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Butler at Xavier, 6:30pm, FS1 -Jeff Levering & LaPhonso Ellis
Line: Xavier-5.5/150.5

St. John's at Seton Hall, 8:30pm, FS1- John Fanta and Donny Marshall
Line: St. John's -1/146

Go Johnnies

feels close to a must win for Butler realistically. 1st of 3 really with DePaul and Georgetown after this. Then the schedule gets absolutely brutal in Feb/Mar.

With nine different teams having a legitimate shot for the postseason, pretty much everyone will be having some brutal stretches as the season progresses. I think one team that will have a particularly challenging schedule from here on in is Villanova, since they've already booked their two DePaul wins. Providence, Butler, Marquette, The Hall, X, and the Johnnies still have those two wins to look forward to. If the Johnnies can weather the tough stretch they're in now, it gets noticeably easier at the end, since they also have the two Georgetown games along with DePaul.

hoops22 wrote:With nine different teams having a legitimate shot for the postseason, pretty much everyone will be having some brutal stretches as the season progresses. I think one team that will have a particularly challenging schedule from here on in is Villanova, since they've already booked their two DePaul wins. Providence, Butler, Marquette, The Hall, X, and the Johnnies still have those two wins to look forward to. If the Johnnies can weather the tough stretch they're in now, it gets noticeably easier at the end, since they also have the two Georgetown games along with DePaul.

I think the problem for Butler is one of the easier teams going forward is going to be Providence after the Hopkins injury, and they have already booked a loss against them.

I also wouldn't really put X as having a legitimate shot. Their bad OOC really put them behind the 8 ball. To have any shot at making the tourney, they'd need to go at least 12-8 in conference play, and they're already 2-3.

2 teams I think get hurt by the schedule- Nova and St John's. Both of them see Georgetown for the first time in a month. I think the Hoyas are just going to improve as the season goes along. (so I think we agree for sure about Nova).

stever20 wrote:

hoops22 wrote:With nine different teams having a legitimate shot for the postseason, pretty much everyone will be having some brutal stretches as the season progresses. I think one team that will have a particularly challenging schedule from here on in is Villanova, since they've already booked their two DePaul wins. Providence, Butler, Marquette, The Hall, X, and the Johnnies still have those two wins to look forward to. If the Johnnies can weather the tough stretch they're in now, it gets noticeably easier at the end, since they also have the two Georgetown games along with DePaul.

I think the problem for Butler is one of the easier teams going forward is going to be Providence after the Hopkins injury, and they have already booked a loss against them.

I also wouldn't really put X as having a legitimate shot. Their bad OOC really put them behind the 8 ball. To have any shot at making the tourney, they'd need to go at least 12-8 in conference play, and they're already 2-3.

2 teams I think get hurt by the schedule- Nova and St John's. Both of them see Georgetown for the first time in a month. I think the Hoyas are just going to improve as the season goes along. (so I think we agree for sure about Nova).

Xavier has the 5th (KenPom) strongest strength of schedule (3rd by ESPN) to this point playing 3 #1 seeds in Uconn, Purdue, and Houston. They have some warts with home losses to Delaware and Oakland, but to your point they need to finish 11-9 or 12-8 in the BE with 1 or 2 wins in the BE tournament to get a bubble spot.

xufan02 wrote:

stever20 wrote:

hoops22 wrote:With nine different teams having a legitimate shot for the postseason, pretty much everyone will be having some brutal stretches as the season progresses. I think one team that will have a particularly challenging schedule from here on in is Villanova, since they've already booked their two DePaul wins. Providence, Butler, Marquette, The Hall, X, and the Johnnies still have those two wins to look forward to. If the Johnnies can weather the tough stretch they're in now, it gets noticeably easier at the end, since they also have the two Georgetown games along with DePaul.

I think the problem for Butler is one of the easier teams going forward is going to be Providence after the Hopkins injury, and they have already booked a loss against them.

I also wouldn't really put X as having a legitimate shot. Their bad OOC really put them behind the 8 ball. To have any shot at making the tourney, they'd need to go at least 12-8 in conference play, and they're already 2-3.

2 teams I think get hurt by the schedule- Nova and St John's. Both of them see Georgetown for the first time in a month. I think the Hoyas are just going to improve as the season goes along. (so I think we agree for sure about Nova).

Xavier has the 5th (KenPom) strongest strength of schedule (3rd by ESPN) to this point playing 3 #1 seeds at this point in Uconn, Purdue, and Houston. They have some warts with home losses to Delaware and Oakland, but to your point they need to finish 11-9 or 12-8 in the BE with 1 or 2 wins in the BE tournament to get a bubble spot.

I think 12-8 is the minimum required. That would get you to 18-13. And then probably need a win in the BET to get to 19-14 at least. Definitely a game like tonight is a must win for Xavier.

Butler is most likely a year away unless they find something going forward. just not connected enough so when a few guys have a bad game the team is just not able to keep up. Find who's hot that night and shut them down and you got us beat.

kmacker69 wrote:Butler is most likely a year away unless they find something going forward. just not connected enough so when a few guys have a bad game the team is just not able to keep up. Find who's hot that night and shut them down and you got us beat.

Certainly was a game of runs.

Brookes! Good for you guys. What a shooter.

Pitino out with Covid and the Johnnies are getting run by Hall at half.