XAVIER MUSKETEERS
Coach: Sean Miller | Record: 21-10
Overview:
A seven-game winning streak was capped by a win
over rival Cincinnati, but that was followed by a
six-week struggle. Xavier didn’t have better then a
two-game winning streak the rest of the way and has
stretches losing 4-of-5 and 3-of-4 to close the
regular season. They played good, but not great in
winning the A-10 tournament.
Potential Difference Maker: Stanley Burrell
has proven he can put up some nice offensive
numbers, scoring 20 or more on seven occasions.
Xavier’s slow down style isn’t conducive to big
point outbursts but Burrell can get it going from
beyond the arc.
On Offense: They have had to change a little
after losing their best low post presence. They will
run a lot of set motion plays that will have a lot
of screen the screener actions. They do a very good
job of getting people open on the block. They are
more of a perimeter oriented team and will try to
get spread teams out and get their shooters open.
On Defense: A very aggressive defensive team
that will attack and pressure the ball and passing
lanes. Justin Cage is a very versatile defender who
can guard inside and outside players.
Strengths: They are a hot team after winning
4 in a row in the conference tournament to get in
the dance. All five starters can shoot the three,
which makes them tough to defend. Burrell is a
budding star.
Weakness: They do not have a true point guard
with Burrell playing the point guard position, and
they lack an inside scoring presence.
Keys to Success: Burrell will have to be able
to initiate the offense while still scoring. Burrell
and Doellman will have to shoot well to give them a
chance, and they must continue to defend and rebound
well as a team.
How to Beat Them: You can pressure them out
of their offense and get them unorganized. You must
also handle their pressure defense and aggressively
attack them inside.
