Xavier 12/14 2:00 ESPN+

[Lobot]

It's officially Xavier week. Before you check your eyes, yes it's only on ESPN+. If you're trying to watch this one in a bar, you better check with them about the streaming stuff.

X is 7-2 coming in. They do have one more game before the shootout vs. Morgan State on 12/10 at 7:00 on CBSSN. The losses were to Michigan on a neutral court and TCU in Ft. Worth. The game in between was a squeaker of a buy game against SC State. Erik Martin's crew played with them the whole game and X won on a late 3.

Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter are healthy again. Keeping Freemantle off the boards will be crucial as he's the leading rebounder by far. Ryan Conwell is averaging 16.6 points per game followed by Freemantle and McKnight. No one else on the team averages in double figures. Unless I'm missing something they've got 17 on the bench and have only played 11 guys so far this year and two of those appear to walk ons. There's not a whole lot of height on roster outside of John Hugley IV (remember him?), at 6'11. Hugley doesn't start but could give Bandaogo some trouble if he gets extended minutes as he's a load at 270 lbs. I think the key match-up is likely to be Dailyn Swain vs. whoever he guards (Simas?). Swain is listed as a guard but he's 6'8.

There are three guys on X's roster that we also recruited in Hugley, Swain and Trey Green.

The Bearcats cannot get off to a slow start like the last two games if we're going to win this one. They may not recover, as we've seen in recent Shootouts, and it takes the crowd out of the game.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...tats/_/id/2752

[London 'Cat]

The way this game has gone for UC in recent years does not give me much confidence. That and the miserable performance against Villanova are big red flags for UC’s chances in this game. Hopefully the home crowd can help.

[bearcatbret]

Watch party locations. Crosstown Shootout | University of Cincinnati

[Bearcat93]

This game’s only on the +? Wow.

[GoBearcats31]

Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter are healthy again. Keeping Freemantle off the boards will be crucial as he's the leading rebounder by far. Ryan Conwell is averaging 16.6 points per game followed by Freemantle and McKnight.

Conwell is a stud. Interestingly, averaged 16.6 ppg last season as well at Indiana State, which included 18 points (3/7 from three), 6 rebounds, 4 assists in Indiana State's NIT win over UC.

Stat to keep an eye on: Xavier is 139/179 from the FT line (77.7%), whereas UC is 63/106 (59.4%). X is not only getting to the line more frequently, but obviously they are connecting at a much better rate. UC's Page (24), Mitchell (19) and Bandaogo (17) are the only Bearcats with more than 9 free throw attempts. Xavier has eight different players with 10+ attempts--including its four top players all at 27 or more. X guards Conwell, Dailyn Swain and Davyion McKnight have combined for 81% FT shooting on 84 attempts.

XU is 29th in the nation in FT%, while UC is 361th ahead of only Stephen F. Austin, Charleston Southern and Queens University.

[leeraymond]

It's officially Xavier week. Before you check your eyes, yes it's only on ESPN+. If you're trying to watch this one in a bar, you better check with them about the streaming stuff.

X is 7-2 coming in. They do have one more game before the shootout vs. Morgan State on 12/10 at 7:00 on CBSSN. The losses were to Michigan on a neutral court and TCU in Ft. Worth. The game in between was a squeaker of a buy game against SC State. Erik Martin's crew played with them the whole game and X won on a late 3.

Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter are healthy again. Keeping Freemantle off the boards will be crucial as he's the leading rebounder by far. Ryan Conwell is averaging 16.6 points per game followed by Freemantle and McKnight. No one else on the team averages in double figures. Unless I'm missing something they've got 17 on the bench and have only played 11 guys so far this year and two of those appear to walk ons. There's not a whole lot of height on roster outside of John Hugley IV (remember him?), at 6'11. Hugley doesn't start but could give Bandaogo some trouble if he gets extended minutes as he's a load at 270 lbs. I think the key match-up is likely to be Dailyn Swain vs. whoever he guards (Simas?). Swain is listed as a guard but he's 6'8.

There are three guys on X's roster that we also recruited in Hugley, Swain and Trey Green.

The Bearcats cannot get off to a slow start like the last two games if we're going to win this one. They may not recover, as we've seen in recent Shootouts, and it takes the crowd out of the game.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...tats/_/id/2752

Very good briefing and assessment of the Xavier team. Let me piggyback on your analysis. Xavier has three players that are in the top 30 scorers in the BIG EAST (Conwell, Freemantle, and Mcknight). Was it Mcknight that hit for 20 last year? I read some very disturbing comments by Mitchell and Aziz concerning the Xavier game. They said it was JUST another game on the schedule. I wonder if Miller feels that way.

When Jim Harbaugh got to Michigan, he treated the Ohio State game as another game on the schedule. Ohio State did NOT see Michigan as JUST another game. They started preparing for Michigan in spring practice. Consequently, Ohio State whipped Michigan's as%^$# for the first 5 years or so of Harbaugh's tenure at U of M. After Ohio State beat Michigan 52-12 in 2020, that is when Harbaugh got serious and started treating the Ohio State game as a championship game. Michigan HAS NOT lost that game in four years.

