Xavier Smoked Dayton Tonight

[davidnark]

Final score was 69-43. They held Roberts to 5 points.

[SLUDrew]

Final score was 69-43. They held Roberts to 5 points.

Although the league is definitely improving, and early on it looked like some may challenge Xavier, they are CLEARLY the class of the league. If I am not mistaken they have like 6 or 7 guys averaging double digits. That is just sick.

[Taj79]

Anybody see the game? I did --- I got it on CSTV here in Baltimore. I will say it again --- Dayton is one Brian Roberts' ACL tear away from oblivion. Dayton has eighteen points at half, eight from Marshall Johnson. Roberts was held to two. But the defense Xavier exhibited on Roberts was the key and is exactly what every team should do to him the rest of the year.

Dayton does not have a point guard. Sandoval is not it and Warren is not it. So by default, much like Lisch and Liddell, it falls to Roberts. Xavier hasseled him the whole length of the court. When useless turds like Jimmie Binne or the Searcy kid would set picks, the defender playing the picker would jump out on Roberts and followed him for at least three, maybe four and even five dribbles away from the pick until the defender, either Lavendar or Burrell, would catch back up. Binnie ended up going 0 for 4 on the night and I think I witnessed all four of those misses in the first half. The only advantage he has over Polk is that he's bigger and can set a useful pick (at times). Searcy scored a bucket but he's an interior player and if he's going to set a high screen and then have the pass come in from a double teamed roberts, well, I'll pick that poison over Roberts anyday. Roberts only points in the first half was a disputed trey that was turned into a two after review. Huelsman is relatively useless in the middle so the loss of Little and Wright will see this team drop precipitously int he national standings. yes, they will win in the Dayton Decibel Dungeon because they always do but Daytons' arrow is definitely pointed down. In the grand scheme that is the A10 right now, Xavier is the top, and I'd rank St. Joe's in at #2. I watched St. Joe's obliterate Penn on its home floor in the Palestra last week and they ahndled UMass pretty well the other night at Alumni Hall. I still like what Calathes and Nivens bring to the court and if they only had some guards, if Jalloh ahd not transfered, they'd be the cream of the crop easily. UMass and Rhode Island go at the three and four spots right now. Charlotte might be next but I haven't seen much of the 49ers so far. Then might come Dayton but how the heck the #16 ranked team in the country is the sixth best team in the A10 has got to be a real puzzle. Temple hs two players in Christmas and Tyndale --- the Owls might even be better than the Fryers right now. I can see Dayton, at 14 - 3, putting up 22 or even 23 wins given their home court advantage. Little and Wirght will be back but if all the other A10 teams didn't see how you beat Dayton as exhibited last night, shame on them.

Xavier was impressive, however i don't know what their strength is. Certainly it revolves aroudn the fact that they can throw nine guys at you. Having Graves adn Duncan off your bench is downright criminal. Stand eitehr one of those up against Eckerle, Husak and Brown and one can easily see the dilemma we face. I guess I jsut haven't seen the right game with this team yet but Lavendar just doesn't do for me what he does for the rest of the viewing world. The pass he threw to Brown and Brown's subsequent dunk from somewhere up near the rafters in the first half was the quintessential definition of what a point guard should be doing. He had six assists but only three points on 1 of 4 shooting. So I don't know. Xavier depth is what one needs to win post season tournaments like the one in AC. Plus, if they get a guy hurt, nine deep certainly takes the sting out of that. Gregory was extremely hamstrung with Little and Wright in black warm ups on the end of the bench.

CSTV went with Pete Gillen as the color guy. They should always ban former coaches or guys with former program connections from doing games like that. I mean, having the winningest coach in Xavier history doing the game --- if I were a Dayton fan, I'd have shut the sound down for sure. The halftime show was on the "Dayton Flight Team" or "Dayton Fly Boys." What a bunch of crap. Vee would have loved it. Catchy little nicknames Wright, Little and Johnson have given themselves as they demonstrate their "high flying" dunk act and multi-hand slapping congratulatory routines. They will make the And1 team proud some day. Of course, all this will be reversed when X goes into Dayton late February and gets creamed. Such is life.

