Game Recap: LaSalle

I expected more of a challenge from LaSalle. On paper they looked to be a much improved team. Xavier did a great job of setting the defensive tone early. 'Big Lovely' Jason Love gets my game ball for 10 pts, 9 rebs, and three blocks. Derrick would have been a candidate but four turnovers took away a little bit from his great day (7-10) from the field. BJ Raymond was solid again and everybody seems to be embracing their roles well. Free throw shooting and turnovers still a concern. With 15 against a pressure type team would have been decent but LaSalle played halfcourt zone most of the game. Many of them were results of travel calls or bad passes on our behalf. Certainly the overall length of the Explorers played a hand but still not much improvement. With the win and Duquesne loss X moved into first place in the A10 with a 4-0 record thus far. CBS Sports RPI ranking as of this morning is holding at #5 with a SOS of seven.

Up next for X is a road trip to St. Bonaventure. I am actually glad to be playing this particular Bonas team on the road as they are 7-0 themselves on the road this season. Overall they are 12-6, 2-2 in the A10. Old friend Mark Schmidt seems to be righting the ship in year two of his tenure there. He has picked up the most likely ROY in the A10 in Andrew Nicholson. Great shotblocker this frosh is. He was lightly recruited out of Canada but has blossomed in his first year in Olean. They just suffered a blow in the backcourt with the loss of Ray Blackburn to a meniscus injury during practice. Their first game without him this past Saturday they beat Richmond on the road. They also have local player Micheal Davenport out of Moeller who sees regular time on the floor for the Bonnies.