Xavier Musketeers
Big East (21-12, 10-8)
Three losses in the Bahamas in late January took Xavier off of the national radar. After falling to Iowa, Tennessee and USC in three days however, the Musketeers did not lose again until they went to Creighton in mid-January. Coach Chris Mack’s team had difficulty putting together a winning streak in Big East play, but at least they never allowed the losing streaks to get the best of them.
Big Wins: 11/12 Tennessee (67-63), 12/14 vs Cincinnati (64-47), 3/1 Creighton (75-69)
Bad Losses: 11/30 vs USC (78-84), 2/1 Seton Hall (60-68), 3/3 at Seton Hall (62-71)
Coach: Chris Mack (5 seasons at Xavier)
Why They Can Surprise:
When Xavier gets a shot off, it is usually a good shot. Semaj Christon and Dee Davis do a wonderful job of creating easy buckets for themselves and their teammates. Christon is especially adept at creating his own shot, often in quite creative ways. He averages 17.1 points and 4.2 assists per contest and is always a threat to drop 25 or more points on an ill-prepared defense. Yet it has been the play of Matt Stainbrook and Isaiah Philmore that has turned the Musketeers into one of the best shooting teams in the Big East. Stainbrook, a 6-10 center, rarely steps too far away from the basket and the creativity of Christon and Davis will give him plenty of easy buckets in the paint. Stainbrook and Philmore also lead a strong rebounding effort and get plenty of help from Justin Martin and reserve James Farr.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Unfortunately, the Musketeers do not always get shots off. While they usually win the battle on the glass, they have one of the worst turnover margins in the nation. Despite the efficient shooting, this team cannot afford to give away easy buckets. Myles Davis and Martin are the only serious three-point shooting threats and without many easy transition buckets, the Musketeers can have a tough time coming from behind.
Probable Starters:
Dee Davis, Junior, Guard, 7.7 ppg, 4.7 apg
Semaj Christon, Sophomore, Guard, 17.1 ppg, 4.2 apg
Justin Martin, Junior, Forward, 11.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Isaiah Philmore, Senior, Forward, 9.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg
Matt Stainbrook, Junior, Center, 10.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.0 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Myles Davis, Freshman, Guard, 5.4 ppg
James Farr, Sophomore, Forward, 4.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Brandon Randolph, Freshman, Guard, 2.7 ppg, 1.3 apg
Jalen Reynolds, Freshman, Forward, 3.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 72.2 (145th in nation, 7th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 67.5 (109, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 47.0 (47, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.0 (93, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.3 (269, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.8 (109, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 68.7 (209, 8)
Rebound Margin: 4.8 (40, 1)
Assists Per Game: 15.0 (45, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.7 (212, 9)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2012 NCAA Second Round win over Notre Dame
2012 NCAA Third Round win over Lehigh
2012 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Baylor
2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Marquette
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Minnesota
2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Pittsburg
2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Kansas State
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Portland State
2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over Wisconsin
2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Pittsburgh
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Georgia
2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over Purdue
2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over West Virginia
2008 NCAA Regional Final loss to UCLA
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over BYU
2007 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Ohio State
*all team stats through 3/9
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
