Xavier Musketeers Blog

Atlantic 10 2009-2010 Preview Part Two

hehmand — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:48:43 GMT

1) Xavier
Xavier has had a pretty tumultuous off-season. They lost Head Coach Sean Miller to Arizona. Recruit Kevin Parrom backed out of his letter-of-intent and plans to enroll at either Pittsburgh or Arizona. But Xavier is still too deep and talented to be too affected by either departure. They return three of five starters, while freshmen Kenny Frease, Brad Redford and Terrell Holloway will have a season of experience under their belt. Junior Dante Jackson had an impressive NCAA Tournament and will look to take over the leadership role held by B.J. Raymond a year ago. Not only will the Musketeers still have the experience on their side, but they also improve their point guard depth by adding Mark Lyons, a former Rivals.com Top 150 recruit. Those close to XU say he?s as good, if not better than Holloway. Either way, XU benefits from having two highly touted point guards. In even better news for XU, they also get Indiana transfer Jordan Crawford, another Rivals.com Top 150 recruit. Crawford averaged nearly 10 points per game at Indiana and has been hailed as potentially the best guard in XU history, according to Sean Miller. New Head Coach Chris Mack also assembled a top-notch assistant coaching staff led by former XU team captain and Wake Forest head recruiter Pat Kelsey. Chris Mack is walking into a golden situation and he should keep Xavier at the top of the league.

2) Dayton

Dayton is going to have expectations that haven?t been thrust upon them in quite some time. Last year, the Flyers had an impressive non-conference, but slipped up near the end of the conference season. The same thing happened the year prior, mainly due to injuries. Despite their late season slip last season, Dayton still managed to get in the NCAA Tournament. They then proceeded to ?upset? the West Virginia Mountaineers, making it the second consecutive year that WVU and Bob Huggins fell out of the Tournament at the hands of an Atlantic 10 team (Xavier 2008). This year, Dayton should be a top 20 team and seriously threaten Xavier for the title. They?ll also be expected to not have another late season slip. The Flyers only lose Charles Little, while junior Chris Wright is perhaps the best athlete in the entire league and could be an NBA lottery pick when his Flyer career is over. If Dayton improves upon its shooting, which was by far and away the biggest weakness UD had a year ago, Dayton could end up in the Sweet 16, if not farther.

3) Richmond

Richmond has pleasantly surprised in the Atlantic 10 in two consecutive years. Two seasons ago they finished fourth in the league and advanced to the inaugural CBI. Last year they again advanced to the CBI. This year, however, the pressure will be turned up. The Spiders will be led by two guards who were 16+ point scorers in senior David Gonzalvez and junior Kevin Anderson. Richmond also gets back Dan Geriot, a 14 point scorer from the 2007-2008 season. If his injured knee is healthy, the Spiders will be loaded with talent and experience at the guard and center position. That is a clear recipe for success and could land the Spiders back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004.

4) La Salle

This is one team to keep an eye on. La Salle was finished with a solid 9-7 conference record in 2008-2009. This year should be even better. They had zero contributing seniors on the roster a year ago, while they started five juniors. That kind of experience could help Dr. John Giannini advance to at least the NIT, a place La Salle hasn?t been in a while. They could also compete for their first ever Atlantic Ten championship.

5) Duquesne

There wasn?t a bigger surprise in the Atlantic 10 last year than the Duquesne Dukes. They advanced all the way to the A-10 Championship Game before falling to Temple in a close game. They then were selected by the NIT and lost yet another close game at Virginia Tech. This year, however, I expect the Dukes to take a step back. They lose do-it-all guard Aaron Jackson and will need one of their several sophomores or juniors to step up and take over the leadership role. Bill Clark and Damian Saunders are early candidates to fill that role. If they do, the Dukes will contend again and could get back to the NIT. Like Saint Louis, Look out for the Dukes 2010-2011.

6) Temple

Temple is going to have a tough time replacing Dionte Christmas. His 19.5 points per game helped Temple get back to their second consecutive NCAA Tournament. In addition to losing Christmas, Temple will be without Semaj Inge and Sergio Almos, another 15 points and eight rebounds they?ll have to replace. But senior Ryan Brooks and junior Lavoy Allen will keep the Owls in the mix. Expect one of the two to have a breakout season and become a star in this league. With those two, Temple could be the darkhorse to win yet another Atlantic 10 Tournament championship and advance back to the NCAA Tournament.

7) Saint Louis

Saint Louis should have been an NCAA Tournament team last year and the year before. They had arguably two of the best guards in the league with Kevin Lisch and Tommie Liddell. But SLU decided to change directions two years ago when they hired Rick Majerus. He completely changed the system and Lisch and Liddell never really fit into the mold he wanted. Well, now those two are gone and Majerus should have his system in place. Kwamain Mitchell and Willie Reed should be poised to lead the Billikens in 2009. But there is still too much inexperience on SLU?s roster. I think 2010-2011 will be their year.

