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Interesting article today evaluating the major conferences' over and under achievers. No surprise in the American with Tulsa over and Memphis under. How about this analysis of the boys over in Norwood:

Underachieving: Xavier. The Musketeers were picked to finish third in the preseason poll. But the lack of efficiency on offense has already doomed a team that doesn't have a player (minimum 20 attempts) that has made more than 35% of his shots from beyond the arc. They've already tumbled to a 2-5 mark in the Big East. Wake Forest is the worst loss on their resume, but the Musketeers are just not competing the way many had anticipated they would prior to the start of the season. Xavier is struggling in multiple areas. The Musketeers have made less than 68% of their free throws this season. Standout Naji Marshall has committed turnovers on 22% of his possessions in league play too.

I predict the performance continues and lots of Cintas seats will be available on the cheap this year.

If X sucks, then we need to start beating those guys. I just can't get on the X bashing bandwagon while we are still losing to them.

(01-28-2020 08:59 AM)jarr Wrote:  If X sucks, then we need to start beating those guys. I just can't get on the X bashing bandwagon while we are still losing to them.

Good point. Ditto, Ohio State, a team that appears to have fallen hard and also made this list. I'm just hoping the series gets renewed with OSU and we get another shot at them in 5th/3rd.

These next two games may tell us a lot about the outcome of our Bearcats' season too.

(01-28-2020 08:59 AM)jarr Wrote:  If X sucks, then we need to start beating those guys. I just can't get on the X bashing bandwagon while we are still losing to them.

The series has been dominated by home court over the last 5 years; it's not like they're coming in and beating us in 5/3 either.

I honestly think they're much more preseason overrated than they are underachievers this year. They weren't good last year and didn't improve their roster dramatically.

(01-28-2020 09:56 AM)RealDeal Wrote:  

(01-28-2020 08:59 AM)jarr Wrote:  If X sucks, then we need to start beating those guys. I just can't get on the X bashing bandwagon while we are still losing to them.

The series has been dominated by home court over the last 5 years; it's not like they're coming in and beating us in 5/3 either.

I honestly think they're much more preseason overrated than they are underachievers this year. They weren't good last year and didn't improve their roster dramatically.

I had something similar typed up and decided against posting it. The series with X is favored by who has home court every year. It'll be extremely disappointing if we lose next year, but I never go to Cintas expecting to come out with a win.. just too rare in college basketball in general and then bring in the rival aspect.

(01-28-2020 09:56 AM)RealDeal Wrote:  

(01-28-2020 08:59 AM)jarr Wrote:  If X sucks, then we need to start beating those guys. I just can't get on the X bashing bandwagon while we are still losing to them.

The series has been dominated by home court over the last 5 years; it's not like they're coming in and beating us in 5/3 either.

I honestly think they're much more preseason overrated than they are underachievers this year. They weren't good last year and didn't improve their roster dramatically.

My feeling as well. Really wish we'd had them in January/February this year. It was an ideal year to steal one at Cintas as I think UC has a much better team right now, but Jarron wasn't Jarron yet with his injuries / adjustment to new system and UC was in such a transition situation early in the season.

(01-28-2020 09:58 AM)dubcat14 Wrote:  

(01-28-2020 09:56 AM)RealDeal Wrote:  

(01-28-2020 08:59 AM)jarr Wrote:  If X sucks, then we need to start beating those guys. I just can't get on the X bashing bandwagon while we are still losing to them.

The series has been dominated by home court over the last 5 years; it's not like they're coming in and beating us in 5/3 either.

I honestly think they're much more preseason overrated than they are underachievers this year. They weren't good last year and didn't improve their roster dramatically.

I had something similar typed up and decided against posting it. The series with X is favored by who has home court every year. It'll be extremely disappointing if we lose next year, but I never go to Cintas expecting to come out with a win.. just too rare in college basketball in general and then bring in the rival aspect.

Then that means at minimum we are equals right now. Big Brothers don't swap out between home and road wins, they dominate the series. X has had our number the past 15 years.

(01-28-2020 10:40 AM)jarr Wrote:  Then that means at minimum we are equals right now. Big Brothers don't swap out between home and road wins, they dominate the series. X has had our number the past 15 years.

Agreed that if you go back beyond recent years X has had the advantage but we've both undergone recent coaching changes after guys that have been here a long time. We really don't know what we'll be under Brannen and what X will be under Steele but I see more reasons for optimism in our 1/2 season than their 1 1/2.

(01-28-2020 10:40 AM)jarr Wrote:  

(01-28-2020 09:58 AM)dubcat14 Wrote:  

(01-28-2020 09:56 AM)RealDeal Wrote:  

(01-28-2020 08:59 AM)jarr Wrote:  If X sucks, then we need to start beating those guys. I just can't get on the X bashing bandwagon while we are still losing to them.

