Pretty much the same strategy as in Providence game. Turn them over (both Marshall & Scruggs are turnover prone) and don't let them dominate us on the boards. They are tied with us as worst BE 3 point shooters and like Providence they don't shoot free throws well.
(PRE-GAME) Xavier (MSG), Mon. Feb. 17, 6:30pm, FS-1 / 970AM
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Mullins Revenge
Well-known member
New found sniper Marcellus Earlington is going to have to light it up again from behind the arc.
The Duke is 5-7 from deep the last 2 games. Coach mike needs to give him the green light for tonight.
The Duke is 5-7 from deep the last 2 games. Coach mike needs to give him the green light for tonight.
[quote="Duke of Earlington" post=377371]New found sniper Marcellus Earlington is going to have to light it up again from behind the arc.
The Duke is 5-7 from deep the last 2 games. Coach mike needs to give him the green light for tonight.[/quote]
I don’t think ME has yet to have even seen a yellow light.
The Duke is 5-7 from deep the last 2 games. Coach mike needs to give him the green light for tonight.[/quote]
I don’t think ME has yet to have even seen a yellow light.
Bound for New York:
Xavier basketball heads to Madison Square Garden to meet St. John's
Adam Baum, Cincinnati Enquirer
Published 11:16 a.m. ET Feb. 16, 2020
NEW YORK – Just less than a month before Madison Square Garden opens its doors for the Big East Conference Tournament, Xavier will get a chance at an important dress rehearsal Monday night in the world's most famous arena when the Musketeers face St. John's (6:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1).
Xavier's won three of its last four games and took the first meeting with the Red Stormat Cintas Center on Jan. 5. St. John's has lost three of its last four, but the Red Storm (14-11, 3-9 Big East) is coming off a win over Providence and the Musketeers are coming off a road loss at Butler.
The win over Providence was even more impressive considering St. John's senior Mustapha Heron, who led the team in scoring earlier this season, didn't play and is likely done for the season, according to the New York Post.
"They don't look a lot different (without Heron)," said Xavier head coach Travis Steele. "They just kind of throw another guy in and do their deal. They just beat Providence without him. I don't think it really changes them a whole lot."
In the win over St. John's earlier this season, the Musketeers survived 19 turnovers – thanks, in large part, to their defense, which held the Red Storm to 1 of 16 from 3-point range.
St. John's will bring full-court pressure from the opening tip to the final buzzer. The Red Storm is completely reliant on turning teams over.
The Musketeers (16-9, 5-7) are the better team, but that won't be the case Monday if Xavier is careless with the ball.
"They do it to everybody," Steele said Friday when asked about the turnover prowess of St. John's. "We can't let one turnover lead to two or three. Every time you get trapped you gotta have three options and then we gotta look forward too, not just look back because I think that's what they want you to do so they can get a free press. We gotta make them pay for pressing. We gotta be aggressive and when we got numbers we gotta push it and when we don't we gotta be able to flow and space them out."
The first meeting was before Steele replaced senior Quentin Goodin in the starting lineup with freshman Zach Freemantle, opting for a bigger look with three big men and two guards.
Steele was asked how the bigger lineup matches up with St. John's and he said there are two ways to look at it. First, Xavier really only stays in the current starting lineup for a few minutes each game, and then again to start the second half.
Using three big men to consistently break the Red Storm press probably isn't a great plan for 40 minutes, but St. John's is likely more vulnerable against Xavier's size than Xavier is against the press.
"They're 300th in the country on the defensive glass," said Steele, whose team has recently regained its rebounding edge.
Xavier has a major advantage around the basket in this game and the Musketeers would be wise to exploit .
St. John's should also see a tighter defense from Xavier this time around.
When asked if he learned anything from the first meeting that might help on Monday, Steele said, Their offense, as fast as they play on defense and as fast as they play ... in transition – they play very kind of methodical and almost lull you to sleep in the half-court on the offensive end.
"It's very odd. I feel like we had way too many lapses off the ball where we allowed either a face cut or we allowed too much one-on-one basketball. We weren't tight enough. Our defense has gotten a lot tighter in the last probably five games off the ball. I think it's really helped us and we have to see that on Monday night. It can't be one-on-one battles. It has to be one-on-three. They should see two guys in our gaps and then the guy on the ball."
The NCAA Tournament bubble can be a pressure-packed place for a team to find itself.
Xavier's sitting squarely on the bubble right now, according to a number of postseason projections. How the Musketeers handle that pressure will likely determine whether that bubble bursts or carries them where they want to go.
