Banter on the Parkway

Basketball was rolling along until just after noon on March 12th when it, and everything else, changed in a manic four hours. The impact of that was felt worldwide. We discuss all that, as well as the tournament we've come up with to try to stand in the gap.

The two main topics on Twitter are the main topics of the pod. Of course we mean the question everyone is asking: is Coach Steele the right man for the Xavier job? And the question everyone else is asking: will coronavirus just render this season moot anyway? That and more on this week's Banter.

Xavier grabbed another Q1 win, but did so with another bad offensive performance. How far can that offense go in the NCAA tournament? Will there even be an NCAA tournament? That, Jason Carter dunking, recruits who can shoot, and a terrible sports movie this week on Banter.

Bryan and Braydan are back for their weekly look around the Big East. Before that, we'll have a look at where Xavier stands on the bubble with just three games to go.

Xavier handled business against DePaul and moved up the bubble. Was that a repeatable performance? What does it say about X going forward? That, the Big East bubble, what Xavier needs to do to insure they are in the tournament, and which former player could bolster this team's chances all coming up this week.

It's a huge conference weekend as the chances for big wins become ever more important as March waits just over the horizon. As ever, Bryan and Braydan are here to break down all the action.

Xavier looks more and more secure with every road win, but where does the rest of the Big East stand? Could the conference get eight teams into the tournament? We talk that, what Quentin Goodin can still bring to the table, and answer your questions on this week's episode of Banter.

It's mid-February which means all the focus in college basketball is on the bubble. We'll see where Xavier sits there as well as how the Big East weekend sets things up for X against St. John's.

In this episode we go way into the numbers to determine why Xavier is suddenly playing like one of the best teams in the nation. There's that, your questions, superstitions, and bad hair all on this episode of Banter.

The Big East is poised to put a bunch of teams in the tournament as the conference enters a month that sets them up for the NCAA torunament.

Tyrique has driven Xavier to two huge Q1 road wins. We'll talk about how close that moves Xavier to the tournament field, the emergence of KyKy Tandy, and the games Xavier can't afford to lose. All that plus the ideal game snack in this episode of Banter.

It's time to look at the numbers dispassionately to see what Xavier has to do to get in to the tournament. (Make free throws). After I do that, Bry and Braydan come along to update all of us on how the Big East is shaking out.

Xavier's flaws were all on display against Creighton in a loss that dropped them to 2-5. Can they reasonably expect to drag themselves back to the .500 they probably need to be to earn an at large bid to the NCAA tournament?

Bubble talk. It sustains us through February, but it's already time for a sneak peek. We see where Xavier sits right now before Bryan and yet another guest break down Big East play.

Xavier's season hangs on the brink as we talk point guard problems, lineup changes and the Xavier Way, and what we think of the job Travis Steele has done so far. That, your questions, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and giving the Astros the death penalty on this episode of Banter.

Xavier may be off for the weekend and out of the hunt, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of good basketball going on around the conference. Bry and Braydan are back to break it all down on a blustery Saturday morning.

What's the cure to Xavier's ills? Burning it all down. We discuss the three point shooting woes, the defensive breakdowns, the coaching miscues, and how that could all be alleviated if we just didn't have a team. We'll also answer your questions and talk pickup ball in this episode of Banter on the Parkway.

Bryan and Braydan go in depth on everything going on so far in the Big East with a focus, of course, on what Xavier has to do to get back in the race.

Two great bench performances may have shown how to solve Xavier's depth issues, figuring out if this team is any good, and putting together the lineup pieces, plus answering all your questions on this episode of Banter.

Xavier keeps getting thinner, but does that mean anything for their tournament chances? Dah Bishop is gone, how can he be replaced? We answer those questions and look around the Big East in this episode of the Dispatches.

We convene the roundtable to try to pick which seven Xavier players, five starters and a sub each for the bigs and guards, combine to form Xavier's team of the 2010s.

The best and worst from non-conference, who to watch for in the Big East, is Butler for real, and how do you pronounce gif? All of that and more in this week's episode.

Xavier has rebounded since a six game losing streak last season. How have they done it? Joel looks at the improved defense while Brad breaks down how Quentin Goodin's improvement has helped Naji Marshall become more efficient.

Xavier lost to Wake on Saturday and the knives came out. We look at where the Musketeers go from here, whether it's time to panic just yet, and how a lineup change might be what the Musketeers need. That, Christmas food, pastors throwing snowballs, and ruminations on what motivates Jarron Cumberland all on this episode of Banter.

It's an hour of celebration as we break down Xavier's convincing Shootout win, give out the first ever Mick Cronin Memorial Pretend Tough Guy Award, and have a look ahead to Xavier's final three non-conference games. All that and more this week on Banter.