College hoops tip-off marathon: Butler at Xavier

4:16 - Probably the strangest game of the day in that this is a non-conference game featuring two teams from the same conference. The reason for this oddity is that the game was already scheduled when Butler announced it was making the move to the Atlantic-10 a year ahead of schedule.

This has been predicted by many to be the year Xavier finally finishes in the bottom half of the A-10 standings. Naturally, they came out and hung 117 on Fairleigh Dickinson in their season-opener. They should have a much tougher time both scoring and defending against a team with Rotnei Clarke and Kellen Dunham in its backcourt.

Prediction: Butler by 8

4:26 - Xavier's Jeff Robinson has eight early points and the Musketeers have seized control early, 21-11. They sure don't look like a team poised for a slip to the bottom half of the A-10.

4:29 - Rotnei Clarke misses his first three three-point attempts as a Bulldog, but buries his fourth. Robinson answers with a jumper to become the first player in double figures. X still in charge, 23-16.

4:34 - Dominos order has been placed.

4:40 - Semaj Christon and Jeff Robinson are both wayyy better than I thought they were. Muskies up by ten, 32-22.

4:51 - Both teams shoot 50% or better in the first half, but it's Xavier with the 36-29 lead at the break. Robinson leads all scorers with 12 points. I'm getting antsy about this cheesy bread.

5:27 - Butler is ice cold from the field in the second half and as a result the Xavier lead has ballooned to 13. The Bulldogs are being manhandled inside.

5:30 - DAN DAKICH IS MAD ABOUT EVERYTHING.

5:35 - Xavier now with its biggest lead of the game at 50-35. It's hard to envision Butler getting back into this one.

5:37 - In Beauty and the Beast when Belle finds the beast in the woods and then rides him back to safety on her horse, how in the hell did she get him up on that horse? Butler takes a timeout down 52-35.

5:47 - The rout is officially on. Time to shift focus onto the Champions Classic games.

5:52 - Can't take any more Dakich.

5:56 - A disappointing non-introduction to the Atlantic-10 for Butler, which falls to Xavier 62-47. Jeff Robinson scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the victors, while Travis Taylor added 15 and nine.