Preview: 3 keys for Xavier Musketeers to get road win over Providence Friars

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After its latest missed opportunity to help improve its NCAA Tournament resume, Xavier will stay on the road this week with a matchup against Providence Wednesday in Rhode Island.

It’s a quick turnaround for Xavier after falling to Villanova on Super Bowl Sunday. Xavier is wrapping up a seven-game streak that includes five road affairs.

Xavier has only managed one road victory in that span (at Marquette Jan. 18) and is now in must-win mode after failing to capitalize on a Quadrant 1 opportunity.

Multiple bracketologists have listed Xavier on the wrong side of the bubble. The Musketeers have done little to change that perspective and have few chances remaining to gain ground.

At this rate, Xavier can’t have any bad losses on its March Madness application. At 1-8 in Quadrant 1 contests, Xavier’s 8-0 combined mark in Q3/Q4 is its best asset. Xavier can improve to 6-2 in Q2 games with a win over the Friars.

Xavier is just 2-7 on the road this season heading into a matchup against Providence on Wednesday.

3 keys to a Xavier Musketeers’ win over Providence Friars

1. Xavier’s defense must lead bounce-back effort

Over a pair of January wins over ranked teams (Marquette, UConn), Xavier was in the top 40 in KenPom in overall efficiency. They’ve dropped to No. 53.

Over its last three games, Xavier has allowed Creighton, Georgetown and Villanova to shoot a combined 50.8% from the field and 41.6% from three-point range. Xavier has allowed 40-plus second-half points in each contest.

“Some of it is execution and us detailing a number of things to get better at,” Sean Miller said of the recent defensive setback. “Some of it is that it has to come from within yourself. You have to play at a very high level of intensity. There are certain players that can do that easier. There are certain players that struggle with that.”

Xavier allowed Villanova to go 12-of-24 from thre-point range in Sunday’s 80-68 loss at Wells Fargo Center.

Creighton and Villanova collectively hit 23 triples to deny Xavier a…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/preview-3-keys-xavier-musketeers-221808520.html

Author : The Enquirer

Publish date : 2025-02-11 22:18:00

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