It will be a big week for The Gun.

        That's the trademark name of the big contraption Xavier hooks up to its baskets in practice. It rebounds the ball for shooters, and displays the number of shots made and attempted. It looks like a giant Pop-a-Shot.

        “We've made a huge effort to get better at shooting,” XU coach Thad Matta said.

        In XU's blowout victory Saturday over Coastal Carolina, the only concern about the Musketeers' 38.6-percent shooting — 29.8 percent for everyone not named David West — was that there's little time to improve. The next game is Saturday against No.8 Missouri, in Indianapolis.

        “I thought our shot selection was good; we just didn't knock down the shots,” Matta said. “But we're going to keep progressing forward.”

        A key to this season will be XU's ability to hit perimeter shots, preventing opponents from cheating down low on West. XU made just 30.3 percent of its 3-pointers last season, its worst mark ever, and it was 1-for-11 (9.1 percent) from that range Saturday.

        Matta believes in The Gun. He bought one for XU the week he was hired. When he became head coach at Butler before last season, he bought one for the Bulldogs the day he got the job.

        “You get a lot of shots in a short period of time,” he said. “Since it keeps the percentages, guys can see themselves improving.”

        FREY ON MEND:

        Kevin Frey's surgically repaired left ankle is improving, but he's still working on conditioning. Matta said part of the reason Frey was just 2-of-14 Saturday is that he's still getting his game legs.

        “The thing I liked about what he did was, he kept going,” Matta said, noting Frey's 10 rebounds. “I have confidence in him that he'll make those shots. He has already made tremendous strides.”

        WEST HONORED:

        West has been named Atlantic 10 player of the week for his record-setting game Saturday. West totaled 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting and set a school single-game record with eight blocks.

        TIGER TALE:

        Before facing XU, Missouri (2-0) will meet No.24 Alabama on Tuesday in the NABC Guardians Classic semifinals in Kansas City, then either No.9 Iowa or No.12 Memphis on Wednesday in the finals or consolation.

        “It's good that we'll have four (game) tapes to scout them,” said Matta. “But they'll have four games of experience to get the kinks out, and we'll only had one, which could be tough.”

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