OOC Game 3: @ Xavier

Game Preview/Recap
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Tip-off: Monday 8:30 EST, 5:30 PST in the Cintas Center, Cincinnatti
T.V.: FS1
Line: Xavier (-5.5)
Torvik Rank:

  • (84) Xavier (2-0)

  • (91) Santa Clara (2-0)

Xavier Musketeers:

  • Long‐time head coach Sean Miller departed Xavier to take the job at Texas Longhorns.

  • Xavier hired Richard Pitino (formerly at New Mexico Lobos) as their new head coach.

  • Coach Pitino also brought in a mostly new staff: six assistants/staff from his New Mexico teams.

Xavier Identity: “Tempo with Transition Threes”

Xavier plays fast but controlled, seeking early-clock looks — especially from three — while relying on defensive pressure to create scoring chances. With a new roster still learning to execute in the half court, their offense is driven by rhythm and energy rather than set plays.

Offense: Up-Tempo, Perimeter-Oriented, Streaky

  • Three-Point Heavy: Over 25 attempts per game; dangerous when hot (11-for-17 vs. Le Moyne first half).

  • Drive-and-Kick: Guards attack to collapse defenses and find shooters — a Pitino staple.

  • Limited Inside Game: Few true post scorers; paint points come from drives or transition.

  • Streaky: Can explode from deep or go ice-cold (34% FG vs. Marist).

Defense: Aggressive but Inconsistent

  • Pressure-First: Extends defense to force turnovers and spark transition offense.

  • Rotational Issues: New system has led to slow recoveries and 60%+ opponent FG in first halves.

  • Rebounding Weakness: Often out-rebounded, vulnerable against physical frontcourts.

Overall: Xavier thrives on pace, spacing, and disruption — but lapses in rebounding and half-court execution can make them volatile game to game.

Xavier 66 vs Marist 62

Xavier 74 vs Le Moyne 69

Key Contributors:

  • Malik Messina‑Moore (G): 16.5 ppg, 3.5 ast, ~6.5 3‑pt attempts per game

  • Tre Carroll (F): 11.0 ppg, 4.5 reb

  • Roddie Anderson III (G): 11.0 ppg, 3.5 ast

  • Jovan Milicevic (F): 10.0 ppg, 3.0 reb

  • All Wright (G): 10.0 ppg, 25 minutes per game, 63.6 % FG

Santa Clara Broncos:

  • The Broncos return to action under head coach Herb Sendek in his tenth season.

  • Roster moves: They added a trio of transfers who bring power‑conference experience: Gehrig Normand (from Michigan State), Chris Tadjo (from Iowa) and Aleksandar Gavalyugov (from Villanova).

  • From last season (2024‑25), their team offensive rating (ORtg) was ~115.7 and defensive rating (DRtg) ~103.0.

Takeaway: Santa Clara is in a reload phase — adding talent via transfers and freshmen, and retaining key returners. The influx of new players with high‑level backgrounds signals a push to maintain/increase their offensive firepower while likely working to shore up other areas (defense, depth, cohesion).

Santa Clara Identity: “Balanced Perimeter Offense with Inside Support”

Santa Clara plays a modern, perimeter-oriented style that emphasizes efficient shooting from three while maintaining balance with inside scoring when opportunities arise. Their offense flows through ball movement and spacing rather than relying on isolation plays, and their defensive approach focuses on staying disciplined and limiting high-percentage shots rather than applying constant full-court pressure.

Offense: Perimeter-Heavy, Balanced, Efficient

  • Three-Point Focus: Early games show high-volume and high-efficiency shooting from beyond the arc, with multiple players capable of stretching defenses.

  • Inside Support: While perimeter shots are primary, forwards and bigs contribute with drives and post touches, especially on transition opportunities.

  • Ball Movement: Guards and wings rotate the ball to find open shooters, rarely relying on isolation.

  • Consistent: Less streaky than some teams — able to sustain offense even when perimeter shots aren’t falling.

