Xavier may not be very good (Hot Take Alert)

If you are a Xavier fan right now, what are you hanging your hat on? The Musketeers were 15-1 at one point and looking pretty good. Since then, they’ve been beaten pretty comprehensively at Providence and absolutely crushed by Villanova. Just flat stomped by Villanova. Humiliated. Destroyed. Whatever you want to call it.

Xavier has sneakily not been very good for quite some time. The Baylor win looks less impressive now than it did at the time as the Bears have faded to 35th. The Shootout still is a decent win, but that happened the second of December. Since then, Xavier’s best win is over a frankly mediocre Marquette or 39th ranked Butler. Other wins include Kent St. (234), Colorado (113), Marshall (162), and Northern Iowa (139th). Even wins have come by less than impressive margins such as the seven over DePaul or the furious comeback required Southern Conference power ETSU.

So, what is leaving you feeling positive after a 89-65 loss to Villanova that was as easy to see coming as it was complete? Right now Xavier isn’t a very good basketball team, and the signs aren’t there for a sudden rebirth. For now, 2018 is off to a disastrous start.