Associated Press
 Xavier at (17) Temple 7:00 PM ET, January 20, 2010 Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, PA |
|
|
CINCINNATI — The URI basketball team will try to do something Saturday night that no Rhody team has ever done — beat Xavier at Xavier.
Rhode Island has traveled to the Queen City six times since the Musketeers joined the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Rams have taken on the Muskies in the old Cincinnati Gardens, which is the team’s former home, and, more recently, at the gorgeous on-campus Cintas Center.
Xavier has won every time. Only once, in January of 1999, has URI even come within 10 points. On URI’s last visit, in 2007, the Rams were thrashed, 98-72. URI has beaten the Muskies twice at Keaney Gym, and in 2007 at the A-10 tournament in Atlantic City. But never in Cincinnati.
If they are to break that string, the Rams will have to do it before a packed house at the Cintas Center Saturday night. URI enters the 6 o’clock contest at 15-2 overall and 3-1 in A-10 play. Xavier is 12-6 and 4-1 after losing at Temple Wednesday night.
It is not as if URI is alone in having problems at Xavier. The Muskies have frustrated the entire conference, especially recently, as they have won three straight regular-season titles. They have won 26 straight A-10 games at Cintas, the last a victory over archrival Dayton a week ago.
First-year Xavier coach Chris Mack speaks as if winning so often is simply something to be expected for the Muskies.
“That’s what you have to do in this conference and any conference,” Mack said. “Defend your home court as best you can and try to win on the road.”
URI has reason to think this visit to Cintas could be different because the Rams have handled the road well thus far. They are 7-1 away from home, including a neutral-court victory over Oklahoma State. Still, the Rams have yet to play in a place like the Cintas Center.
“It’s a great college atmosphere,” URI coach Jim Baron said of the on-campus facility that seats a little more than 10,000 fans and regularly sells out even though fans have to pay a $1,600 personal-seat license just for the right to buy tickets.
Baron is concerned that Xavier’s size and strength could be used to slow his Runnin’ Rams.
“They’re very physical,” Baron said. “(Kenny) Frease and (Jason) Love are two of the most physical players in the league.” Frease is 7-feet, 265 pounds;Love, the team’s only senior, is 6-9 and 265.
Under former coach Sean Miller, who left to take the job at Arizona, Xavier regularly stressed team balance and depth. It has had four or five players average in double figures each year. It has been strong because it has been so solid in so many areas.
“They still have so many pieces, so many good players,” Baron said. “They have five guys who can shoot the 3.”
Xavier is second in the conference to URI in scoring, at 78 points a game, one behind the Rams. Rather than balance, the team has the conference’s newest star, Jordan Crawford. Crawford was one of the top freshmen in the Big Ten at Indiana two years ago, but left amid the turmoil at that school. The 6-foot-4 off-guard from Detroit is leading the A-10 in scoring at 19 points a game.
Mack is letting him carry the offense. Crawford has taken 342 field-goal attempts. By comparison, Keith Cothran has attempted the most shots for URI (222). Crawford is a solid 38.9 percent on 3-pointers.
Still, he is only third on the team in 3-point percentage. The Muskies have the top two in the league in that department, Brad Redford at 47.5 percent and Dante Jackson at 44.4 percent. Xavier has made 136 treys, tops in the A-10 and 33 more than Rhode Island.
If there is a downside for Xavier thus far, it has been defense. The team has been strong defensively in recent seasons with Stanley Burrell, Justin Cage and David West. This year, Xavier is allowing 69.4 points per game, only eighth-best in the conference. URI figures to score points. The challenge will be trying to stop the Muskies from scoring even more.
|
|
