Xavier (6) vs Villanova (17)

[Wheelhouse]

Should be a great game. I give a slight edge to Nova playing at home. Xavier has probably been the better team so far but I expect the arena atmosphere to be difficult. I think it comes down to Nova's 3-point shooting. In the past that has been Xavier's Achilles heel on defense and if the Wildcats come out firing X could be in trouble.

I do think people are sleeping on Nova just a bit at this point of the season. After all, their two losses are both to top 5 teams.

It should be a great match-up and I can't think of a better way to kick off the BE season.

[BlueBlobsBro]

If Xavier can find a way to win these next two, they could very well be number 1 or 2 in the nation. That being said this is probably the biggest week of Xavier's season so far and will be a huge test.

[Hoya33]

Flagship? Correct me if I am wrong, but Xavier is a few games over .500 in Big East play through two years. They are closer to average than flagship. I will be surprised if they finish above Georgetown this year in the Big East.




uote="DudeAnon"]Thursday, December 31, 12:00 PM on FS1
The Pavilion

Figured this game deserved its own thread. Frankly I think X wins and its not close. Nova lost a ton of talent and X is firing on all cylinders. Time for a new flagship baby![/quote]

[MUPanther]

I'm sure Villanova season ticket holders are fired up to have two top 10 teams coming in on Thursday and Saturday on campus.

I think Villanova is at Creighton on Saturday.

My bad, Butler has a huge showdown at Xavier on Saturday.

[pki1998]

Flagship? Correct me if I am wrong, but Xavier is a few games over .500 in Big East play through two years. They are closer to average than flagship. I will be surprised if they finish above Georgetown this year in the Big East.


uote="DudeAnon"]Thursday, December 31, 12:00 PM on FS1
The Pavilion

Figured this game deserved its own thread. Frankly I think X wins and its not close. Nova lost a ton of talent and X is firing on all cylinders. Time for a new flagship baby!

[/quote]

I agree that the flagship comment was out of place and frankly a little Dayton-esque. Nothing says that you are the flagship of the conference, like self proclamation. Every team has an overly exuberant fan or two (NovaBall and GTMO come to mind). The fact is Xavier is 4-21 all time against Villanova, and 0-5 since joining the Big East. This game is a great measuring stick for this years team, and it will probably be a close hard fought game. I am hopeful that Xavier will win, but this game is probably a coin flip.

What I disagree with is the fact you will be surprised if X finished above Georgetown this year. Xavier is 8-3 all time against the Hoyas, and 4-1 since joining the Big East. They Hoyas have looked like a team with out heart several times this season. Maybe things will click and they will go on a tear, but it doesn't seem likely. Georgetown seems to play up to top teams, but can't seem to get over the hump. They have also played horribly against teams that they have been expected to beat. If I was a betting man I would place my money on one if not both of DePaul or Saint John's picking up a win against the Hoyas this year.

[ChestRockwell85]

Please keep in mind that Villanova students are still on Christmas break. We will obviously have an advantage playing at home but don't expect the atmosphere to be as loud as it would be if this game was another couple weeks away.

[MakScratcher3]

Flagship? Correct me if I am wrong, but Xavier is a few games over .500 in Big East play through two years. They are closer to average than flagship. I will be surprised if they finish above Georgetown this year in the Big East.

No offense at all, but have you watched both teams play this year? If so, I would be curious to hear your reasoning for being surprised if X finishes ahead of Georgetown?

Per ESPN RPI rankings, Xavier is 3-0 versus RPI 1-50 and 5-0 versus RPI 51-100. Georgetown is 0-3 versus RPI 1-50 and 2-0 versus RPI 51-100. Additionally, the Hoyas have lost two games to teams with an RPI above 150 (Radford & UNC Asheville)...both of which were AT HOME. And nearly lost another game to RPI 223 UNC Charlotte. Xavier has zero losses thus far. Are you just basing your statement on last year's standings with Georgetown finishing higher than Xavier? I just can't imagine how you could rationally think, at this point in the season, after watching both Xavier & Georgetown play, that they have a good shot at finishing ahead of Xavier. The resumes aren't comparable. Maybe this will all change in a few weeks, with X losing a few games and Georgetown going on a major winning streak. But at the moment, I am just hoping Georgetown finishes inside the Top 100 of the RPI. Right now, I think that is up in the air.

I do agree that the Flagship comment was stupid. I apologize on behalf of the individual who posted that comment. That is certainly not how the 99.9% majority of Xavier's fan base feels. Since Xavier has been a member of the Big East, Villanova has been to Xavier what the St. Louis Cardinals are to my Cincinnati Reds --- to put is simply, they have absolutely owned us.

[Edrick]

Maybe he just misspelled Seton Hall as Xavier, that's the only reason I could think of.

[PMThor]

If Nova can handle playing against Xaviers surprisingly effective 1-3-1 defense, like shoot well from outside, then things will be very interesting. As for X, the Muskies have a plethora of players who can slash and score, which seems to be a problem for Nova defensively.

Do I have any idea who will win? Nope, not at all. It's going to be a great game. (honestly, if X wins this game, this is the bell weather game as to whether or not they are legitimate FF contenders IMO)

[PorthosPA]

Flagship? Correct me if I am wrong, but Xavier is a few games over .500 in Big East play through two years. They are closer to average than flagship. I will be surprised if they finish above Georgetown this year in the Big East.

The bait is set. Now we sit back and wait.