Banners On The Parkway - Xavier Center Matt Stainbrook InjuredYour only remaining free source for Xavier Musketeers newshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47177/banners-fave.png2014-03-06T11:20:09-05:00http://www.bannersontheparkway.com/rss/stream/52358592014-03-06T11:20:09-05:002014-03-06T11:20:09-05:00Bowtie Watch: 3/6
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<figcaption>Steve Bardens</figcaption>
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<p>With an MCL strain preventing his participation in tonight's Villanova game, what can we expect from Matt Stainbrook? Spoiler alert: a bowtie.</p> <p>I won't insult your intelligence by rehashing all of the many similarities that have been noted between Xavier center Matt Stainbrook and three-time Male Model of the Year Derek Zoolander. Both have come from humble surroundings to cement themselves as stars (although a coal mine may be preferable to the MAC), both are noted for their curious habit of predominantly only turning one way, and finally, both have used their considerable pull with their fanbases to make themselves fashion icons. As the Musketeers take on Villanova tonight, Xavier fans will no doubt bee keeping in eye out for Stainbrook, who has quickly established himself as a fan favorite and key part of Xavier's attack in his first season since transferring from Western Michigan. With the occasion calling for him to be out of uniform, Stainbrook has taken to twitter to promise fans a "special bowtie" that he describes as his "best one yet." "But this is a website for tactics and stats" you say "what does this have to do with the game?" Well just because Stainbrook is not playing tonight doesn't mean he won't be affecting the outcome. Here are some ways Matt (and his bowtie) can play their part for the Muskies tonight:</p>
<p><b>1)</b> It is a clown bowtie that will spin every time the Muskies score. Obviously the visceral pull of watching such hilariously out of the ordinary behavior by clothing will inspire Matt's teammates to unleash a barrage, winning the game and sending everyone home with a night of fulfilling, zany entertainment.</p>
<p><b>2) </b>It is one of those bowties that squirts water. Obviously people need hydration when playing a sport, and Xavier's players are no different. But what if, rather than from boring old water bottles, that hydration came from the tie of their injured comrade? Once again hilarity would ensue as the Muskies were inspired by, not only the training staff's hydration offerings, but also the means of delivery and run riot on the court. Could happen.</p>
<p><b>3)</b> It is comically over/under sized. Honestly, both these things are a combination of hilarious and confusing. Who knows, maybe Jay Wright will spend all the time in huddles quizzing his players on if Stainbrook notices how huge/tiny that tie is on him and Nova will lose focus on the game. It also opens up the possibility of wearing a tiny jacket and going full Tommy Boy if the game is going poorly (NOTE: not calling Matt fat. I would never do that to someone who could so easily beat me up).</p>
<p><b>4) </b>One word: sequins. Just imagine, the bright lights of the Cintas Center beating down on you, 10,000+ screaming X fans, and the game on the line as you step up for a free throw. You look over to the opposing bench and BOOM! there goes your eyesight because you just got blinded by the Stain Train's dope bedazzled bowtie. Farfetched scenario, but stranger things have happened in the world of College Basketball.</p>
<p>So there are just four of the possibilities for tonight. Will we witness history? Will tonight go down as "The Night a Bowtie Won a Basketball Game?" Probably not, but you can still tune in to check out Stainbrook's tie and support his teammates. And, as always, don't forget stop by Banners for live chat about the goings on.</p>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2014/3/6/5477758/bowtie-watch-3-6Bryan D2014-03-04T21:02:29-05:002014-03-04T21:02:29-05:00How does Stainbrook's MCL strain affect Xavier?
