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8* Xavier (-2) vs. Dayton, Wednesday at 7:00 PM EST
Xavier had their first hiccup in the A-10 last Saturday. They played very lethargic and lost @ Duquesne by 4. Somewhat of a letdown was to be expected for that one as XU just beat conference contender Temple the game prior and they had this big match up on deck. While the Dukes were definitely a formidable foe, they haven’t been near the top of the league in quite some time so a look ahead was in order. Star guard B.J. Raymond summed it up by saying, “We make no excuses here. We weren’t ready to play.”
The Musketeers are no question the best team in the league. It’s not really close. They lead the A-10 in conference games in a number of key categories including shooting percentage (50.1%), defensive shooting percentage allowed (39.2%), rebounding, offensive points per possession, defensive points per possession and the list goes on. They are also unfazed by playing on the road where they are 6-1 this season (their only loss @ Duquesne last Saturday). They have beaten some very good teams on the road this season including LSU and Rhode Island. They have also beaten Memphis and Missouri on a neutral court. This team is battle tested and coming off a loss, they will be ornery on Wednesday.
This Dayton team who is 7-2 conference record and 21-3 overall, is a bit over valued in our opinion. Their points per possession ratio (PPPR) is not that of a team with such a lofty record. In conference play, the Flyers sit barely above water with a PPPR of +0.011. Compare that to Xavier’s conference PPPR which is +0.196 and the difference in record between these two really looks as if it should be much greater. Dayton sits at 9th in the league in shooting percentage, 5th in defensive shooting percentage allowed and 8th in rebounding. Those are not the stats of a second place team and it shows tonight against the Atlantic 10’s best.
Xavier has topped Dayton in 15 of the last 18 meetings including six straight. No reason to think it will change tonight, especially since we’ll have an extremely motivated team from Cincinnati facing off for first place in the conference. Xavier wins this one easier than most think.
8* Xavier (-2) vs. Dayton, Wednesday at 7:00 PM EST
Xavier had their first hiccup in the A-10 last Saturday. They played very lethargic and lost @ Duquesne by 4. Somewhat of a letdown was to be expected for that one as XU just beat conference contender Temple the game prior and they had this big match up on deck. While the Dukes were definitely a formidable foe, they haven’t been near the top of the league in quite some time so a look ahead was in order. Star guard B.J. Raymond summed it up by saying, “We make no excuses here. We weren’t ready to play.”
The Musketeers are no question the best team in the league. It’s not really close. They lead the A-10 in conference games in a number of key categories including shooting percentage (50.1%), defensive shooting percentage allowed (39.2%), rebounding, offensive points per possession, defensive points per possession and the list goes on. They are also unfazed by playing on the road where they are 6-1 this season (their only loss @ Duquesne last Saturday). They have beaten some very good teams on the road this season including LSU and Rhode Island. They have also beaten Memphis and Missouri on a neutral court. This team is battle tested and coming off a loss, they will be ornery on Wednesday.
This Dayton team who is 7-2 conference record and 21-3 overall, is a bit over valued in our opinion. Their points per possession ratio (PPPR) is not that of a team with such a lofty record. In conference play, the Flyers sit barely above water with a PPPR of +0.011. Compare that to Xavier’s conference PPPR which is +0.196 and the difference in record between these two really looks as if it should be much greater. Dayton sits at 9th in the league in shooting percentage, 5th in defensive shooting percentage allowed and 8th in rebounding. Those are not the stats of a second place team and it shows tonight against the Atlantic 10’s best.
Xavier has topped Dayton in 15 of the last 18 meetings including six straight. No reason to think it will change tonight, especially since we’ll have an extremely motivated team from Cincinnati facing off for first place in the conference. Xavier wins this one easier than most think.
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