Big East Q&A Preview: Xavier Musketeers

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Who: Xavier Musketeers 11-4 (2-1)
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
When: January 10th at 4:30 pm
TV: Fox Sports 1
Radio: 1070 AM/107.5 FM The Fan

After a heartbreaking loss to the Providence Friars, the Butler Bulldogs will quickly have to pick up the pieces and get back to work to face their closest thing to a rival in this league in the Xavier Musketeers. Xavier is coming off a 69-58 win against previously undefeated in conference and #19 Seton Hall. They also play a couple of guys that Butler had hoped would become Bulldogs prior to Brad Stevens’ departure in J.P. Macura and Trevon Bluiett, and both are vital to the Musketeers’ offensive attack. To get a better handle on all things Xavier, I chatted with Caleb Childers from Banners on the Parkway, a site that threatened to burn down Hinkle during our Q&A session with Joel last year, so I could only imagine where things were going to go during this session:

BH: Xavier started out conference play with a good win over Georgetown, but then went and laid an egg at DePaul. What gives? Just youth on the road, or something else that you can diagnose? (Editor’s note: Now that DePaul is in first, maybe that loss isn’t so bad after all)

Banners: This team has made the Cintas Center a fortress this season and is undefeated at home. On the road however is a completely different story. Xavier dropped games to Auburn and DePaul and has looked scary at times. The biggest reason for this has been the team’s defense or lack thereof. Xavier has failed to protect the perimeter and it feels like every team is able to rain 3’s on us and we cannot stop anything. There are some young players who contribute significantly, but this team is mostly led by seniors so there is really no excuses for coming up short on the road.

BH: Xavier’s offense has been deadly this season, with the 14th rated offensive efficiency (now is 12th), but the defense has been a bit of a work in process over the course of the season. Is the defense just what it is, or have you seen some signs of improvement as of late?

Banners: I’m going to be honest. If I would have answered these questions a day ago I would have said that the defense has not improved and we need to shape up. However, we just took down hot-shooting #19 Seton Hall, so I’m feeling more optimistic. Our defense looked a lot better tonight then it did last weekend against DePaul so that was good to see. At times the team plays solid defense, but that’s only in small doses. I have heard through the grapevine that the team spends A LOT of practice nowadays working on defense, but I am optimistic that it is going to get better as conference play goes on.

BH: As Butler fans, we’re all well aware (painfully so) of what J.P. Macura and Trevon Bluiett can bring to the table, but what kind of contributions has Xavier gotten from its other newcomers this year?

Banners: Oh goodness. I was hoping that I would get the chance to gush about Bluiett, but I am glad to see that y’all are aware of his greatness. Outside of those two, the newcomer that you need to be aware of is Remy Abell, a transfer player. This is his first year of playing for Xavier after transferring from Indiana, just like Xavier great Jordan Crawford. Abell has been a consistent player this season who puts up solid points, a good stats line, and steady defense. He’s been a positive glue for the team this season and that has been a huge part of Xavier’s success in 2014-2015. He plays a good amount of minutes, so watch out for him on Saturday.

BH: What have your impressions been of the Big East so far this season, and of Butler in particular?

Banners: I will start with your second question first. I have been surprised in a very positive way about Butler this season. To be honest, I did not expect a whole lot from the bulldogs this season, and it seemed like the experts did not either. With the coaching issues and the roster, I figured that Butler would not be much of a threat. However with wins over Georgetown, St. Johns, and UNC, I am definitely impressed and taking note. As far as the Big East. OMG BIG EAST! To be honest, the conference was not that elite last year at all, so this year has been walking on sunshine seeing the conference be so strong. Right now I’m watching a solid Creighton take on a surprisingly good DePaul and loving it. That’s what makes a conference good and I’m loving it. Every game is a battle, nothing is given, and that is exactly how I like it. I think the rest of the country is taking notice and it’s going to be even more exciting from here on out.

BH: What do you see as the ceiling for this Xavier squad, and where do you see them ultimately finishing up in the Big East this year?

Banners: This team has a lot of potential and has definitely shown flashes of it. I see this team making the tournament and to the round of 32. Ceiling for the squad? Sweet 16. As far as a Big East finish goes, despite the surprises I still see Xavier coming in at third place in the conference. I think Villanova is going to win and be a top 10 team and I see Xavier playing solid but losing a few games, all on the road.

BH: What do you see as being the keys to the game Saturday?

Banners: Can Xavier keep shooting? Xavier has one of the top offenses in the country and lives and dies by shooting the ball. If we hit our shots, I honestly do not see Xavier losing the game. When the shots do not fall though, the games get scary.

BH: I know what Joel’s opinion of Hinkle Fieldhouse is, but have you gotten a look at the revamped facility, and what’s your impression of it?

Banners: I have been to Hinkle Fieldhouse one time, in the spring of 2013 for a conference game (back when we were in that conference that we shall not name). I’m going to be honest, it is a lot like Wrigley Field for me. Walking in it looked awesome and I enjoyed taking it all in. The beginning of the game was awesome and it was so cool to see hoops being played with that backdrop. It definitely made the game feel pure. However, with 10 minutes to go in the second half my back was killing me and it started to feel hot and cramped. So to answer your question, it’s great, it’s historic and I definitely like that and appreciate that, but it’s not the kind of place that I want to watch games at consistently. Once every now and then is good for me. Now I’ll return to my turn of the 21st century Cintas Center.

BH: Dana O’Neil did a story on Matt Stainbrook, Uber driver. If you could have him drive you anywhere, where would you have him take you? Is there someone from another team that you flat out wouldn’t accept an Uber ride from?

Banners: Great question. I think I would have him drive me to Skyline Chili over on Montgomery so that we can partake in some fine Cincinnati comfort food. I feel like it would be too much of “Driving Ms. Daisy” though so I’d probably ask if I could sit in the front seat. As for the player I would not pick up, I have to say Josh Smith from Georgetown, because I am not sure if he would fit in my car…..

I really want to thank Caleb for taking the time to answer my questions and not threatening to burn down Hinkle (AKA, being a sane, rational human being), though we’ll still probably keep an eye on him if he does visit again. Let us know your thoughts on the game in the comment section and of course the message board.

Go Dawgs.

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