After his last Used opportunity to help improve your curriculum vitae from the NCAA tournamentXavier will stay on the road this week with a match against Providence on Wednesday in Rhode Island.
It is a quick turnaround for Xavier after falling in Villanova on Sunday of the Super Bowl. Xavier ends a sequence of seven games which includes five road affairs.
Xavier only succeeded only one victory on the road in this period (in Marquette on January 18) and is now in essential mode after failing to capitalize on an opportunity for Quadrant 1.
Several hookologists have listed Xavier on the bad side of the bubble. The musketeers did not do much to change this perspective and there are still a few chances to gain ground.
At this rate, Xavier cannot have bad losses on his request March Madness. At 1-8 in the quadrant 1 competitions, the brand 8-0 of Xavier combined in Q3 / Q4 is its best asset. Xavier can improve at 6-2 in the second second quarter with a victory over the brothers.
3 keys to the victory of an Xavier Musketeers on Providence Friars
1. The defense of Xavier must lead an effort to rebound
During a pair of victories in January on classified teams (Marquette, Uconn), Xavier was in the Top 40 of Kenpom in global efficiency. They fell to n ° 53.
During his last three games, Xavier has enabled Creighton, Georgetown and Villanova to draw a 50.8% handset on the field and 41.6% from three points. Xavier granted more than 40 points in the second half in each competition.
“Some of this is execution and detailing a number of things to improve,” said Sean Miller about the recent defensive setbacks. “Some of this is that it must come from yourself. You have to play at a very high level of intensity. There are some players who can do this more easily. There are some players who fight with it.”
Creighton and Villanova have collectively reached 23 triple to refuse Xavier a chance of victory on the road. It will be in the defense of Xavier to Correct the “leak in the roof” perimeter that tormented the team in November.
Providence obtains 39.3% of its points beyond the arc, which is the 18th highest rate in the country. The brothers connect to a clip of 36% Deep and Tentr 26.1 triples per night (fourth in the Big East).
2. Xavier can win the turnover battle?
On paper, Xavier’s offensive seemed effective in the first half of Sunday’s defeat against Villanova by firing more than 50% on the ground. However, the musketeers left many opportunities on the board by turning it over nine times in 20 minutes.
In Big East Play, Xavier is only less the turnover department, but he is less-4 in the last three games. Winning the turnover battle would contribute to a victory for Xavier in Rhode Island.
Providence is n ° 349 as a percentage of turnover and n ° 336 as a percentage of flight. Offensively, the brothers had problems with the safety of the balls, ranking n ° 266 as a percentage of turnover. Xavier must apply pressure, generate flights and use them to feed the rapid rupture against a slower Providence team.
3. What team last during the time of crisis?
Xavier has gone through an end -of -game agony this season, but Providence also underwent his share of heartbreaking defeats. On Saturday, Providence fell into Butler, 82-81. It was the eighth brothers’ defeat this season of six points or less. Providence has lost five conference games by possession.
In a tight match projected (Kenpom gives Xavier a victory of 74-73), one of these teams will make the necessary games in the last minutes to win. It must be Xavier.
Xavier Mousquetaires against Providence Brothers
Advice: Wednesday, 8 p.m., Amica Mutual Pavilion (14,000)
TV / Radio: Peacock / 700 WLW
Notes: Xavier is n ° 54 in Kenpom and Providence is n ° 83. Xavier is n ° 55 in the NCAA Net classification And Providence is n ° 86.
History: Xavier leads the series of all time, 14-12.
Providence brothers screening report
Save: 11-13 (5-8 Big East)
Head coach: Kim English (32-27 in Providence, second season)
Offense: 71.9 ppg
Defense: 70.2 ppg
Preview: After the return of Bryce Hopkins only lasted three games, Providence is now without its three best scorers from last season, including a pair of All-Big East selections (Devin Carter, Josh Oduro).
It made life difficult during the second year of the English era of Kim after having barely missed the NCAA tournament last season. Providence has only broken one team (Georgetown) with a victories record since its release Byu on December 3.
Xavier (Lassina Traore) and Providence (Hopkins) suffered end -of -season injuries in the front area. These are two of the smallest alignments of the Big East with Xavier classified n ° 183 in average height and providence classified n ° 171.
Planned starting line
(Pos., Height, statistics)
Jayden Pierre (G, 6’2 “, 12.8 ppg)
Bensley Joseph (G, 6’2 “, 12.3 ppg)
Corey Floyd Jr. (G, 6’4 “, 9.4 ppg)
Rich Barron (F, 6’5 “, 5.1 ppg)
Oswin Erhunmwunse (F, 6’10 “, 5.7 ppg)
Xavier musketeer screening report
Save: 14-10 (6-7 Big East)
Head coach: Sean Miller (177-85 in Xavier, eighth season)
Offense: 76.5 ppg
Defense: 70.5 ppg
Projected entries
(Pos., Height, statistics)
Dayvion McKnight (G, 6’0 “, 9.9 ppg)
Ryan Conwell (G, 6’4 “, 15.5 ppg)
Marcus Foster (G, 6’5 “, 8.4 ppg)
Dailyn Swain (G / F, 6’8 “, 10 ppg)
Zach Freemantle (F, 6’9 “, 16.6 ppg)
Players to watch
Junior Guard of Providence Jayden Pierre is now the top scorer at 12.8 points per game. It was a complementary song last season which did a lot for the brothers but did not assume an offensive role. He had 17 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 interceptions in a victory at the Cintas Center last season.
Can Dante Maddox Do it consistently? The transfer of Toledo was the best player in Xavier (24 points on the shooting of 7 out of 10) against Villanova. Maddox now has an average of 12.2 points in the last four games.
Xavier will seek to obtain health Dailyn Swain A regular workload against Providence. The second student in the second year, who had scored two figures in nine of the last 11 games, only played 15 minutes against Villanova due to a cold head. He finished with 4 points and 5 rebounds.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Big East Basketball: Xavier faced with an essential match against Providence
(Tagstotranslate) Xavier Mousquetaires
