Xavier opens up a can on Kent State: three takeaways

How much can you really learn from a game like this? Xavier took on a team they should have crushed, and they crushed them. If you could figure out a lot from stomping cupcakes, scheduling a bunch of them to start your season would be a wise and viable strategy.

Xavier opened the game on a 7-0 run and was up 21-13 after 15 possessions. It wasn’t quite the wire-to-wire blowout that X had last Saturday, but they were comfortably in control except for a let down in the middle of the first half that saw Kent State draw to within 5. X finished the first half on an 18-7 run and walked away from there, cruising to a comfortable 96-70 win.

Everyone looks healthy

Trevon’s back must not be bothering him, or I hope it hurts exactly like that the rest of the year. He went for 26/2/2 on 8-14/4-9/6-6 shooting. JP had 4/4/5 and only shot three times. Tyrique was hampered only by foul trouble on his way to 13 and 2 on 6-6/0-0/1-1 shooting. Everyone please don’t get hurt for the Big East season.

Q is the point guard

Quentin Goodin dropped 5/3/6 with 0 turnovers on 2-5/1-2/0-0 shooting. I’m sorry if you want your point guards to score like Tu Holloway or shoot like Brad Redford; all Q does is take his shots, punch the occasional incredible dunk, and set up his teammates. On a team with so many weapons, you want a point guard who is willing to give the ball up every time down the floor. Q is your huckleberry.

Xavier is a great free throw shooting squad

Nothing sucks like watching your team doo doo a game away from the line. Xavier was shooting 77.7% from the line coming into the game and posted a cool 24-25 (96%) tonight. Not only does this keep Xavier from giving away games on free points, but it saves my phone battery because my dad’s not constantly blowing me up with text saying “They’re called free throws! THEY’RE FREE!”