There are usually not plenty of methods to sofa this game as a optimistic. This one is to keep away from ending lifeless final in the Big East. Make no mistake, the backside 4 of the convention will function DePaul and Xavier in some positions. There could also be a smattering of Marquette, Butler, Providence, or Georgetown in there as effectively, however these two groups will down amongst the worst. That’s simply how it’s this season.
But, amongst the worst and the precise worst are two various things. DePaul is 0-3 in the Big East. They performed Villanova shut, St. John’s not as shut, and UConn not likely shut in any respect. They’ve accrued six losses, however all of them however an inexplicable 13 level residence defeat to Buffalo make sense. They’ve performed groups higher than them and so they’ve misplaced. Their win at Wichita State isn’t terribly spectacular, however it’s a quad two, identical as the better of any of Xavier’s wins. But, crucially, Xavier has a Big East win. Should they emerge from this game with two, they’ll have put some open air between them and the Blue Demons at the backside. Sometimes, you are taking the little wins.
Advertisement
Team Fingerprint
Here is a complete checklist of the whole lot DePaul does effectively on offense:
Ok, with that out of the approach, it’s value noting that DePaul truly has a fairly first rate protection. The Demons are sixtieth in the nation in effectivity and sixth in the Big East since convention play has began. They pressure plenty of non-steal turnovers and are glorious on protection inside the arc. While they defend effectively inside, additionally they restrict makes an attempt outdoors very effectively. Only 14 groups in the nation have allowed a decrease share of opponent’s makes an attempt to come from past the arc. Teams have typically shot effectively on these three level makes an attempt, however that looks as if it is going to be much less of a priority in opposition to a Xavier crew taking pictures 26.5% from deep over its final three video games.
DePaul’s offense is worst in the Big East and 187th in the nation. It’s actually dangerous.
Advertisement
Players
|
|
Starting matchups |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Layden Blocker |
Point Guard |
All Wright |
|
Junior |
Class |
Sophomore |
|
6’2″, 195 |
Measurements |
6’3″, 190 |
|
11.1/2.4/3.7 |
Game line |
9/2.1/2.3 |
|
38.4/28.2/80 |
Shooting line |
45.9/45.8/87.5 |
|
|
Blocker is a former top-50 recruit who has but to set up himself as an environment friendly scorer at the school stage, however is a fairly good level guard nonetheless. His defensive worth is highlighted by his 3.9% steal price, which is simply outdoors the prime 100 in the nation, and his A:TO sits only a shade underneath 2 to 1 on the season. |
|
|
RJ Smith |
Shooting Guard |
Malik Messina-Moore |
|
Junior |
Class |
Senior |
|
6’3″, 195 |
Measurements |
6’5″, 200 |
|
8/2.6/2.1 |
Game line |
8.5/2.8/3.9 |
|
39.1/35.7/83.3 |
Shooting line |
34.9/27.8/76.9 |
|
|
Smith spent two years a Colorado earlier than transferring and has principally discovered use in his profession as an efficient catch and shoot man. He is a menace from three at 38% for his profession and is taking pictures 60% on jumpers from inside the arc. His total FG numbers are drug down by a fairly putrid 7-21 mark at the rim, however when he’s in a position to chorus from the lane he’s an efficient weapon on offense. |
|
|
CJ Gunn |
Small Forward |
Tre Carroll |
|
Senior |
Class |
Senior |
|
6’7″, 200 |
Measurements |
6’8″, 235 |
|
13.9/3.5/1.8 |
Game line |
16/5.5/2.9 |
|
45.5/34.5/76.2 |
Shooting line |
47.3/37.3/58.8 |
|
|
Gunn does somewhat little bit of the whole lot for DePaul, however there isn’t actually one single quantity that can leap off the web page at you. He leads the crew in scoring and has respectable taking pictures splits contemplating his quantity, does his justifiable share of rebounding and shot blocking, and will get nearly 2 assists per game. His two most important weaknesses are his propensity for turning the ball over, which he does at a 1 to 1 ratio along with his assists, and foul bother, which he finds himself in additional incessantly than one would really like for a crew’s main scorer and has led to him foulding out of DePaul’s final two video games. |
