the Lone Survivor, the man who had the first crew assembly by himself, and who was the topic of Coach Pitino’s hilarious first crew shootaround pic, which was simply Roddie alone in the health club. He has been the hyperlink from the previous to this crew and he has beloved it. He’s not terribly environment friendly, he shoots when he shouldn’t, however all is forgiven when he sprints finish to finish with the glee of a little bit child who loves the recreation and the menace of the grown man he’s
There are causes for hope
This crew has no life like path to the match. That’s simply the means it’s this season. Still, there are causes to look forward and see a greater future for Xavier. Coach Pitino has the purchase in of his gamers. That’s very important. There is the base right here of a superb squad. Jovan Milicevic is a star in the making. Filip Borovicanin is that if he has one other yr of eligibility (he performed 53 minutes as a freshman is why I ponder). All Wright, Pape N’Diaye, and Anthony Robinson are all simply sophomores. With income sharing and extra NIL strictures in place, you do marvel what sort of magic Coach Pitino can work.
This season hasn’t been one to recollect on the entire, although it has given us nice moments. At the first bye, although, you may see the the reason why Xavier might but be a Big East energy in the new future.