_avier 7:30 12/5 TNT

[Carthage World]

Xavier is favored by 1.5 points as of this morning.

Not a very encouraging line for the hosts considering our bad start to the season and their home court advantage.

We have the better players, but have hardly looked like the better team. Hopefully, we can raise our performance like we did against Dayton and for most of the Louisville game.

[D.A.H.]

versus UL, the 'cats looked good, when they were disciplined on offense. when it turned into street ball, ul ran UC off the court. i hope uc wins. i hope uc has a really good season. i hope uc makes the tourny. i also wish that i could lose 20 years. but, right now, i've given up on wes miller, and any team that he's coaching. sad times for a once proud program and fan base.

[GoBearcats31]

NET
UC - 134
XU - 109

Ken Pom
UC - 72
XU - 81

[steveedwards]

It really feels like the rivalry has lost its luster...for a variety of reasons. Reading the Enquirer this morning, I saw this:

Grant Darbyshire, transfer from Kentucky, from Sycamore – "I grew up here, but I've actually never been to one (Crosstown Shootout) so I actually don't know too much about it."

You're telling me a kid who grew up and played high school basketball here doesn't "know too much about it?!"

I find that hard to believe.

[GoBearcats31]

Since UC's last win at Cintas (December 2001):

- February 2004 50-44 L
- January 2006 73-71 L (2OT)
- December 2009 83-79 L (2OT)
- December 2011 76-53 L
- December 2015 65-55 L
- December 2017 89-76 L
- December 2019 73-66 L
- December 2021 83-63 L
- December 2023 84-79 L

Recent games at Xavier generally haven't been close (and the ones that look respectable final score-wise were still pretty one-sided games)

Day Day Thomas scored 15 points in 18 mins the last time UC played at X.


First official TV time out, per readily available stats on ESPN
- 2023: Down 9-6
- 2021: Down 8-5
- 2019: Down 6-5
- 2017: Down 15-5
- 2015: Down 7-1

Seems like UC usually is cold to start every game and/or X comes out hot -- last several years X hasn't been very good, so they maybe don't get punched in the mouth early as much anymore versus just coming out shooting blanks.

[KevMan1976]

Since UC's last win at Cintas (December 2001):


Seems like UC usually is cold to start every game and/or X comes out hot -- last several years X hasn't been very good, so they maybe don't get punched in the mouth early as much anymore versus just coming out shooting blanks.

This. I think if the can come out hot to start the game like they did against Louisville--AND keep the intensity up--then maybe. . .just maybe.

[GoBearcats31]

Interesting tidbit from Cincinnati.com article
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/spo...s/87573814007/

Friday, Dec. 5, at Cintas Center, a dozen international players will be in the lay-up lines. You can actually make it 13 if you count UC freshman Shon Abaev, born in Israel but from Broward County, Florida.

UC's roster includes players from Brazil, Canada, Estonia, France, Senegal and Spain. Xavier has new Musketeers from Canada, Italy, Ivory Coast, Mexico and Serbia.

[leeraymond372@gmail.com]

UC better look out early to defend the three or this game could get ugly fast. What makes X so dangerous is that its big men are very sneaky in the way they silently slip out to the three-point line. Also, X's big men will set a pick, but instead of rolling to the rim, they slip out to the three-point line. To me, it is very intelligent the way X is able to sneak its bigs out to take threes. No doubt about it, this game is going to put a lot of pressure on UC's three-point defense.

Xavier does not have any bad losses. Including UC, Xavier would have played 4 Power Fours. Another thing, although Xavier lost to Santa Clara, Santa Clara is 7-1 and is ranked 37 in the Net. X is ranked 109 and UC is ranked 134. To make a long story short, Xavier comes into the UC game battle tested. X always comes into the Cross-Town Game being more battle-tested.

All is not lost. UC really does have a chance in this game. For instance, UC is nationally ranked in the top 20 in the two most important defensive categories: scoring defense (17) and field goal percentage defense (13).

In a nutshell, Xavier has a two major advantages: 1) three-point shooting (where it is nationally ranked 32 in three-point field goal percentage). Xavier hits about 11 threes a game, and 2) low turnovers. Xavier only turns the ball over about 9.7 times a game. UC's advantages: 1) better defensive team in terms of scoring and field goal percentage, and 2) slightly better rebounding team, in terms of average.

