Banners On The Parkway - NCAA tournament first round: Xavier v. Ole MissYour only remaining free source for Xavier Musketeers newshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47177/banners-fave.png2015-03-20T12:31:39-04:00http://www.bannersontheparkway.com/rss/stream/80215302015-03-20T12:31:39-04:002015-03-20T12:31:39-04:00Xavier v. Ole Miss video highlights<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4r_BYATBCVA" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Basketball!</p></p></div>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2015/3/20/8265709/xavier-v-ole-miss-video-highlightsJoel D2015-03-19T21:00:17-04:002015-03-19T21:00:17-04:00NCAA Postgame Press Conference - Xavier Men's Basketball<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7Dk9PKGiLOo" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>You apparently can't tell anyone about it on the floor, but you can talk about winning after the game.</p></p></div>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2015/3/19/8260913/ncaa-postgame-press-conference-xavier-mens-basketballJoel D2015-03-19T19:29:06-04:002015-03-19T19:29:06-04:00Xavier 76-57 Ole Miss: NCAA First Round Recap
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<img alt="When the two stars went head to head, Stainbrook was a clear winner." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LD9YWRrR4bFvtUnOQrSidOk9fGg=/0x306:2630x2059/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45944140/usa-today-8459006.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>When the two stars went head to head, Stainbrook was a clear winner. | Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Xavier was a trendy upset pick for most of the nation, but they walked away with a dominating win over an Ole Miss team that never really came close.</p> <p>So how about that BYU upset everybody? President Obama, sir, how does that pick feel now? What about you, Doug Gottlieb? How's your bubble team look now? "I didn't even know we were allowed to move forward. Everybody in the country seemed like they had BYU to be in this game & advance." That was the quote from Coach Mack after the game, and it's fair to say that summed up the feeling of everyone in a loud and proud Xavier Nation. Everyone overlooked the Musketeers, and that didn't seem to sit well with the team.</p>
<p>After Tuesday night, it was clear that Ole Miss was going to try to run and gun and run some more. It was equally clear from the tip today that Xavier was not interested in letting that happen. Xavier players were constantly reminding each other, frequently with a downturned hand, to slow the pace and work the clock. Runouts were limited as the Musketeer players, led by a brilliant Dee Davis, slowed the game, worked patiently and squeezed the life out of a Rebels team that came in flying high after storming past BYU.</p>
<p>Xavier took the lead in this game with 36:47 minutes left and never relinquished it. That lead came through Xavier's seniors, who came to play today. Matt Stainbrook (20/9/5) was unstoppable in the post all game and converted and one. The next possession Dee Davis (17/2/3) missed a three, but the next time down Dee canned another open look and Xavier never looked back. It was Stainbrook and Remy Abell (8/1/2) scoring the next two trips down and suddenly the Musketeers led 11-3 and Andy Kennedy needed a timeout.</p>
<p>Eight points wasn't enough cushion against the team that dropped 94 on BYU Tuesday, but that team wasn't facing Xavier's defense. Ole Miss shot 32.9% from the floor today and 6-27 from deep. Stefan Moody, the talk of the nation after leading the charge over the Cougars, couldn't shake the attention of Dee Davis or the velcro adherence of Remy Abell and went 5-18 from the floor and was a total non-factor in the game. The Rebel forwards the crushed BYU inside scored a grand total of 16 in going up against a real front line.</p>
<p>Vital in the effort of that dominant front line was James Farr (6/13/1). Farr was a scorer last year, a focal point for the offense at times. This year he struggled to find his way until late in the year when he seemed determined to turn himself into a rebounder. Today, that effort showed as James grabbed everything within reach. Between he, Jalen Reynolds (6/5/2), and Matt Stainbrook, Xavier's front line very nearly equaled Mississippi in rebounds. The Rebels managed only their average in offensive rebounds and couldn't get the second chances their horrid shooting demanded.</p>
<p>At the half, Xavier led by 12. The fanbase of a team that struggled all year to put games away, that blew lead after second half lead, buckled in for another wild ride. This time, though, it never came. Mississippi never came closer than the ten they cut it to with 6:53 to play. Xavier survived a long stretch with Dee on the bench with four fouls, Jalen going 2-12, and Matt Stainbrook getting called for a ridiculous tech and never let the game get close. Coach Mack orchestrated his team perfectly and they responded in kind. Playing a slower pace, Xavier scored 1.15 points per possession and held Ole Miss to .86. The Rebels wanted to run, but the 1-3-1 and a glue like man to man zipped up a team that came in as the nation's darlings. Xavier came in a trendy pick to get upset, they left with a win in dominating style.</p>