What's the best way for Xavier to handle the bubble pressure? For all the formulas and algorithms, it's really quite simple: just win.
Wins will cast aside all doubt and speculation, and teams that need to win should be dangerous and frightening matchups for whoever takes the floor with them.
The Game
Tipoff: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17 | Madison Square Garden
TV/Radio: Fox Sports 1 with play-by-play from Brian Custer and analysis from Jim Spanarkel. | Xavier Hall of Famers and former players Joe Sunderman ('79) and Byron Larkin ('88) will have the radio call on 700WLW-AM.
Series info: Xavier leads the series 12-3.
Scouting report
Projected lineups
Xavier Musketeers (16-9, 5-7 Big East)
The Coach: Travis Steele, second season | 35-25 overall
Offense: 70.9 ppg
Defense: 66.8 ppg
Player (Position, Height, Key Stat)
Paul Scruggs (G, 6-4, 12.9 ppg)
Zach Freemantle (F, 6-9, 7.0 ppg)
Naji Marshall (F, 6-7, 16.2 ppg)
Jason Carter (F, 6-8, 5.2 rpg)
Tyrique Jones (F, 6-9, 13.7 ppg)
St. John's Red Storm (14-11, 3-9 Big East)
The Coach: Mike Anderson, first season (18th overall) | 383-211 overall
Offense: 75.2 ppg
Defense: 70.6 ppg
Player (Position, Height, Key Stat)
LJ Figueroa (G/F, 6-6, 14.9 ppg)
Julian Champagnie (G/F, 6-8, 8.8 ppg)
Josh Roberts (F, 6-9, 5.9 rpg)
Nick Rutherford (G, 6-3, 4.7 ppg)
Rasheem Dunn (G, 6-2, 12.5 ppg)
Players to watch
LJ Figueroa
Without Heron in the lineup, the best player on the floor for St. John's will be Figueroa. He'll likely be matched up with Naji Marshall at both ends of the floor so that will be a crucial matchup and could decide which team comes away with the win.
Tyrique Jones
Xavier has to take care of the ball. That's first and foremost. Turnovers will make this a harder game to win.
But if Jones controls the paint and his teammates follow his lead, then this should be a very winnable game for Xavier. St. John's will likely have to double Jones when he touches it in the post because the Red Storm don't match up well with Jones' size and physicality, so Jones needs to make the right play when he gets doubled and his teammates need to knock down some shots around him to help soften the St. John's defense.
Key to the game
Turnovers
St. John's will bring full-court pressure the entire game, and that pressure is heightened on the road as well as by the magnitude of this game for the Musketeers. Xavier needs to play smart and confidence will follow.
Rankings
KenPom: Xavier (45); St. John's (77)
NET: Xavier (41); St. John's (67)
[URL]https://www.cincinnati.com/sto...meet-monday-madison-square-garden/4770546002/[/URL]
Xavier basketball heads to Madison Square Garden to meet St. John's
Adam Baum, Cincinnati Enquirer
Published 11:16 a.m. ET Feb. 16, 2020
NEW YORK – Just less than a month before Madison Square Garden opens its doors for the Big East Conference Tournament, Xavier will get a chance at an important dress rehearsal Monday night in the world's most famous arena when the Musketeers face St. John's (6:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1).
Xavier's won three of its last four games and took the first meeting with the Red Stormat Cintas Center on Jan. 5. St. John's has lost three of its last four, but the Red Storm (14-11, 3-9 Big East) is coming off a win over Providence and the Musketeers are coming off a road loss at Butler.
The win over Providence was even more impressive considering St. John's senior Mustapha Heron, who led the team in scoring earlier this season, didn't play and is likely done for the season, according to the New York Post.
"They don't look a lot different (without Heron)," said Xavier head coach Travis Steele. "They just kind of throw another guy in and do their deal. They just beat Providence without him. I don't think it really changes them a whole lot."
In the win over St. John's earlier this season, the Musketeers survived 19 turnovers – thanks, in large part, to their defense, which held the Red Storm to 1 of 16 from 3-point range.
St. John's will bring full-court pressure from the opening tip to the final buzzer. The Red Storm is completely reliant on turning teams over.
The Musketeers (16-9, 5-7) are the better team, but that won't be the case Monday if Xavier is careless with the ball.
"They do it to everybody," Steele said Friday when asked about the turnover prowess of St. John's. "We can't let one turnover lead to two or three. Every time you get trapped you gotta have three options and then we gotta look forward too, not just look back because I think that's what they want you to do so they can get a free press. We gotta make them pay for pressing. We gotta be aggressive and when we got numbers we gotta push it and when we don't we gotta be able to flow and space them out."
