X Marks the Spot

I took a break from betting for the evening because my recent run was one of the worst on record. After analyzing some numbers that I'll touch on during my next fund selection, I took the evening to check into some teams I wasn't as knowledgeable about. Playing in a secondary conference, Xavier hasn't really been on the public radar since getting thrashed by Duke in late December. Since then, they've quietly dominated their conference and moved up to #9 in the rankings. To give them some credit, they've rounded into form as their point guard situation has become more solidified. The decisive win at LSU gave them some legitimacy.

On the court, Xavier showed some nice tournament qualities against Temple. Freshman Terrell Holloway is banged up, so it's not fair to give him an assessment as the team's starting point guard. Word on the street is that the team has turned the corner since he became the starter. The team's x-factor is B.J. Raymond, who is as hot as any player in the Atlantic 10 right now. He's got a reasonably well rounded game, but his outside shooting ability will be a tournament factor. Brad Redford adds another outside touch. Other leading scorers C.J. Anderson and Derrick Brown didn't have their best efforts, but I liked the energy I saw from Jamel McClean and Jason Love on the inside. Coach Sean Miller preaches defense and it showed as they shutdown Temple's leading scorer, Dionte Christmas. The test vs. Dayton next week will be one to watch and we'll see how Holloway develops before making a final conclusion. However, the efficiency on both ends is nice to see.

In west coast news, California handled Washington with ease tonight, or so you'd think if you look at the final score. Turnovers killed Washington in the second half as they let Jerome Randle heat up and allowed too many easy California baskets. On the offensive end, they hit the boards hard, but couldn't find their shots. The blame falls on freshman Isaiah Thomas, who showed his youth in letting Washington's offense sputter when their defense wasn't stepping up. Jon Brockman is a house inside, but only took four shots as he couldn't find his rhythm. Justin Dentmon showed a lack of confidence and was unable to fire from distance. California was bound to give a strong effort given their two losses on the road last week, so Washington should've brought a strong game. The game was there to be won at halftime and Washington crumbled. Will they bounce back against Stanford?
Does it even matter when it comes to March? Thomas needs to gain more experience down the stretch if this team is to be taken seriously.

And in a final note, watch out for UCLA. While they didn't play on Thursday, they've lit things up in their last three games, and I expect them to run Notre Dame on Saturday.