Defense: Disciplined, Containment-Oriented

  • Positionally Sound: Focuses on closing gaps and contesting shots rather than gambling for steals.

  • Transition Defense: Looks to limit fast-break points and protect the paint, relying on rotations rather than aggressive trapping.

  • Rebounding: Solid fundamentals; not elite athletically but maintains balance on boards.

Overall: Santa Clara thrives on efficient perimeter shooting, balanced scoring, and disciplined defense, making them a methodical and consistent team. Success depends on hitting threes and maintaining composure against pressure, rather than forcing turnovers or playing at extreme pace.

Santa Clara 83 vs Humboldt State 53

Santa Clara 79 vs McNeese 67

Key Contributors:

  • Elijah Mahi (F): 16.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 54.5% FG in ~31.0 minutes per game.

  • Sash Gavalyugov (G): 13.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 43.5% FG in ~22.5 minutes per game.

  • Christian Hammond (G): 12.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, 47.4% FG in ~29.5 minutes per game.

  • Jake Ensminger (G): 11.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 66.7% FG in ~27.0 minutes per game.

  • Thierry Darlan (G): 8.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 40% FG in ~22.0 minutes per game.

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Big thanks to Kourtside for helping on threads this season!

Xavier has not acquitted themselves particularly well so far this season. They are 2-0 but limped to that 2-0 by winning buy games by much smaller margins than expected. They have an okay defense but a heretofore anemic offense. The Musketeers have very little rim protection and let LeMoyne convert reliably at the rim.

I would love to see Bukky gets some lobs inside against this Xavier team and a few good slashes by Mahi and Darlan. If the Broncos play tough and swarm on defense, I actually see this as a likely SCU victory. I genuinely think that this Santa Clara team is better than this rebuilding Xavier squad if the Broncos can just be mentally and physically ready to play 2000 miles away and shake off any nerves about playing a Big East team in a large arena.

Lastly, as a longtime holder of Jake Ensminger stock, it’s fun to see him as (currently) the most efficient player in the WCC–obviously with a single game sample size skewing the numbers… That will fade, but I’ll be elated if Jake Ensminger the consummate glue guy truly becomes Jake Ensminger, Bronco leader and WCC DPOY dark horse.

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Looking forward to this one. A preview of 2034, when the Broncos are playing in the Big East WEST Division? :joy:

Should be a good, very winnable, early season test.

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Thank you Kevin! The previews provided by 92, Patty Mac, and now you are truly appreciated. I know that these consume tremendous time and research too. You guys do a fantastic job and I hopefully speak for the entire board.

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The Cincinnati area college teams really benefit from not having an NBA team. Xavier gets tremendous local support with over 10k fans a game. Their enrollment (2000 less undergrads than Santa Clara) and endowment (269 million) are shockingly small but a winning tradition with fans that actually go to games has made them an NCAA Tournament regular.

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Appears this is another game where the opposition isn’t terribly strong on the interior. That bodes well for the Broncos with our relatively thin (and light) post player rotation.

It will be interesting to see what our starting lineup is tonight, will Bukky return as the starting 5??? Or maybe Graves retains the role either as a reward for his solid play Friday or to ease Bukky back in with more moderate minutes as his ankle heals.

And the schedule is shaping up in the Broncos favor. Opponents with recognizable names and recent success are just looking so-so….McNeese has had success of late but they didn’t look as formidable as last season, as Patty notes Xavier has looked less than dominant against two inferior foes, and our next opponent Nevada barely squeaked by Pacific by a single point. After Xavier and Nevada we have Idaho St. and Louisiana. Could be a 6-0 start.

But first, take care of business tonight. Prediction: Broncos with a moderately close but comfortable win, 80-72.

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The line has been moving. I just got it at SCU +4.

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I’m way over-confident here. 79-67 Santa Clara

Graves puts up another dominant game with a double-double including 5 offensive boards. Darlan shows his potential with 18 points and 7 boards.

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83-65 SCU. Go Broncos!

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Wow, same score (and result) as the McNeese State game! I wonder, in the history of collegiate hoops, how many times a team played back-to-back games that ended with the same final score (and equally same win/loss result).