<p><b><u>Three Answers:</u></b></p>
<p><b>- How healthy is JP Macura? </b>Healthy enough to walk onto the court ready to shoot. Macura (6/0/0) buried a triple in the first half but it was his second half bomb that helped Xavier survive the stretch with Stainbrook off the court. Macura took the shot without a moment's hesitation. He certainly looked healthy enough.</p>
<p><b>- Who guards Stefan Moody? </b>Dee Davis and Remy Abell took turns, but it was really the 1-3-1 that threw off the Mississippi talisman. Moody never found anything that even vaguely resembled a rhythm and struggled with a defense that didn't just imitate traffic cones. The Musketeers shut Moody down completely. Without him, the Rebels never found an offense.</p>
<p><b>- Who starts for Xavier? </b>It was Dee, Remy, Trevon Bluiett (4/4/2), Big Game James, and Matt Stainbrook. The defense minded lineup (if Xavier has such a thing) was clearly the right call. Myles Davis (6/2/2) and Reynolds played the most minutes coming off the bench and Myles finally knocked down a couple of threes. The emphasis on the double post remained through the entire game and help Xavier fight Ole Miss' size.</p>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2015/3/19/8260433/xavier-76-57-ole-miss-ncaa-first-round-recapBrad D2015-03-19T18:32:29-04:002015-03-19T18:32:29-04:00Xavier v. Ole Miss NCAA tournament game: Three takeaways
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<figcaption>Get a tech, I don't care. | John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Xavier holds Ole Miss at arm's length all game to cruise to victory.</p> <h3>The seniors don't want to go home</h3>
<p>Matt Stainbrook could not be guarded in the post. At all. He may have even mentioned it to the people tasked with slowing him down. Dee Davis was locking in from deep, taking advantage of a defense apparently instructed to back away from him on the arc. If Xavier's seniors keep playing like this, we might be watching ball for a while.</p>
<h3>We still don't have a backup point guard</h3>
<p>Dee picked up his fourth foul with 10:25 left in the game. From there until Dee checked back in with 4:30 remaining, Xavier ran Remy and Myles in the backcourt while LAJ and Brandon Randolph watched. After Dee came back, Coach Mack went offense/defense with Dee and LAJ, but never did he run Austin or Brandon Randolph as the primary ball handler for any meaningful period.</p>
<h3>We're still playing</h3>
<p>Survive and advance. That's all March is about. Xavier will play Georgia State on Saturday for a chance to go to the Sweet 16.</p>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2015/3/19/8260305/xavier-v-ole-miss-ncaa-tournament-game-three-takeawaysJoel D2015-03-19T10:07:42-04:002015-03-19T10:07:42-04:00Xavier Men's Basketball - NCAA 2nd round pre-game coach press conference<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UbuF-vnI1zw" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>It's actually the first round.</p></p></div>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2015/3/19/8257217/xavier-mens-basketball-ncaa-2nd-round-pre-game-coach-press-conferenceJoel D2015-03-19T10:05:30-04:002015-03-19T10:05:30-04:00Xavier Men's Basketball - NCAA 2nd round pre-game player press conference<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/11RDHTyir0U" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>It's actually the first round.</p></p></div>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2015/3/19/8257207/xavier-mens-basketball-ncaa-2nd-round-pre-game-player-press-conferenceJoel D2015-03-18T21:55:24-04:002015-03-18T21:55:24-04:00Pre-Duel Pleasantries: Ole Miss
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<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Where we sit down with our good friends over at Red Cup Rebellion and ask them about the first round game.</p> <p>It's finally here. The NCAA tournament returns in full force this Thursday and your Musketeers are a 6 seed. We had to wait a few extra days to find out who we were facing, and the Rebels of Ole Miss earned it fair and square in their game against BYU. To get you ready for the game, we talked to our good friend Zach Berry over at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.redcuprebellion.com/">Red Cup Rebellion</a>. Let's see what he had to say.</p>
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<p><b>1.) That Tuesday night game against BYU was incredibly exciting for the rest of the country, how exciting was it for Ole Miss?</b></p>
