Nigel

[Giraldo5]

Really curious on your thoughts for the Dukes-Musketeers matchup. Your write up for the Temple game was spot on. I like X to win outright but just looking for some reassurance from you. Holloway and Lyons will be too much for the Dukes I'm guessing.

[Nigel Tufnel]

I'm taking X with the points and ML. Sure, its a homer pick, but X has done well for me recently with the exception of the Charlotte game.

Couple of things to take into consideration:

1) Xavier has not had much success playing @ Duquesne recently. A couple of years ago, X was ranked 9th in the country and went into the Palumbo Center and got smacked around. Luckily, today's game isn't @ the Palumbo Center. I honestly think this can be a difference maker. The Palumbo Center looks like a high school gym. Tiny, loud and the fans are right on top of you. Probably for financial reasons (the only reason I can guess), Duquesne decided to schedule this game at the Consol Energy Arena. That quaint, intimate setting at the Palumbo Center is gone. The game is dubbed a "sellout" but only the lower bowl was used for seating. So there will be 10K there today, but it definitely won't have the same feel as it does at the Palumbo Center.

2) Tempo will be the key today. Smaller teams have given Frease fits in the past...but his game improves vastly with each performance. I don't believe the Dukes have anyone taller than 6'7" Saunders who get a lot of minutes. I think if Frease and McLean can control the boards, Xavier will control the tempo. On the defensive end, limit the Dukes to one attempt. On the offensive end, try to pound the glass and get multiple possessions each time down and limit the Dukes fast breaks.

Holloway, McLean, Lyons, Jackson, Frease and Taylor all have experience playing in big games and in big arenas with a lot of opposing fans. I think the Palumbo Center would have been a decided advantage for the Dukes today....while the Consol Energy Center will be packed with Dukes fans, I think playing there really neutralizes what would have been the Dukes biggest advantage.

I think X squeaks one out with Holloway taking over from the FT line down the stretch in a game that will be lower scoring than most would expect from the top 2 offenses in the A10.

GL!! :thumbs:

[Giraldo5]

As usual, great analysis and the arena issue is something I never would have known. Thanks, looking like a great day for X! :beerbang:

[Nigel Tufnel]

No problem at all, man. Glad I got it right. Weird game. Neither team played well. Strange stat of them day...going into today's game, Xavier was dead last in the country in FT % against them. Dead friggin' last. Today, the Dukes made up for that. 13-27 FTs and lost by 8. X had that one coming....the last few games have been brutal watching 65% FT teams shoot 90% from the line.

While both teams didn't play well today, Dante Jackson came to play today after Lyons fouled out with 11 mins left in the 2nd half.

I will say this....I really, really hope Duquesne finds a way to make it into the tourney. They play like their head's are on fire. Very entertaining team to watch. They could seriously make some really good teams crap themselves with their pressure.

Giraldo....here is another tip. Regardless of how bad they've been playing and regardless of how bad they play the next couple of weeks....when X goes to Dayton....take Dayton. They have been really disappointing this year but they play like world beaters against X @ UD every year....EVERY YEAR!!