I said all of that to say this. If Cincinnati does NOT wake up and realized that Xavier DOES NOT treat the UC game as ANOTHER game on the schedule, UC will get its fanny whipped off again (for the 6th straight time). Xavier treats this game as a championship game (Championship of Cincinnati). Xavier has beat UC for 5 CONSECUTIVE years. The last UC coach to win that game was Cronin. Also, check this out, Xavier has beaten UC 9 out of the last 11 years. Come on man, where is the pride?

A lot of UC pride is on the line for this game. Miller is 0-3 against Xavier. Enough said.

[BearKatz]

Very good briefing and assessment of the Xavier team. Let me piggyback on your analysis. Xavier has three players that are in the top 30 scorers in the BIG EAST (Conwell, Freemantle, and Mcknight). Was it Mcknight that hit for 20 last year? I read some very disturbing comments by Mitchell and Aziz concerning the Xavier game. They said it was JUST another game on the schedule. I wonder if Miller feels that way.

When Jim Harbaugh got to Michigan, he treated the Ohio State game as another game on the schedule. Ohio State did NOT see Michigan as JUST another game. They started preparing for Michigan in spring practice. Consequently, Ohio State whipped Michigan's as%^$# for the first 5 years or so of Harbaugh's tenure at U of M. After Ohio State beat Michigan 52-12 in 2020, that is when Harbaugh got serious and started treating the Ohio State game as a championship game. Michigan HAS NOT lost that game in four years.

I said all of that to say this. If Cincinnati does NOT wake up and realized that Xavier DOES NOT treat the UC game as ANOTHER game on the schedule, UC will get its fanny whipped off again (for the 6th straight time). Xavier treats this game as a championship game (Championship of Cincinnati). Xavier has beat UC for 5 CONSECUTIVE years. The last UC coach to win that game was Cronin. Also, check this out, Xavier has beaten UC 9 out of the last 11 years. Come on man, where is the pride?

A lot of UC pride is on the line for this game. Miller is 0-3 against Xavier. Enough said.

It's the little brother against big brother mentality for X! For them it's like palying in the Final 4 against UC! Nothing wrong with that! I wish UC had the same mentality, and played with desperation!

Besides making the NCAA Tourny! This should be looked at as the biggest game on the schedule every year! and as you said, where is the pride..? You would think you would feel embarrassed after losing so many games to the same team! But it never happens! Even with the more talented teams, at least on paper. X always seems to get the better of UC.

[swilsonsp4]

Conwell is a stud. Interestingly, averaged 16.6 ppg last season as well at Indiana State, which included 18 points (3/7 from three), 6 rebounds, 4 assists in Indiana State's NIT win over UC.

Stat to keep an eye on: Xavier is 139/179 from the FT line (77.7%), whereas UC is 63/106 (59.4%). X is not only getting to the line more frequently, but obviously they are connecting at a much better rate. UC's Page (24), Mitchell (19) and Bandaogo (17) are the only Bearcats with more than 9 free throw attempts. Xavier has eight different players with 10+ attempts--including its four top players all at 27 or more. X guards Conwell, Dailyn Swain and Davyion McKnight have combined for 81% FT shooting on 84 attempts.

XU is 29th in the nation in FT%, while UC is 361th ahead of only Stephen F. Austin, Charleston Southern and Queens University.

While UC's FT% is a problem, fouling is not. Per barttorvik.com, the Bearcats are #15 in defending without fouling. While the Eggmen have shot 179 FT's, 77 of them came in two games, both against teams that foul a bunch (41 vs TX Southern, #319 in FTD; 36 vs SC St, #327 in FTD).

I'm more concerned about the Cats hitting theirs than worrying about whether there will be a parade of Muskies to the line.

[GoBearcats31]

Today is the 13th anniversary of the fight, if anyone is keeping track

[swilsonsp4]

Today is the 13th anniversary of the fight, if anyone is keeping track

I just hope it's never repeated. That was a nationally-televised black eye on both programs. While the X players started it, egged on by out-of-control students, Bearcats players were more-than-willing participants.

Mick handled the aftermath very professionally and publicly. The six-game suspensions he meted out were justified. Out of that mess, the team bonded and played quite well.

[Lobot]

Something Big is Coming.. 12/11/24 - Per GoBearcats

I honestly have no idea but I think it'll be a hype video or special uniform.

[GoBearcats31]

Something Big is Coming.. 12/11/24 - Per GoBearcats

I honestly have no idea but I think it'll be a hype video or special uniform.

A hype video would be pretty underwhelming

[Lobot]

Something Big is Coming.. 12/11/24 - Per GoBearcats

I honestly have no idea but I think it'll be a hype video or special uniform.

Based on a pic of Simas that was taken today , looks like Blackout jerseys with black lettering on them.

Prepare your credit cards

[GoBearcats31]

X just dropped 119 points on Morgan State

[swilsonsp4]

X just dropped 119 points on Morgan State

That was a terrible game. Morgan State decided to turn it into a summer league effort. Bad quick shot after bad quick shot that X converted on the run. At about 14:00, up 41, Miller had his starters in.

The Bears are very skinny and got crushed on the boards by a team that doesn't rebound all that well, 54-25. They do have some guys who can jump, as their 7 blocks will attest.

Well, that's over with. On to Saturday afternoon.