By PAUL GOTHAM
Three teams entered the field ranked. One maintained Top 25 status. Another gained the national spotlight. Plenty look ready for March. The 2015 Advocare Invitational did not disappoint. Three of the four first-round games were decided by single digits – two ended as one-possession games. Three games as well in the second-round were decided by six points or less. It was that way on a weekend that frequently felt like March. Speaking of March, now that the dust has settled some thoughts on the 2015 Advocare Invitational.
Xavier’s balance
The last time Xavier won an early-season tournament, the Musketeers advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. There’s no reason to think this Musketeers squad can’t do the same. Six different Musketeers tallied double figures in Xavier’s 90-61 victory over previously undefeated Dayton in the final. Edmond Sumner led that night with 14, but it could be any player on any given night. Pouring in 16, Trevon Bluiett paced four with double figures in X’s win over USC in the semi-finals. Bluiett also led the way against Alabama. The sophomore guard is Xavier’s most talented perimeter scorer. He hit two early three-pointers as the Musketeers took a 27-point lead into halftime against previously undefeated USC. But Bluiett’s contributions don’t stop there. In round two, he drew the assignment of covering USC’s Benny Boatwright who netted 22 (5-of-9 behind the three-point arc) in an opening round victory over Wichita State. Boatwright managed eight against Xavier. That was due in large part to foul trouble created by Bluiett attacking off the dribble, but the 6-6 sophomore guard also didn’t give the 6-10 Boatwright any clean looks on the perimeter. Xavier’s Jalen Reynolds and James Farr combined to average 18 points and 13 rebounds a game from the post.
Beyond all those numbers, it’s the little things on defense which add up for X. It can be summed up on one play during the USC contest when Xavier’s J.P. Macura doubled down on Nikola Jovanovic and forced a rushed shot for an air ball. Myles Davis saved the ball from going out of bounds, and Larry Austin Jr. converted on the other end with a layup. A lot of contributions from that play don’t end up in the box score, but they matter in the bottom line. Keep in mind Xavier beat Michigan by 16 at Ann Arbor. Not sure the game was even that close. Barring injury and/or any unforeseen off-the-court issues, Xavier is at the least an Elite Eight team. Xavier hosts Western Kentucky on Saturday.
UD looks to Scoochie
Locked in a one-possession game with Iowa late in the first half of the opening round, Archie Miller went with a lineup of John Crosby, Kyle Davis, Steve McElvene, Ryan Mikesell and Bobby Wehrli. In other words, Miller had three freshman on the floor and only one starter from last year’s team. That lineup limited an Iowa club which started the game hitting 54 percent from the floor, to 2-of-9. Miller didn’t mince words when it came to evaluating his squad’s progress. He all but predicted his team’s loss to Xavier. Miller also knows the value of game experience, and that’s what his guys got; it also created uneven results.
If he didn’t already know it, Miller found that Scoochie Smith is his guy in late-game situations. Scoochie delivered a pair of late layups in the win over Iowa and followed that with another drive and bucket to go with a late 3 to defeat Monmouth. But it’s more than that. Per Basketball State, Scoochie notched game-high player efficiency ratings ((Pts + TReb + A + Stl + Blk) – ((FGA – FGM) + (FTA – FTM) + TO)) in both of Dayton’s wins. Yes, against Monmouth when Justin Robinson lit up the Flyers for 28 points, Scoochie outdid his counterpart 22-20 (the average NBA player efficiency rating is 15) in overall efficiency. One word describes Scoochie’s play: calm. That might run counter to the demeanor of his fiery coach, but Scoochie steadies the ship, and he delivers when UD needs him most. Under Miller, Dayton has won five NCAA Tournament games over the past two seasons. This team is ready for more. Don’t forget Dyshawn Pierre is due to return. Dayton hosts North Florida on Saturday.
Monmouth Bench
Suddenly being a benchwarmer for a Division I mid-major is en vogue. Grab your towel, check your inhibitions at the door and let it ride. If you don’t know about the Monmouth Bench, it’s time to come out from under your pigskin. Take your pick:
Which one is your favorite?