The first meeting was before Steele replaced senior Quentin Goodin in the starting lineup with freshman Zach Freemantle, opting for a bigger look with three big men and two guards.
Steele was asked how the bigger lineup matches up with St. John's and he said there are two ways to look at it. First, Xavier really only stays in the current starting lineup for a few minutes each game, and then again to start the second half.
Using three big men to consistently break the Red Storm press probably isn't a great plan for 40 minutes, but St. John's is likely more vulnerable against Xavier's size than Xavier is against the press.
"They're 300th in the country on the defensive glass," said Steele, whose team has recently regained its rebounding edge.
Xavier has a major advantage around the basket in this game and the Musketeers would be wise to exploit .
St. John's should also see a tighter defense from Xavier this time around.
When asked if he learned anything from the first meeting that might help on Monday, Steele said, Their offense, as fast as they play on defense and as fast as they play ... in transition – they play very kind of methodical and almost lull you to sleep in the half-court on the offensive end.
"It's very odd. I feel like we had way too many lapses off the ball where we allowed either a face cut or we allowed too much one-on-one basketball. We weren't tight enough. Our defense has gotten a lot tighter in the last probably five games off the ball. I think it's really helped us and we have to see that on Monday night. It can't be one-on-one battles. It has to be one-on-three. They should see two guys in our gaps and then the guy on the ball."
The NCAA Tournament bubble can be a pressure-packed place for a team to find itself.
Xavier's sitting squarely on the bubble right now, according to a number of postseason projections. How the Musketeers handle that pressure will likely determine whether that bubble bursts or carries them where they want to go.
What's the best way for Xavier to handle the bubble pressure? For all the formulas and algorithms, it's really quite simple: just win.
Wins will cast aside all doubt and speculation, and teams that need to win should be dangerous and frightening matchups for whoever takes the floor with them.
The Game
Tipoff: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17 | Madison Square Garden
TV/Radio: Fox Sports 1 with play-by-play from Brian Custer and analysis from Jim Spanarkel. | Xavier Hall of Famers and former players Joe Sunderman ('79) and Byron Larkin ('88) will have the radio call on 700WLW-AM.
Series info: Xavier leads the series 12-3.
Scouting report
Projected lineups
Xavier Musketeers (16-9, 5-7 Big East)
The Coach: Travis Steele, second season | 35-25 overall
Offense: 70.9 ppg
Defense: 66.8 ppg
Player (Position, Height, Key Stat)
Paul Scruggs (G, 6-4, 12.9 ppg)
Zach Freemantle (F, 6-9, 7.0 ppg)
Naji Marshall (F, 6-7, 16.2 ppg)
Jason Carter (F, 6-8, 5.2 rpg)
Tyrique Jones (F, 6-9, 13.7 ppg)
St. John's Red Storm (14-11, 3-9 Big East)
The Coach: Mike Anderson, first season (18th overall) | 383-211 overall
Offense: 75.2 ppg
Defense: 70.6 ppg
Player (Position, Height, Key Stat)
LJ Figueroa (G/F, 6-6, 14.9 ppg)
Julian Champagnie (G/F, 6-8, 8.8 ppg)
Josh Roberts (F, 6-9, 5.9 rpg)
Nick Rutherford (G, 6-3, 4.7 ppg)
Rasheem Dunn (G, 6-2, 12.5 ppg)
Players to watch
LJ Figueroa
Without Heron in the lineup, the best player on the floor for St. John's will be Figueroa. He'll likely be matched up with Naji Marshall at both ends of the floor so that will be a crucial matchup and could decide which team comes away with the win.
Tyrique Jones
Xavier has to take care of the ball. That's first and foremost. Turnovers will make this a harder game to win.
But if Jones controls the paint and his teammates follow his lead, then this should be a very winnable game for Xavier. St. John's will likely have to double Jones when he touches it in the post because the Red Storm don't match up well with Jones' size and physicality, so Jones needs to make the right play when he gets doubled and his teammates need to knock down some shots around him to help soften the St. John's defense.
Key to the game
Turnovers
St. John's will bring full-court pressure the entire game, and that pressure is heightened on the road as well as by the magnitude of this game for the Musketeers. Xavier needs to play smart and confidence will follow.
Rankings
KenPom: Xavier (45); St. John's (77)
NET: Xavier (41); St. John's (67)
[URL]https://www.cincinnati.com/sto...meet-monday-madison-square-garden/4770546002/[/URL]
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