New Year's Eve - St John's at Xavier 12pm ET FS1

[SJUREDMEN85]

To me the most intimidating thing about Cintas, if it really is intimidating at all, is the way the crowd calmly accepts victory as if there had never been any doubt.

lmao and you actually think that`s gonna intimidate us? lol uhhhhh yeah ok.

[xu1990]

I love that conference play is here and we can all stop being nice to/rooting for each other!

Time for new rivalries to blossom, beginning with the Red Storm tomorrow.

For what it's worth, IMO one of the few down sides to the Big East is the lack of great on campus arenas for a few of the member schools (GT, PC, MU, SH, DePaul) The NBA type arenas are great in some respects but I will take a smaller, rocking on campus arena any day.

Go X

[more cowbell]

To me the most intimidating thing about Cintas, if it really is intimidating at all, is the way the crowd calmly accepts victory as if there had never been any doubt.

lmao and you actually think that`s gonna intimidate us? lol uhhhhh yeah ok.

After seeing the crowd at the Columbia game, I would think that would be a big change from what St. John's normally draws

[BEX]

No intimidation needed. X wins 90% of their home games. Just a fact.

[XU85]

At Cameroon they were six freshmen and lost by six. It doesn't matter if they have won or not, but the crowd at Cintas won't be anything they have not played in front of before. It's a road game just like most others that are played in the Big East and have been played in the Big East. I'm sure Cintas is a tough place to play, but these teams have played in tough places. I expect a good game with a close Johnnies win.

I don't expect the the Johnnies to be intimidated. I think it is more a question of will they be jacked up enough and how do they handle a potentially lengthy scoring drought.

[X Factor]

I predict a Xavier win because the game is at Xavier and X is the better team.

I think the Muskies end up winning by 10-12 points.

[xavierfano8]

Line opened at Xavier -4.5 for those who care.

[Lavinwood]

X is a very good team but so are we. 84% of people picking X must have missed us playing toe to toe with #2 Cuse and really hung in there with now #4 Wisconsin. It shows we can play against anyone. IMO this game is a complete toss up. Very evenly matched and it's 50/50 for me. Our worst loss is against Penn State in OT so far. And that's a very dangerous PSU team with Newbill and Frazier who are among the elite nationally. Usually we have 1 of those typical out of nowhere losses to a cupcake like Northeastern or Asheville. Not this year. We may have finally turned a corner. X has a very good team as well and they are at home. It's going to be tough, but just because you are at home doesn't mean you will win. From the games I've been to, we've been at our best on the big stage in front of big crowds, so SJ will not shy away at all.

Looking forward to a very good game with 2 very solid teams. This is the kind of game you can simulate 100 times and SJ will win 50 with X winning the other 50. Too close to call. Here's to no injuries!

[anXUfan]

To me the most intimidating thing about Cintas, if it really is intimidating at all, is the way the crowd calmly accepts victory as if there had never been any doubt.

lmao and you actually think that`s gonna intimidate us? lol uhhhhh yeah ok.

Sometimes sarcasm is lost.

Let's settle it at high noon.

[XUFan09]

Looking forward to a very good game with 2 very solid teams. This is the kind of game you can simulate 100 times and SJ will win 50 with X winning the other 50. Too close to call. Here's to no injuries!

Since Xavier is the home team, that would imply that St. John's is a better team than Xavier. I just don't think they are, and actually I think it's the opposite (though it's close). Kenpom gives Xavier a 72% chance of winning; that's more than homecourt advantage would suggest. Vegas gives 4.5 points to St. John's, which is more than you give a road team by default.

Now, St. John's has a serious advantage where Xavier has a weakness: Shot blocking. That could drastically change the game, both through shots directly being blocked and Xavier players hesitating to even go to the rim or putting up a poor shot when there (The Roy Hibbert Effect).