When you look at the numbers, this game is a toss-up. Xavier gets off about 63 shots a game. UC gets off about 59 shots a game. Both teams make about 26 shots a game. This game will probably come down to the turnovers. X commits about 10 a game, UC commits about 15 a game. Both teams are pretty even when it comes to free-throw shooting. The home court advantage and turnovers may be the difference.

UC's two losses were at the free-throw line. In both losses, both teams made many more free-throws than UC attempted. UC must play without fouling.

If UC can play mistake free, hit its shots, and keep X off the free-throw line, this is a game that UC can win.

[Gypo O'Leary]

Pitino said his team doesn't care about the shootout. They are young and it means nothing to them.

X is at home. X shoots 3 and moves the ball. X has played a tougher schedule than Cincinnati. But Cincinnati seems to be deeper and more talented. Horrible free throw shooting is going to start to factor into this type of game. Since Cincinnati has a clear edge near the basket, this is a game that Shon Abaev should get matched against somebody he can overwhelm with his McD all-american skillset. The negative is if Day-Day and Kerr just try to match 3's in an uptempo game.

[leeraymond372@gmail.com]

For the Cross Town Game, the stats sometimes do not matter. How many times did Xavier upset UC when it was ranked in the top 25 (in one case the top 10) under Huggins? Past coaches have said that this game typically boils down to what team is the most together and the toughest.

[bearcatbret]

For the Cross Town Game, the stats sometimes do not matter. How many times did Xavier upset UC when it was ranked in the top 25 (in one case the top 10) under Huggins? Past coaches have said that this game typically boils down to what team is the most together and the toughest.

One time, UC was ranked #1. I remember a game in the final seconds when UC's point guard dribbled out of bounds giving x one more chance and they nailed it at the buzzer.

[GoBearcats31]

There's no juice right now and seems like most fans are expecting another L.

X has played better of late. UC has not inspired much confidence. But X isn't so great, so why not just get the win?

The stakes are different and the crowd will be tough. But if UC can't beat X, seems like an uphill battle to win many games on the road come league play.

[Oldtimer_UC_fan]

UC better look out early to defend the three or this game could get ugly fast. What makes X so dangerous is that its big men are very sneaky in the way they silently slip out to the three-point line. Also, X's big men will set a pick, but instead of rolling to the rim, they slip out to the three-point line. To me, it is very intelligent the way X is able to sneak its bigs out to take threes. No doubt about it, this game is going to put a lot of pressure on UC's three-point defense.

Xavier does not have any bad losses. Including UC, Xavier would have played 4 Power Fours. Another thing, although Xavier lost to Santa Clara, Santa Clara is 7-1 and is ranked 37 in the Net. X is ranked 109 and UC is ranked 134. To make a long story short, Xavier comes into the UC game battle tested. X always comes into the Cross-Town Game being more battle-tested.

All is not lost. UC really does have a chance in this game. For instance, UC is nationally ranked in the top 20 in the two most important defensive categories: scoring defense (17) and field goal percentage defense (13).

In a nutshell, Xavier has a two major advantages: 1) three-point shooting (where it is nationally ranked 32 in three-point field goal percentage). Xavier hits about 11 threes a game, and 2) low turnovers. Xavier only turns the ball over about 9.7 times a game. UC's advantages: 1) better defensive team in terms of scoring and field goal percentage, and 2) slightly better rebounding team, in terms of average.

When you look at the numbers, this game is a toss-up. Xavier gets off about 63 shots a game. UC gets off about 59 shots a game. Both teams make about 26 shots a game. This game will probably come down to the turnovers. X commits about 10 a game, UC commits about 15 a game. Both teams are pretty even when it comes to free-throw shooting. The home court advantage and turnovers may be the difference.

UC's two losses were at the free-throw line. In both losses, both teams made many more free-throws than UC attempted. UC must play without fouling.

If UC can play mistake free, hit its shots, and keep X off the free-throw line, this is a game that UC can win.

And if frogs had wings, they wouldn'nt bump their a$$ when they jump. LOL

[bearcatbret]

My coworker's daughters went to x so he is a fan. I told him why I will never like x is because their fans are so obnoxious. x does have the worse fans ever.

[sedz]

Xavier shoots even more than us from midrange. They take more than 14 per game and only make 28%. They shoot just 45% inside the arc.

Richard Pitino is another guy who rarely runs an efficient offense. He's never had a top 50 effective field goal offense, and has been #173 or worse in 9 of the last 10 seasons. This year they are #190, an even worse mark than our #180. They do take care of the ball though.