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<img alt="This kind of effort face is not easily replaced." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/68D-9DpQrgwDPXkEpeQogCvaoW0=/0x0:3999x2666/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/29516233/20140203_hcs_sy4_004.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>This kind of effort face is not easily replaced. | Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Matt Stainbrook is Xavier's second best player, and replacing his minutes will not be an easy task. Coach Mack and the Musketeers have their work cut out.</p> <p>Matt Stainbrook is down for at least the Villanova game with what is being described as a "strain" of the medial collateral ligament. The MCL runs from the femur to the tibia on the inside of the knee is primarily used to stabilize the tibia. Generally, it is a blow to the outside of the knee that injures the MCL. Assuming there is no or only minimal tearing, Xavier's center may only be out one to two weeks. Any more significant tearing could keep Matt out for a month or more, which would obviously end his season.</p>
<p>If Stainbrook had to suffer an injury, there were worse times he could have had it. The Villanova game was, in all reality, unlikely to be a win either way. The layoff between that game and the start of the Big East Tournament a week later (hopefully) gives Stainbrook and the Xavier medical staff 10 full days between the time of the injury and the next game Matt would be likely to play to assess, triage, and rehab his knee in an attempt to get it ready. While it's not likely the Stain Train will regain full speed this season, there is at least a chance he gets back on the floor.</p>
<p>Offensively, there's no doubt that Matt was a big part of Xavier's offense this year, leading all qualifiers with an 111 ORtg on a 23.9% usage rate. He also boasts a 54.6% EFG% and was in the top 120 in the nation in OReb% (12.1%). Essentially, he's Xavier's most efficient offensive player and uses the ball more than anyone other than Semaj. His assist rate of 19.5% is third on the team and 450th in the nation, an area occupied almost solely by guards and the odd point forward.</p>
<p>More than just what the numbers show Stainbrook brings on the offensive end is the impact he has on creating shots for his teammates. Semaj is going to get his whenever he feels so led, but it was extremely evident without the big man in the post against Seton Hall that the rest of the team needs some help. When Matt is on the floor, defenses cannot double driving players or even rotate aggressively, because he'll pop free on the weakside for layup after layup. Teams also must double Matt in the post, because it is the rare big man who can handle him alone. That, obviously, creates space and opportunities for spot up shooters or open runs to the rim. With <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2014/3/4/5471040/a-look-at-xaviers-three-point-offense-justin-martin-dee-davis-myles-james-farr">Xavier struggling from deep already</a>, that spacing loss is a major issue.</p>
<p>Defensively, Xavier relies on Stainbrook to protect the middle of the packline defense. The fact that Xavier keeps getting torched from outside but holds opponents to the second lowest two point field goal percentage in the Big East is testament to Matt and his positioning and his best on the team 4.7% block rate. While Matt is called for his fair share of fouls, he has only fouled out of two of Xavier's 28 games that have not gone to overtime. On the defensive end, his 25 minutes per game are going to very difficult to replace.</p>
<p>It remains to be seen, but Xavier may have dodged a bullet here. Stainbrook's injury may be the death knell of any hopes against Nova, but if the irreplaceable big man can be back for the Big East and NCAA tournaments, the Musketeers may yet make some noise.</p>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2014/3/4/5471840/how-does-stainbrooks-mcl-strain-effect-xavier-Big-East-bubble-injuryBrad D2014-03-04T19:46:43-05:002014-03-04T19:46:43-05:00Matt Stainbrook Out for Villanova
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<figcaption>Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Coach Mack confirmed this evening that the injury Xavier Center Matt Stainbrook sustained against Seton Hall was an MCL strain to his left knee. Stainbrook went down after his knee buckled sideways, and Mack's speculation regarding the injury at the time proved correct.</p>
<p>Stainbrook is out for Thursday's season finale against Villanova, who beat Xavier 81-58 at their place back on February 3rd. Freshman F/C <span>Jalen Reynolds</span> will start in Stainbrook's place on Thursday. It will be the first start of Reynolds's college career.</p>
<p>This is obviously not good news for Xavier, but at least now we know what it is. When a player's knee buckles like Stainbrook's did, the worst case scenario is a lot uglier than this. After the Villanova game, Stainbrook will have a week to rest before the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/big-east-basketball-tournament">Big East Tournament</a> begins</p>
<p>We will be back with more analysis of how this will affect Xavier's strategy against Nova. It should be noted that the Wildcats' unselfishness on offense is more of a factor than any one particular matchup, so Reynolds will be called upon to be active and aware on the back line.</p>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2014/3/4/5471656/matt-stainbrook-out-for-villanovaJoel D2014-03-04T18:06:33-05:002014-03-04T18:06:33-05:00Matt Stainbrook injury watch