|
|
Kaleb Banks |
Power Forward |
Filip Borovicanin |
|
Senior |
Class |
Senior |
|
6’8″, 215 |
Measurements |
6’9″, 227 |
|
7.6/3.3/0.7 |
Game line |
9.1/7.8/4.3 |
|
44.3/39.5/67.7 |
Shooting line |
47.7/28.6/90.9 |
|
|
Banks operates as a stretch 4, chucking up almost half his pictures from deep, however cedes a few of the rebounding that one may count on from a extra conventional massive. When he will get sizzling, he can carry the offense as evidenced by his 19 and 10 on 8-16 from the ground in opposition to St. John’s, however he’s additionally able to disappearing as proof by his 2 and 6 on 1-9 taking pictures in the two video games since. |
|
|
NJ Benson |
Center |
Jovan Milicevic |
|
Senior |
Class |
Sophomore |
|
6’8″, 235 |
Measurements |
6’10”, 241 |
|
10.9/6.4/1.1 |
Game line |
10.9/4.2/1.3 |
|
65.7/0/47.8 |
Shooting line |
39.5/41.4/62.9 |
|
|
Benson does all the soiled work in the paint for DePaul and he does it fairly effectively. He is 36-36 on dunks this season, which is significant compared to Xavier’s complete roster which is 23-31. Yes, this man has made extra dunks than Xavier has tried. He additionally rebounds effectively at each ends, having 6 video games this season with 3 or extra offensive rebounds. His effectiveness is proscribed when he will get away from the rim, however he’s certain to be a check for whoever Xavier places on him in the put up. |
|
Three Questions
– What is Xavier? Is Xavier a freewheeling three level taking pictures crew? If so, they want to make extra threes. Are they a crew that thrives on pace and stress? If so, being 146th in the nation in forcing turnovers is probably going not serving to. Are they a crew that will get the ball in the paint and does harm at the line? Just no. It’s onerous to inform proper now precisely what Xavier is meant to be. Figuring that out would assist them going ahead.
– Is Malik Messina-Moore again? Triple M has been in double figures every of the final three video games and is taking pictures 6-17 past the arc in that stretch. Maybe extra importantly, he’s truly taking pictures. Right now nobody in the Big East performs a better share of their crew’s minutes than Malik. Xavier has to have him as a weapon on the market.
Advertisement
– Can Xavier get well once more? The final time they bought obliterated they bounced again higher than an Ed Cooley water bottle off a toddler’s chest. They as soon as once more bought slapped down of their final game and as soon as once more discover themselves on the highway needing to right issues. This is the time for slide arrest.
Three keys
-Keep touring effectively. There’s one thing to be stated for sleeping in your personal mattress, however Xavier has been higher on the highway than at residence this 12 months. Their three worst losses – Santa Clara, Creighton, and UConn – all got here at Cintas, and their two Q2 wins had been impartial in opposition to West Virginia and at Georgetown. I’ll be surprised if we’re speaking about quads in any significant capability with this crew in March, however that is one other likelihood to choose up a convention highway kill and so they’d do effectively to benefit from it.
-Keep the tempo excessive. DePaul’s 4 quickest video games this 12 months are all wins, however they had been in opposition to groups ranked 345th or worse in the KenPom. Against strong opposition, the Blue Demons strive to drag the game into the mud and win slowly. Xavier performs quick on offense, and if they’ll keep away from having to strive to rating in opposition to a set protection, a lot the higher.
Advertisement
-Continue to set up an identification. The Xavier groups of my childhood punched above their weight and had been an entire better than the sum of their elements. The program has been trying to find that identification for the higher a part of a decade, arguably since Chris Mack left. Richard Pitino’s first iteration of Musketeers bought clobbered by Santa Clara, then bounced again effectively in Charleston. They bought embarrassed in opposition to Creighton, then recovered properly for a gritty win at Georgetown. Now their on the mat for a 3rd time, having been lifeless and buried two media timeouts in in opposition to UConn. This just isn’t a crew that I’m snug prognosticating any form of match for, but when th