<p>The conversation surrounding Ole Miss basketball is usually about the out-dated arena they've played in for the last 49 years or the disappointing attendance numbers year in and year out. But, I firmly believe there is a large contingency of the Rebel faithful that are invested wholeheartedly. Tuesday night was huge for not only the momentum of the team heading into the matchup with your Musketeers, but also for the program moving forward. If you didn't know, Ole Miss will be opening a new arena that will (hopefully) be ready by December 2015 and jump start a roundball revival in Oxford. The excitement shown last night from the university and the fans is hopefully a precursor for the future.</p>
<p><b>2.) Stefan Moody has been getting a lot of coverage, but who else on your team should we be worried about?</b></p>
<p>The x-factor that everyone has been waiting to explode this season has always been LaDarius White. He's had games this season with 15+ points eight times, two were 20+. At 6'6, he can be a matchup nightmare for folks on the wing as he has no conscious when it comes to firing threes. But, if you step out on defense or hedge with a big man on a ball screen, he can put it on the floor and get to the hoop as well. Be weary of White from downtown, though. As I alluded to before, he can be deadly from deep and he will not stop shooting once he gets hot.</p>
<p><b>3.) Y'all took Kentucky to overtime earlier this season. What worked well for you in that game?</b></p>
<p>Aside from getting 25 from Moody and 23 from Summers, the game was almost won from the Rebels controlling the paint, outscoring Kentucky 30-26. This, combined with an unwavering swagger despite playing in front of a sold out Rupp Arena kept the Rebels in the game despite being down 12-0 early. There have been some ugly losses this season, but when Kennedy gets his kids motivated, they will go to war for him against anyone. You all saw that first half against BYU when they were down 17 at halftime.</p>
<p><b>4.) Somewhat unrelated to Mississippi, but how excited are you for the NCAA tournament to be fully back on Thursday?</b></p>
<p>People have been griping for the past couple years about college basketball getting worse and worse due to inefficient offenses, one-and-done lottery picks and questionable leadership at the highest level. But, everyone tunes in for March Madness. Everyone is 0-0 (technically we're 1-0) and everyone technically has a chance to be the next Butler or VCU or George Mason. I'm especially excited this year just to see if Kentucky can run the table and finish 40-0. It takes a special collection of players and coaches to achieve a perfect season. It is by no means an accident that this hasn't happened since 1976.</p>
<p><b>5.) How do you think this game will go?</b></p>
<p>It's no secret that Ole Miss' offense runs through Stefan Moody. When he is making shots, everything opens up for everyone else and the team plays with a lot more confidence. When he isn't making shots, the paint can be squeezed down, making it much more difficult for Summers, White and Rhett to make an impact off the bounce. The amount of efficiency y'all play with on offense could be an issue for the Rebels and I think Matt Stainbrook can really cause the Rebels some problems down low. He is quite nimble for a big man and if he is successful down low and gets Sebastian Saiz or Dwight Coleby into early foul trouble, Ole Miss won't have an answer for the big man on the low block.</p>
<p>Looking at both ends of the spectrum, the way Ole Miss loses this game is almost how they did it on Tuesday: slow start. After seeing a stat that said 80% of your regular season wins were by 10 or more, it started to worry me a bit. Due to your depth and free throw shooting, that can be a serious problem trying to mount a comeback. Did I mention y'all were extremely efficient with the basketball on offense?</p>
<p>On the flip side, I noticed what your biggest weakness was: three-point defense. In case you missed it, Ole Miss really likes to shoot the three ball. The Rebels will come in waves with Moody, Summers, White and Terence Smith. The offensive approach is either work the ball around the perimeter to get Moody open where he can either shoot or create off the dribble. This in turn can work for him to either fill up the stat sheet and make buckets, or create for others.</p>
<p>Same goes with Summers. He hasn't shot the ball well this season but he is still capable of taking a game over off the dribble and getting the basket and to the foul line. Which brings me to my x-factor for Thursday: Ole Miss' free throw shooting. The Rebels get to the line often and don't get cheated. They shoot the freebies at 77% and create opportunities from driving to the hoop and creating offensive rebound opportunities.</p>
<p>With that being said, if this game's pace is brought to a halt by your half-court sets and ball movement to chew clock, it could be a low-scoring affair won by you Musks. But, I look for Ole Miss to pressure the basketball, mix in some 1-3-1 zone and continue to shoot the three ball well and run away with this one late.</p>
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<p>Prediction: Ole Miss 78-70</p>
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2015/3/18/8254907/pre-duel-pleasantries-ole-missCaleb Childers