The race in the Atlantic 10 Conference may be wide open, but if there's anything resembling a consensus about who the main contenders are, it's that Xavier, Temple, SLU and Dayton are the top four teams. The order is up for grabs.
The Billikens (15-4, 3-2) already have lost to Temple and Dayton, so if they're going to establish themselves as anything better than fourth best, it would behoove them at some point to get a win over one of the other top teams in the league. The Billikens get that chance tonight when they play at Xavier, and while they still have Xavier and Dayton coming into Chaifetz Arena, this looks like their last chance for a high-quality road win this season.
"It's time to step up, absolutely," forward Cody Ellis said, "especially in a big road game."
Of course, looking to snap some road struggles at the Cintas Center, where Xavier, considered a potential Final Four team early in the season before hitting a rough patch, has won 43 straight A-10 games, is like saying you'll get over your fear of heights as soon as you get to the top of Mount Everest. Over the past five seasons, some very, very good A-10 teams have gone into Cintas and lost. So SLU is taking the big-picture approach.
"I've always said as soon as we get two wins for a game, I'll pay more attention to that game," coach Rick Majerus said.
"We definitely have to get this one because it's the next one on the schedule," forward Brian Conklin said, "and they're a great team and it's on the road and I haven't gotten them in my four years. That's why we have to get it. It would be great to get a win there."
A win would be a big help when it comes time to sort out the tiebreakers that figure to decide who finishes where at season's end. And it also would be a massive tension reliever come NCAA Tournament selection time. Right now, SLU's best win is a neutral site victory over Oklahoma, which is around No. 70 in the RPI, which isn't the strongest of recommendations. When the basketball committee starts crunching numbers, SLU needs to give them something to chew on.
Xavier (13-6, 4-2) has proved to be erratic this season, getting up as high as No. 8 in the polls ? "They have almost no discernible weakness," Majerus said ? before the infamous brawl with Cincinnati sent them into a suspension-fueled funk that they still haven't fully escaped. Xavier dropped four of five after the fight, and just when it looked to have gotten back to normal with four straight wins, there came a stinker Saturday against Dayton. So SLU could get the Xavier team that lost to La Salle by 10 points or that lost to Dayton by 15. SLU could very well get the one that beat Cincinnati by 23. "Xavier's Xavier," Ellis said. "They're tough, no matter what went on in the past."
He's probably right and it's SLU's misfortune to get Xavier coming off a loss, much the same way they got Temple coming off a loss. Xavier coach Chris Mack, who played for two seasons under SLU assistant coach Jim Crews at Evansville, said his team had to focus more on itself than SLU this week after playing with a lack of passion against Dayton. Xavier figures to come out angry.
"The great teams carry (passion) from game to game, from practice to practice," Mack said Tuesday. "We did not do that on Saturday in an environment that I think everybody in the world would think that's when it would show up the most. That's what was disheartening and that's what has to change."
Xavier forward Andre Walker said the team's practices this week were the most intense they had had all season. "We focused on things that we were lacking during the game, mostly just rebounding and playing with intensity," he said.
The Billikens (15-4, 3-2) already have lost to Temple and Dayton, so if they're going to establish themselves as anything better than fourth best, it would behoove them at some point to get a win over one of the other top teams in the league. The Billikens get that chance tonight when they play at Xavier, and while they still have Xavier and Dayton coming into Chaifetz Arena, this looks like their last chance for a high-quality road win this season.
"It's time to step up, absolutely," forward Cody Ellis said, "especially in a big road game."
Of course, looking to snap some road struggles at the Cintas Center, where Xavier, considered a potential Final Four team early in the season before hitting a rough patch, has won 43 straight A-10 games, is like saying you'll get over your fear of heights as soon as you get to the top of Mount Everest. Over the past five seasons, some very, very good A-10 teams have gone into Cintas and lost. So SLU is taking the big-picture approach.
"I've always said as soon as we get two wins for a game, I'll pay more attention to that game," coach Rick Majerus said.
"We definitely have to get this one because it's the next one on the schedule," forward Brian Conklin said, "and they're a great team and it's on the road and I haven't gotten them in my four years. That's why we have to get it. It would be great to get a win there."
A win would be a big help when it comes time to sort out the tiebreakers that figure to decide who finishes where at season's end. And it also would be a massive tension reliever come NCAA Tournament selection time. Right now, SLU's best win is a neutral site victory over Oklahoma, which is around No. 70 in the RPI, which isn't the strongest of recommendations. When the basketball committee starts crunching numbers, SLU needs to give them something to chew on.
Xavier (13-6, 4-2) has proved to be erratic this season, getting up as high as No. 8 in the polls ? "They have almost no discernible weakness," Majerus said ? before the infamous brawl with Cincinnati sent them into a suspension-fueled funk that they still haven't fully escaped. Xavier dropped four of five after the fight, and just when it looked to have gotten back to normal with four straight wins, there came a stinker Saturday against Dayton. So SLU could get the Xavier team that lost to La Salle by 10 points or that lost to Dayton by 15. SLU could very well get the one that beat Cincinnati by 23. "Xavier's Xavier," Ellis said. "They're tough, no matter what went on in the past."
He's probably right and it's SLU's misfortune to get Xavier coming off a loss, much the same way they got Temple coming off a loss. Xavier coach Chris Mack, who played for two seasons under SLU assistant coach Jim Crews at Evansville, said his team had to focus more on itself than SLU this week after playing with a lack of passion against Dayton. Xavier figures to come out angry.
"The great teams carry (passion) from game to game, from practice to practice," Mack said Tuesday. "We did not do that on Saturday in an environment that I think everybody in the world would think that's when it would show up the most. That's what was disheartening and that's what has to change."
Xavier forward Andre Walker said the team's practices this week were the most intense they had had all season. "We focused on things that we were lacking during the game, mostly just rebounding and playing with intensity," he said.