[Pistol]

Does anyone know when Little or Wright will return for Dayton? Will either be available for the SLU game next Wednesday in Dayton?

[SShoe]

I don't believe either will be back for Wednesday's game. Good time to play em and steal one.

[Bearvision]

I've said all year that Xavier is the only legit team in the A-10, and I feel they will end up the only team ranked when it's all said and done.

The league is certainly getting better, but there is no way that Dayton or Rhode Island are one of the top-25 teams in the country.

[SShoe]

Why is there no way? Both UD and RI dominated their non-conference schedules. Dayton had a road win versus Louisville and a dominating home win versus Pitt, pre-Fields injury. RI beat Syracuse in New York, which is never easy.

Could it be that the top six in the A-10 are all very good and will beat up on each other? Or could it also be that Dayton lost two of its top 3 players to injury. Very few teams are deep enough to play uneffected by that. Not to mention that the game last night was at Xavier and we all know playing on the road is the biggest challenge for most teams.

You didn't even mention that Xavier has already lost to Temple. I think you're right that X is the best team in the league, but don't act like they're the only good squad.

[Bearvision]

I understand defending your conference my friend, so don't take offense. I just merely said that I think Xavier is the only legit top-25 team in the A-10.

Not a knock on Dayton or RI, or the A10. They're both really good teams, but beat up on some not-so-heavyweights to form a little more impressive records than their strength of their teams...In my opinion of course.

[SShoe]

I see your opinion, but why do you believe that? You can't just make a statement and then give no evidence as to why you made that statement. I can say that I think Memphis is overrated, but I need to back it up with data to make my argument hold more water. This is how it works.

I personally think Dayton has done enough to earn top 25 status. They're 3-2 against the RPI Top 50, a pretty solid record that indicates they belong in discussions. They've beaten two Big East schools, both likely tournament teams. Their only non-conference loss came at the beginning of the year, a loss to a very solid George Mason team in their gym. And their two most recent losses have come with their 2nd and 3rd best players hurt.

Now you go.

[3star_recruit]

From some of these posts you'd expect Wright and Little were out for the season and not just another six games.

[Bearvision]

I see your opinion, but why do you believe that? You can't just make a statement and then give no evidence as to why you made that statement. I can say that I think Memphis is overrated, but I need to back it up with data to make my argument hold more water. This is how it works.

I personally think Dayton has done enough to earn top 25 status. They're 3-2 against the RPI Top 50, a pretty solid record that indicates they belong in discussions. They've beaten two Big East schools, both likely tournament teams. Their only non-conference loss came at the beginning of the year, a loss to a very solid George Mason team in their gym. And their two most recent losses have come with their 2nd and 3rd best players hurt.

Now you go.

I've watched them play and I think there are 25 other teams that are better. I really put very little stock in an RPI rating, and place more emphasis on how good a team plays against other good teams. Beating a top 50 team is nice, and I'm sure they'll get in the tourney, but as getting destroyed by Xavier shows, they are a vulnerable team IMO.

At the end of the season, I think Rhode Island is a fairly mediocre club.

It's my opinion, and one that I think will be bourne out at the end of the season, Dayton won't be top-25 is my opinion. I could most certainly be wrong.

Heck, I said Drake would probably finish last in the Valley this year, so what do I know?

[billiken_roy]

I've said all year that Xavier is the only legit team in the A-10, and I feel they will end up the only team ranked when it's all said and done.

The league is certainly getting better, but there is no way that Dayton or Rhode Island are one of the top-25 teams in the country.

beary, you really need to let those back to back snubbing's missouri state had the past two seasons from the ncaa. is this still about the loss to the billikens last year when ian buried your bears? come on. let it go.

[Bearvision]

beary, you really need to let those back to back snubbing's missouri state had the past two seasons from the ncaa. is this still about the loss to the billikens last year when ian buried your bears? come on. let it go.