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<figcaption>Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The longer the wait goes on, the more Xavier fans brace themselves for the worst.</p> <p>All day Xavier Nation has obsessively checked Twitter, message boards, email, texts, and anything else that they think may contain a Matt Stainbrook injury update. All day long, every possible source of information has come up empty. Our sources inside the program have simply said that there is nothing to pass along right now. So, with Xavier having rebounded nicely from the disaster that was last season, this one now hangs in the balance and word on the man that makes it all tick is exceedingly hard to come by.</p>
<p>Back before the siren song of making millions to cover Xavier for SBN came calling, I coached and played a little bit of college ball. Injury management was a large part of the game and from that experience it seems possible to speculate a little bit on why we haven't heard anything:</p>
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<li><span>Matt's knee is still too inflamed to get a good image- This is obviously not a good thing. Frequently, when traumatic injury occurs, the soft tissue in the area of the injury becomes so damaged that the swelling and inflammation can prevent an accurate diagnosis. In the case of an unhappy triad injury, especially to someone of Matt's size, that kind of inflammation wouldn't be totally unexpected.</span></li>
<li><span>There is a drastic injury, but the exact scope isn't known- It's also possible that all immediate signs point to a tear of something, but Xavier's medical staff isn't completely sure how drastic it s yet. In that case there would be no point in putting out a statement that would have to corrected within the next few days. There's just not a good reason to say anything until something solid is known.</span></li>
<li><span>There is some chance Matt can play on Thursday- If Matt thinks he can go on Thursday, and there isn't reason to believe that his knee is dramatically injured, Xavier would wait and see how things develop before releasing a statement. This would have the added benefit of keeping Nova from preparing as well, but that seems like a minimal concern. Obviously, this is the best case scenario and, unfortunately, probably the least likely.</span></li>
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<div>I can't emphasize enough that this is all speculation. I suspect, but have no reason to believe, that #1 is the case here. Men Stainbrook's size don't generally react to injury the way he did and then play again in three days. It's not impossible that Xavier's big man could return, but the longer the wait, the more the trepidation grows.</div>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2014/3/4/5471336/matt-stainbrook-injury-watch-Xavier-Big-EastBrad D2014-03-03T22:07:00-05:002014-03-03T22:07:00-05:00Xavier Center Matt Stainbrook Injured
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<img alt="Basketball fans were robbed of the aesthetic joy of this ballet when Stainbrook was injured." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QrMzUR8WNr6e2Fh8n29LuruXCL8=/0x224:3016x2235/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/29465429/20140303_sng_sn3_005.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Basketball fans were robbed of the aesthetic joy of this ballet when Stainbrook was injured. | Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Muskies' big man hit the floor early against Seton Hall and did not return.</p> <p>As if losing the game wasn't bad enough, Xavier also has to face an uncertain future regarding the availability of center Matt Stainbrook. Stainbrook had his left knee buckle early in the first half; it was unclear how much contact there was on the play, though Seton Hall's Fuquan Edwin did collect a foul. Stainbrook came back to the bench in the second half, but he was not wearing his uniform. Coach Mack said that he was not sure of the extent of the injury and that Stainbrook would undergo tests tomorrow.</p>
<p>Stainbrook was a big part of Xavier's offense this year, leading all qualifiers with an 111 ORtg on a 23.9% usage rate. He also boasts a 54.6% EFG% and was in the top 120 in the nation in OReb% (12.1%) and DReb% (23.8%). His block percentage of 4.7% also leads the team. More than that, though, his passing from the post and inspirational leadership helped keep the Xavier offense flowing. His game line of 10.9/7.9/2.3 comes on .546/.000/.724 shooting. We will keep you posted as things develop. For his part, Stainbrook seems positive:</p>
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<p>Thanks for all of the well wishes <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23XavierNation&src=hash">#XavierNation</a> I'll be all good. Need to bounce back and be ready for Thursday. No hanging heads.</p>
— Matt Stainbrook (@mstainbrook40) <a href="https://twitter.com/mstainbrook40/statuses/440680674597806080">March 4, 2014</a>
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https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2014/3/3/5468434/xavier-center-matt-stainbrook-injuredJoel D