Banter on the Parkway

After two games you can't ask for more than two wins. Xavier isn't in top gear yet, but they're winning with a team that is just coming together and getting to know each other. It's good so far, but a seriously stern test awaits.

It's finally time to start talking college basketball again. Xavier is back, but not at all how you remember them. The Musketeers have completely retooled under Coach Sean Miller after losing 10(!) players from last season. We'll break down the roster and talk about how we see it playing out in our season preview episode.

Xavier went back to the Sweet 16 where... things could have gone better. Still, this season was a return to doing what Xavier does. The train is back on the tracks. We discuss that, name an MVP, talk about the impact Sean Miller had, and break down what we know of the roster. There's all of that, and plenty of discussion of the NCAA tournament that gave us more great moments, on the season finale of Banter.

There are only 16 teams left in the NCAA tournament, and Xavier is one of them. This episode focuses on that pivotal Xavier-Texas matchup, how Xavier can win it, and where the danger lies. We'll also look at Xavier's last two wins, coaching changes galore, and preview the other seven games as quickly as we can. Have you remember to tag Coach Miller in your favorite transfer's announcement? Don't worry, we got you.

It's the most wonderful time of the year! We break down each region and tackle the favorites, players to watch, the best matchups, and which teams you can pick to spring big upsets. We leave no stone un-turned in the first of our two preview specials.

There's less than three hours until tip, and we've got the perfect way to fill half of one of them. We talk about how these teams got here, how to defend Marquette, and the one number that will decide whether or not Xavier walks away with their first ever Big East Tournament Championship.

It's March! This episode we focus on Xavier and the Big East tournament. The Musketeers haven't won a game here since 2019, but are poised to do so this season. We break down the loss of Zach Freemantle, the emergence of Cesare Edwards, and what impact that has on Xavier's chances of a deep run. We'll give our predictions for the tournament, the awards, and a piping hot take about Providence on this episode of Banter.

The Musketeers capped off the month that has tripped them up recently by hammering Seton Hall on the road. That leaves X in a great position entering March and gives us a chance to peak ahead to the conference tournaments. There are big comebacks to discuss, Nate Oats being a coward, Fran McCaffery doing God knows what, and your questions on this episode of Banter.

Xavier is down to six players and has dropped three of four. The Musketeers are fighting fatigue and their own propensity for throwing the ball to the wrong team. We've got three game breakdowns, a discussion of Cesare Edwards, why being good at basketball means you can do crimes, and how Mick Cronin can't wait to tell you Die Hard is his favorite Christmas movie. All that and all your questions on this episode of Banter.

Xavier lost against Butler in large part because of their own efforts, but also due to the stylings of a tragicomic officiating crew. We know 15.2.a, but they evidently don't. You will know it better after this pod. Souley Boum is getting tired and Xavier is struggling over the last seven. We discuss whether either is worth worrying about. There's that, some NSFW hazing at New Mexico St, yet another campus shooting canceling games, and your questions on this episode of Banter.

Losing Zach Freemantle wasn't a good thing, but Xavier grabbed two more wins in his absence. Jerome Hunter stepped up, Colby Jones, just kept being himself, and Souley Boum iced the wins. There's our breakdown of that, players punching fans, a bizarre clash in Iowa, and more Bison Dele chat that you probably bargained for. Throw in your questions and you have this week on Banter.

It wasn't a great end to the week, but Xavier still sits in a really good spot... unless Zach Freemantle is hurt. He may be, which puts the Musketeers February in jeopardy. We break down each power conference to see how strong they are and where that could put X, answer questions about the (lack of) depth, and get into the ridiculous schedules refs choose to work on this episode of Banter.

Xavier had their worst week in quite some time in losing to DePaul before playing badly enough to lose but getting bailed out by it being Georgetown. The Musketeers defense is still a serious problem and the offense can't be electric every time. We tackle all that, a travesty in New Mexico, Brad makes a bold prediction about Georgetown, answer your questions, and finally clear the air on the "nuclear winter" tweet... sort of.

Xavier is on fire right now. We break down two big Q1 wins, talk about Souley Boum and Jack Nunge, and get into where this team is in bracketology and why that's different from last year when we were in close to the same place. There's all that, your questions, the Darius Miles tragedy, cursed arenas, and why we think Pat Kelsey would be the perfect coach with just one little rule change. That's all on this episode of Banter.