Roy, I never said anything about anything other than Dayton and RI are not top-25 basketball teams IMO. As if saying a team is a really good team, that will probably go to the NCAA tournament, is a slam against a program.

At the end of the season, I think my opinion will be borne out to be correct. Of course, if I didn't, I probably wouldn't have posted it.

In the year that SLU has had, I wouldn't cast stones, or other people are liable to cast the millions of stones SLU has provided other teams' fans in ammunition, back at you.

PS- I think you meant "let go of those"

[Taj79]

I don't disagree with the bear's overall statement. There always seems to be a lot of movement and jostling in spots 30 to 15. Once you get up into the top 15, I believe, you are there to pretty much stay. The next 15 are all bopping up and down based on what they did that week. Those above them never drop out it seems no matter what.

I think the A10 is much more solid than in the past two years. I think even if the Bills don't make it AC, going to AC won't be that bad because the quality of play will actually be higher and more competitive. Who's ranked in the MoValley? Drake. Drake! DRAKE! Wow, how the mighty have fallen. But its all cyclical, bear's group will be back.

I like X because of the depth. I like St. joe's because of Nivens, Calthes and the other guy Ferguson (I thnk). I'm telling you, if they have or develo a guard or two, look out. Temple is a dark horse because college ball is a guard's game and Christmas and Tyndale are good. So is Goldmire down at Charlotte. But he would need help.

Ihave decided against traveling to La Salle today. Maybe I'm the bad penny.

[Bearvision]

Can I just say, when I post on this board, I am merely posting as a college basketball fan. The fact that I'm a fan of a team in the MVC does not necessarily mean I have some thinly veiled agenda to work the MVC into the point of every one of my posts.

The Valley has nothing to do with my opinion of the top-25 teams in America, nor do I think I have made references to the Valley in any way in my posts in this topic w/o prompting.

Drake is an iffy top-25 team if you asked me, but the point of this thread, I thought, was about Xavier destroying a solid Dayton team. Which is why my posts only revolved around that topic, and I try not to take ole Roy's bait.

If an outside basketball fan who is not trolling, nor going off topic in every thread, is not welcomed in this forum, that is understandable I guess.

I just like talking basketball of all shapes and sizes (meaning BCS conferences all the way down to my little ole Valley conference), and SLU is a prominent basketball playing university in my home state. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Quality Is Job 1]

I have decided against traveling to La Salle today. Maybe I'm the bad penny.

How's that decision working out for ya? Never, never, never give up on your team.

[Quality Is Job 1]

Can I just say, when I post on this board, I am merely posting as a college basketball fan. The fact that I'm a fan of a team in the MVC does not necessarily mean I have some thinly veiled agenda to work the MVC into the point of every one of my posts.

The Valley has nothing to do with my opinion of the top-25 teams in America, nor do I think I have made references to the Valley in any way in my posts in this topic w/o prompting.

Drake is an iffy top-25 team if you asked me, but the point of this thread, I thought, was about Xavier destroying a solid Dayton team. Which is why my posts only revolved around that topic, and I try not to take ole Roy's bait.

If an outside basketball fan who is not trolling, nor going off topic in every thread, is not welcomed in this forum, that is understandable I guess.

I just like talking basketball of all shapes and sizes (meaning BCS conferences all the way down to my little ole Valley conference), and SLU is a prominent basketball playing university in my home state. Nothing more, nothing less.

Roy's just messin' with your head, bearvision.

[Bearvision]

Roy's just messin' with your head, bearvision.

I know Roy, he posts over at Stltoday.

As for Dayton, I imagine they'll be up in the top-5 after these two recent performances...

[billiken_roy]

bearman, dayton's ranking was justified. they had legitimate big wins. of course now the dayton team is playing without their outstanding freshmen wing, wright, and their steady and always lethal forward little. take two of the three best players off of any team in the country. show me the team that maintains their level of play when they lose 2 of their top 3 players.

dayton probably wont finish the season anywhere close to the top 25. but it wont be because they werent top 25 prior to two weeks ago. it will be because wright and little missed all these games and then when they do come back will likely not be quite the same level of play.