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Xavier cruises to 99-68 win over Flamengo

Xavier wins the first game on the nine day Brazilian road trip.

By Brad D
This picture has nothing to do with basketball, but was taken in Brazil.
This picture has nothing to do with basketball, but was taken in Brazil.
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Xavier opened the competitive portion of their Brazilian trip in a positive way, snatching a 99-68 win over Flamengo. There's not a lot that can be gleaned from box scores and highlights of a game played in what appeared to be a high school gym, but that doesn't mean we won't try.

- Staying healthy was one of the main points of emphasis this trip. To that end, Matt Stainbrook sat this game out with a slightly tweaked ankle. His brother Tim filled in for two minutes and went 0-1 from the floor.

- Worryingly, Xavier allowed 20 three point attempts. Teams absolutely killed Xavier from behind the arc last year, and allowing 20 attempts to a U22 club team is probably not a great sign. If the Musketeers don't fix the perimeter defense they will be once again struggling to outscore teams in shootouts.

- Xavier looks very, very fast offensively. This is a team filled with guards that can slash and a handful of guys that can shoot. It's been one minute long highlight clip so far, but I'm already excited.

- To that end, teams that like to run have to clean rebounds efficiently. Xavier won the battle on the boards 60 to 24. Actually, that's not a battle on the boards. Expecting that kind of margin in conference play is crazy, but domination is never a negative indicator.

- JP Macura has a beautiful stroke. Where Brad Redford's was technically perfect and precise, Macura is more classically flowing. I don't know if he is quick enough to log significant time, but that shot plays.

- James Farr went for 12/14/3. Whether that means he is ready to turn in a full year in line with the half season he played last year or not I don't know. Farr absolutely has to be consistent, or he will get buried under the new talent. He has the skill to impact games, but he has to stay plugged in mentally.

- Farr, Myles Davis, and Edmond Sumner all logged over 20 minutes. The rest of the team, other than Tim Stainbrook and Kevin Coker, played between 12 and 17 minutes. That gives some idea of how deep the squad could possibly be.