Xavier has ripped off a 5-0 start and has one of the best offenses in the nation. The defense and depth, though, are not nearly so good. How do teams that profile like X get on at the pointy end of the season? We'll discuss that, Zach Freemantle, and answer all your questions on this episode of Banter.

Xavier knocked off UConn in a huge Q1 home win. Resume burnished, the Musketeers now sit 21st in the NET, where the Big East is rising rapidly. Georgetown remains a whole landfill fire, College of Charleston is, somehow, ranked, and the Big East is breaking into tiers. We discuss all of that, onanism (?), Jerome Hunter, and yell loudly about Dylan Sinn in this episode of Banter.

Xavier hung on against St. John's to get to 3-0 in the Big East. The all access broadcast was amazing, but most of what Xavier Nation wanted to know after the game is how someone's voice can get that high and how Xavier can avoid the fatigue that seems to be catching them at the end of games. We'll get into that, the emergence of Jerome Hunter, the struggles of the freshman, answer your questions, and implore you to quit taking F'd up shots in this episode of Banter.

Xavier is 2-0 in the Big East, but does that mean what it used to? The Big East is a bit weaker this year, but the Musketeers look primed to make a serious run at contention. That could depend on how far the offense can carry them, because the defense is a real area of concern. We'll get into all of that, the player of the week, whether the World Cup final was the best championship we've seen, and more on this episode of Banter.

The only way to upstage a Shootout win is with news that Xavier's coach has been found not guilty in the IARP investigation. Xavier remains squeaky clean, the best program in town, and in the premier basketball conference in the nation. Souley Boum is the latest Xavier transfer to exceed expectation, we break down the Big East so far, and our outro... could use some work. All that, Chris Beard, Fran McCaffery, and our tribute to Mike Leach by ranking coaching rants on this episode of Banter.

UC has beaten no one, Xavier has almost beaten the best of the best. The Shootout is the best basketball rivalry going, and we've got the details. How has UC been this year? Who should we hate the most? How do you only score 11 in a half against NKU? The answers to that, all your questions, everyone fighting off colds, and more on this episode of Banter.

Sean Miller is back, Xavier is back, basketball is back, and we're back! We'll talk coaching change, the best players on the team, how the Big East will shake out, and a plethora of other things as we, finally, finally, get back to talking basketball. It's only three days until tip off, let's go!

Xavier won the NIT in an incredible game over Texas A&M. That whole team, and its coach, won't be back next year as the highly debated transfer wheel has already started to spin. That, the NCAA final, and Gonzaga rumors on this episode of Banter.

Xavier finally ceded to the inevitable and named Sean Miller the head coach. We break down what could happen with his suspension, who he needs to keep on the team, and what his first steps as Xavier coach need to be. After that, we delve into the NIT and that other tournament that is going on. It's a new dawn for Xavier.

We go in depth on the Big East Tournament and what Xavier needs to do (win some games) there to get off the bubble. Nate Johnson returns, there's a fight Wagner-Bryant, Zach Freemantle is hurting this team, and Georgetown is really bad. That, and the second best week in basketball on this week in Banter.

Both the results and the behavior were disgraceful as Xavier dropped two games they could scarcely afford to lose. The Musketeers were booed off the court at home, and that wasn't even the worst of the crowd behavior. On the court the defense was appalling and the offense wasn't able to keep up. We tackle all that and all your questions on this episode of Banter.

This extra long episode centers around the one the thing Xavier Nation can't stop talking about: metrics. No, we're talking almost just all about the coaching situation, who might be available, and whether Xavier should even consider changing coaches. That, and your questions, in this episode of Banter.

Xavier built on a tough Seton Hall game to knock off UConn at home. Jack Nunge led the way all week with consistently great play. That raises X's tournament chances, but is ESPN conspiring to damage them? Will Georgetown ever make the tournament again? Answers to that, news of a big invite next November, and a lot more on this episode of Banter.

It has been three and a half years. Xavier is 16-6 (6-5) and almost a lock for the NCAA tournament. They also just lost to DePaul in a familiar February slump. Is it the coach? Is the team not developing? Is this just a team in a tough conference? We answer our questions, and yours, in this episode of Banter.

The numbers, and the better players, told the story as Xavier overcame a huge deficit to record a huge win at Creighton. That comeback cured the ills of a loss to Providence and sent X into a stretch of two winnable games. Nate Johnson has rediscovered his shot and Xavier is better off for it. It's all that, your questions, and some untoward giggling on this episode of Banter.