Chris Mack questions Musketeers' desire

When Xavier plays defense well, even for limited periods, it wins, as evidenced by impressive comeback victories over Purdue and Vanderbilt. When it doesn't, events such as the 87-72 loss at Dayton on Jan. 21 will occur. The solution appears to be simple: play harder. The Musketeers did just that during a four-game winning streak that was snapped in the loss at Dayton. But Xavier coach Chris Mack continues to be perplexed by his team's inconsistent effort. "They say a team takes on the personality of its coach, so I'm a non-competitor, I guess," Mack said. "That's who we were (Jan. 21). But it's not the team I am used to coaching." The concern now for Xavier is whether the Dayton loss is just blip on the radar or a return to the trends that resulted in the Musketeers losing five of six games following the brawl with Cincinnati. "I think defensively we took a step back," forward Andre Walker said. "We just didn't focus on defense. Didn't focus on making free throws. We just didn't play like we wanted to be here today." That comment must be unnerving for Mack, who berated his team in the locker room for more than 15 minutes following the Dayton loss. With first place in the Atlantic 10 Conference on the line in a game at one of the team's fiercest rivals, the Musketeers didn't show up? "Doesn't have a whole lot to do with X's and O's," Mack said. "It has a lot to do with the desire that every player has on our team." NOTES, QUOTESRichardson back on the job --Assistant coach Kareem Richardson has rejoined the coaching staff following lung surgery. During Richardson's absence, former Xavier grad and NBA standout Aaron Williams served as a temporary assistant coach. Williams scored 1,073 points in his Xavier career, then played for nine NBA teams before retiring in 2007. --Xavier coach Chris Mack had surgery Jan. 8 to repair a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. The injury occurred in practice Jan. 6 when Mack was attempting to dunk during a team-building exercise. BY THE NUMBERS: 65.6 percent -- Xavier's free-throw percentage through Jan. 22, which ranked near the bottom of the Atlantic 10 Conference. QUOTE TO NOTE: "It felt like our team thought the game started at two rather than one. You've got to show up and be excited to play. We didn't get that" -- Xavier coach Chris Mack following a disheartening 87-72 loss at Dayton on Saturday. STRATEGY AND PERSONNELTHIS WEEK'S GAMES:--vs. Saint Louis, Jan. 25KEY MATCHUPS: The Billikens always prove to be a tough matchup for Xavier, largely due to their deliberate offensive style and rebounding ability. Saint Louis is led by Brian Conklin, who had averaged 14.3 points through 19 games, one of three Billikens players averaging in double figures. --at Charlotte, Jan. 28KEY MATCHUPS: Xavier lost at Charlotte last season in what is typically a tough road game for the Musketeers. The 49ers are led by Chris Braswell, who was averaging 14.5 points through Jan. 22. Javarris Barnett is Charlotte's top 3-point threat at 34 percent. FUTURES MARKET: If the Musketeers are going to make another run in March, they need Dezmine Wells involved in the offense, particularly in transition. His highlight-reel dunks provide energy for the team, but they also are the result of the Musketeers' effort on defense and in rebounding at the other end of the floor. After his four-game suspension following the brawl with Cincinnati, Wells scored in double figures in four of six games through Jan. 22, and he had hit at least one 3-pointer in five of those games. PLAYER NOTES --Junior G Mark Lyons was helped off the court after suffering an apparent back injury when he fell under the basket Jan. 21 at Dayton. Lyons returned to score 11 of his 20 points in the second half. He had scored in double figures in 16 of his 17 games through Jan. 21. --Senior G Tu Holloway entered the week of Jan. 23-29 needing just two points to move past Gary Lumpkin for 16th place on the school's all-time scoring list. --Junior G Brad Redford, who returned this season after sitting out last season with a knee injury, was finding his stroke. Redford scored a season-high 10 points including two 3-pointers in the Jan. 14 win over St. Bonaventure. He was 2-for-2 from 3-point range at Dayton on Jan. 21.