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Haha I didn’t even notice. That will be too much of a coincidence. I guess we know why that score was on my brain…

Usually, I just need to watch out for 92’s predictions. All too often, I pick within a point or two of 92 and have to adjust.

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Holy smokes I love the optimism.

I think this is very winnable but I have seen too much Bronco Hoops to get excited.

Xavier 81-74.

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My dad went to Xavier so this is a rivalry game. Debating whether I share my YouTube TV credentials with him so he can watch. LOL.

77-74 Broncos. And I am not confident with that. Don’t like the short TAT from Saturday’s game, across two time zones and in front of 10k fans.

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Here’s a pretty well-written preview from the Cincinnati perspective: Xavier v. Santa Clara: Preview, matchup, keys to the game | Banners On The Parkway

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Not to be too nitpicky, but I believe the last game was played Friday night, not Saturday.

Regardless, the travel and time zone shift isn’t ideal. Especially because our boys’ body clocks will be afternoon, which y’all know I despise. Thankfully, it would put them at very late afternoon Pacific time, not the dreaded 2pm start where we are historically bad.

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I love this paragraph from the article:

The last reference to Gettysburg is that the head coach of Santa Clara, tonight’s opponent, is Herb Sendek. Sendek was in grade school when the battle was fought and probably traded Civil War general cards with his friends growing up. (How many George Meades to get a Phil Kearney?) The Broncos are sort of 2-0 this year with a win in a non-D1 game and a hiding of a McNeese team that, in some guise, beat Clemson in the tournament last season. Some of the players are still there, but Will Wade is not, because he is at NC State, where Sendek was in 1997.

It especially make me laugh because the father of Xavier’s coach, one of college basketball’s most successful coaches, is about a decade older than Herb.

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The wisecrack about Herb’s age could be because he used to babysit Richard Pitino when he was a GA at Providence.

I’d love to know how many coaches go against a coach they once babysat

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Another note on Herb’s age - the Cintas Center opened in 2000 with Skip Prosser at the helm against Miami of Ohio.

You might think, oh, maybe Herb was the opposing coach in that one? Nope, he had been gone from Miami for 3 or so years by the time our opponents 25 year old arena was opening.

Herb seems to have raised the program’s floor, so to speak - I would not be surprised if we win this one, and would expect us to keep it close.

Those smarter than me can opine, but I think winning true road games is rather good for the NET and similar computer rankings. One presumes Xavier will have a relatively good NET compared to other OOC or Conference games by virtue of the quality of the Big East schedule.

All to say, this would be a good one to win, Xavier doesn’t look invincible by any stretch, and I think Herb will have the squad ready to play in a energetic environment.

Xavier is my dream program to emulate - since 1983, they been in the tournament 29 times, they draw well in a nice but not massive arena, in a large city with some pro sports competition (no NBA, but U of Cincinnati is a high major with more mass appeal in the same market). And I love their tradition as an incubator for coaches to succeed then proceed on to high majors. Perpetually solid.

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SCU has won some big games on the road. Both Gonzaga and WSU were in front of large crowds last year and both were 100+ point games.

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Xavier gets a bunch of credit for their reputation here as a gritty defensive minded program. Although they’re physical I am not sure simply applying more pressure makes you better at defense. They have two slim wins to lesser known mid major programs which speaks to the transition to their new culture and identity.

In my opinion they’re essentially a bigger version of mcneese. They apply pressure on d and gamble on the perimeter exposing them to ball movement exploitation near the rim including foul trouble. Sounds as if they get point happy and while they can make it a contest they will shoot themselves out of a game. M

Santa clara has a reputation to and Herb, is aware of it. While santa clara turned over 15 times in game too given the pace of play and defensive aggression it didn’t look like how it did last year. The Broncos exhibit far more control than recent iterations. The defense is also far more aggressive. The shots will fall at some point and it can come from anywhere. Bukky is back tonight; absolutely matchup nightmare. This game will move fast.

Broncos 84 Xavier 79