The series has been dominated by home court over the last 5 years; it's not like they're coming in and beating us in 5/3 either.

I honestly think they're much more preseason overrated than they are underachievers this year. They weren't good last year and didn't improve their roster dramatically.

I had something similar typed up and decided against posting it. The series with X is favored by who has home court every year. It'll be extremely disappointing if we lose next year, but I never go to Cintas expecting to come out with a win.. just too rare in college basketball in general and then bring in the rival aspect.

Then that means at minimum we are equals right now. Big Brothers don't swap out between home and road wins, they dominate the series. X has had our number the past 15 years.

Going back to the 03-04 season, the home team is 13-2 (also an even 1-1 at US Bank). I'd say that's home team dominant. We're not big brother.. at least not anymore. It's a rival - wins flip flop just like Duke/UNC.

At one time UC dominated this series. UC won 12 straight and went 22-3 in a 25 year stretch.

Here is the sobering reality - since 2000 UC is 7-13 going 0-2 in OT games, with 3 losing streaks of 2 or more. My opinion is UC needs to dominate this series. At least win the vast majority of the time. Until the coaching staff makes this a priority win, as football does with miami(oh), I do not see the trend changing.

Getting back to espn's piece - I have been saying Egg's found their Mick Cronin. Time will tell this is a blip on the radar or a long term trend. So far, seems Steele wins the ones he is supposed to win and does not far well against equal to more highly regarded teams.

(01-28-2020 01:19 PM)bearcatmill Wrote:  At one time UC dominated this series. UC won 12 straight and went 22-3 in a 25 year stretch.

Here is the sobering reality - since 2000 UC is 7-13 going 0-2 in OT games, with 3 losing streaks of 2 or more. My opinion is UC needs to dominate this series. At least win the vast majority of the time. Until the coaching staff makes this a priority win, as football does with miami(oh), I do not see the trend changing.

Getting back to espn's piece - I have been saying Egg's found their Mick Cronin. Time will tell this is a blip on the radar or a long term trend. So far, seems Steele wins the ones he is supposed to win and does not far well against equal to more highly regarded teams.

Asking for a victory this year was a tough sell-- new coach, new system, a bunch of new guys, on the road at X and to top it off Jarron was not Jarron yet. I suspect going forward we'll be more successful.

All this being said, whether we like it or not due to the Big East inclusion Xavier can recruit on a much higher level than they did in the past. Unless something changes with our conference situation I don't see us running off a 22-3 type streak in the near future. My guess is it is going to be very competitive 50/50-60/40.

(01-28-2020 01:23 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(01-28-2020 01:19 PM)bearcatmill Wrote:  At one time UC dominated this series. UC won 12 straight and went 22-3 in a 25 year stretch.

Here is the sobering reality - since 2000 UC is 7-13 going 0-2 in OT games, with 3 losing streaks of 2 or more. My opinion is UC needs to dominate this series. At least win the vast majority of the time. Until the coaching staff makes this a priority win, as football does with miami(oh), I do not see the trend changing.

Getting back to espn's piece - I have been saying Egg's found their Mick Cronin. Time will tell this is a blip on the radar or a long term trend. So far, seems Steele wins the ones he is supposed to win and does not far well against equal to more highly regarded teams.

Asking for a victory this year was a tough sell-- new coach, new system, a bunch of new guys, on the road at X and to top it off Jarron was not Jarron yet. I suspect going forward we'll be more successful.

All this being said, whether we like it or not due to the Big East inclusion Xavier can recruit on a much higher level than they did in the past. Unless something changes with our conference situation I don't see us running off a 22-3 type streak in the near future. My guess is it is going to be very competitive 50/50-60/40.

Agreed - this year was a tough ask. Too many variables against UC winning. My hope is a 60-40 situation going forward. They will win some games. I hope UC comes out on top more than not.

Steele certainly hasn't been very impressive through one and a half years. His best win OOC is probably the win over UC earlier this year. And they have a bunch of highly rated talent so it's not like he took over a bare cupboard. It looks like they may miss the tournament for the second straight year and then could lose their four best players after this year.

(01-29-2020 07:02 PM)BcatMatt13 Wrote:  Steele certainly hasn't been very impressive through one and a half years. His best win OOC is probably the win over UC earlier this year. And they have a bunch of highly rated talent so it's not like he took over a bare cupboard. It looks like they may miss the tournament for the second straight year and then could lose their four best players after this year.

Bolded, even more likely after dropping that double OT home game last night to unranked Marquette for a third loss in Cintas this year. A quick look at their discussion board this morning yields the usual post-loss angst but two years without an NCAA appearance has serious implications for fans who thought they were the next coming of Villanova and an athletic department that has all their eggs in the men's basketball program.