— The Monmouth Bench (@MonmouthBench) November 28, 2015
There’s more, but these celebrations need a reason. Justin Robinson feeds the animal. Monmouth’s 5-8 (generous) point guard set a tournament record with 77 points and was named MVP. He netted 17 of his game-high 22 in the second half as Monmouth upended then No. 17 Notre Dame to open the weekend. Robinson hit five of seven behind the arc and scored 28 in a loss to Dayton and followed that with 28 points (5-of-8 from long range) in an 83-73 win over USC. Monmouth improved to 4-2 and has wins over UCLA, Notre Dame and USC. The Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference has had just two at-large bids (Iona 2012 and Manhattan 1995) in its 34-year history. The Hawks may have staked the conference to a possible third. Monmouth is more than Robinson. Freshman wing Micah Seaborn has a dynamic game. A slender guard, Seaborn gets up and down the floor well. He can pull-up in transition and finish around the basket. Seaborn accounted for more than 15 points per game for the weekend. And then there is Deon Jones:
Monmouth plays at Canisius, Friday night.
Tide finds its flow
This is not the same Alabama Crimson Tide which lost by more than 30 points at Dayton earlier this season. Shannon Hale drilled a three at the buzzer to pull Alabama within three of Xavier at half – the closest any of Xavier’s three opponents were going into the locker room. Hale scored 20 in a 64-60 win over Wichita State, and Retin Obasohan finished a layup with eight seconds remaining as Alabama upset Notre Dame. The Tide has a non-conference game at Clemson and another against Oregon before settling into SEC play. Not ready to suggest they can go .500 in the league, but they have the athletes to pull of an upset or two. Alabama plays at Southern Mississippi, Thursday night.
Playing without a conscience
Andy Enfield’s USC Trojans hold nothing back. The Trojans came in averaging more than 88 points. They might have received a little more resistance over the four days at the HP Field House than in their previous contests. They didn’t get out of the 70s for the weekend. Julian Jacobs is an electric guard (scored 15 versus Xavier and 19 against Monmouth). Boatwright can fill it up. Jordan McLaughlin leads the Trojans with 15.3 ppg, but finished the weekend wearing a face mask. USC can score in bunches, but can they score consistently against quality opponents. USC plays at UC Santa Barbara Thursday night.
When Irish eyes are wincing
One has to wonder if going forward teams need to schedule stiffer competition prior to entering events like this. The Irish looked out of step. Robinson and Monmouth pushed the Irish back on their heels. Think about that. Monmouth, a team which has NEVER beaten a ranked team, had the Irish playing defensively. Demetrius Jackson‘s numbers for the weekend look good (16 ppg, 4 apg), but his overall effect seemed limited at times. Zach Auguste looked unwilling to take over. Notre Dame plays at Illinois, Wednesday night.
Hawkeyes on the outside looking in
Iowa was receiving Top 25 votes a week ago. Sunday, they played the seventh place game at 10 am. Not many had Fran McCaffery’s dropping the first two games of the tournament. Matthew Lundeen did a great breakdown of Iowa’s showing here. Iowa held opponents under 63 points per game last year. Dayton scored 82 in the first game. Jarrod Uthoff and Peter Jok (had 10 at half versus Dayton. Finished with 12) can score in bunches from the outside. But they both can disappear for long stretches. Iowa hosts Florida State tomorrow.
No margin for error
Wichita State entered ranked. The Shockers left without a victory. That is how much Fred VanVleet means to this team. Ron Baker is a special talent although he did appear slightly hobbled (was holding his leg off and on). This is not a deep Wichita State and VanVleet’s hamstring injury put too much responsibility on Baker. Kansas transfer Conner Frankamp will become eligible later this month. As long as Gregg Marshall is on the Wichita State bench, the Shockers will be a threat in March. Wichita State plays at Saint Louis on Saturday.
The 2016 Advocare field includes Florida, Gonzaga, Indiana State, Iowa State, Miami, Quinnipiac, Seton Hall and Stanford.
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