2009-2010 Preseason Top 10

hehmand — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:37:54 GMT

It may only be April, but it will be November before you can blink. So here's an early look at next season's projected Top 10 teams. Next week I'll finish up with teams 11-25.

Kansas
The Jayhawks are the consensus top-ranked team heading into next year. And why not? This is a team that went to the Sweet 16 a season ago in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. With Cole Aldrich and Sharon Collins back, and with the addition of Xavier Henry, the Jayhawks could capture their second national title in three seasons.

Michigan State
Had Kansas not added Xavier Henry, I could have easily put MSU in the top slot. Coming off a national title appearance, the Spartans return guards Kalin Lucas and Chris Allen, as well as stud forward Raymar Morgan. If sophomore guard Korie Lucious transitions his hot shooting from the NCAA Tournament into next season, the Spartans should capture the Big Ten championship, and maybe more.

Villanova
Villanova surprised some by advancing to the Final Four a year ago. That won?t be the case this season. The Wildcats are the early favorite to win the Big East and will have to play with a target on their back all year. If Scottie Reynolds pulls out of the NBA draft, the Wildcats should be just fine, especially with the top-ranked recruiting class coming to Philly.

Purdue
This is a team that has not changed very much in two years. In 2008 the ?Baby Boilers?, a team loaded with Freshmen and Sophomores, advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Xavier. Last season they advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing to UConn. Led by Chris Kramer, Robbie Hummel and JaJuan Johnson, the Boilermakers may get to a Final Four this year. And with that kind of experience on the roster, they could win it all.

North Carolina
Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington are gone. But Roy Williams just keeps churning out quality recruits. Sophomore Ed Davis should become a star next season and it will be his Tarheel team to lead. With the fourth-ranked recruiting class, UNC shouldn?t have to ?rebuild? for long.

Texas
Even if Damion James doesn?t return, the Longhorns should be in great shape for next year. They quietly pieced together the second best recruiting class led by top 10 recruits Avery Bradley and Jordan Hamilton. And if James does in fact back out of the NBA Draft, the Longhorns could return to the Final Four for the first time since 2003.

Duke
Gerald Henderson probably isn?t coming back to Duke. But Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith are. Duke has underachieved in recent years (by Duke standards), but you can never discount Coach K. It should come down to Duke and UNC for the ACC crown?again.

Xavier
No, this isn?t a homer pick. I fully expect Derrick Brown to return to school. I also expect Jordan Crawford to be a game changer (he averaged nearly 10 points per game at Indiana as a freshman) and that missing piece that could have led XU to the Final Four a year ago. With the addition of Mark Lyons at point guard (supposed to be just as good as Terrell Holloway), the Musketeers should repeat as A-10 champs. New Head Coach Chris Mack has also assembled a top-notch coaching staff that should keep the Xavier train rolling. Mack couldn?t ask for a better situation to walk into.

California
Patrick Christopher flirted with the idea of heading to the NBA. Luckily for the Golden Bears, he decided to come back to Berkley for his senior year. Cal returns everyone from last year (no, seriously, look at last year?s roster, there aren?t any seniors) and will be hungry to improve upon their one-and-done NCAA performance. They are the Pac-10 frontrunner, and may have the best backcourt in the nation with Christopher and Jerome Randle.

Clemson
This should be the year that Clemson gets past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They?ll have to replace K.C. Rivers numbers, but leading scorer Trevor Booker should be primed and ready to have a monster senior season. Oliver Purnell also ads quality recruits with three Rivals.com Top 150 recruits. Coach Purnell should be one of the happiest men in America come March as he?ll likely pick up his first ever NCAA Tournament win, and then some.

Xavier 2009-2010 Preview

hehmand — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:41:41 GMT

The 2009-2010 edition of the Xavier Musketeers should have been a preseason Top 10 team and a candidate to reach the Final Four. Now, I?m not saying that those things aren?t going to happen. But with the departure of Head Coach Sean Miller, the media will be tougher on the Musketeers than they would have had he stuck around. Despite that, the Muskies should still, at the very least, be able to match this past year?s success.
With that said, here is an early look at next year?s Muskies.

Key Losses:

Sean Miller
Miller was well on his way to eventually bringing a Final Four to XU. Xavier?s recruiting had never been better than it was under Miller. The postseason success had never been better, either. Miller led XU to two consecutive Sweet Sixteen?s (one being an Elite Eight) for the first time in school history. But Miller decided Arizona?s money was more important. Now XU has to fight to keep the team together (2010 recruits Jordan Latham and J.D. Weatherspoon de-committed, while 2009 recruit Kevin Parrom opted out of his National Letter of Intent).

B.J. Raymond and C.J. Anderson
This isn?t nearly as big of a loss as the prior year (Josh Duncan, Stanley Burrell and Drew Lavender). While Raymond was the team?s leading scorer, at times, both Raymond and Anderson were inconsistent both offensively and defensively. Xavier should be able to withstand both men?s departure. However, they will need a new team leader with the confidence that Raymond had.

Key Additions:

Jordan Crawford
Crawford appealed to play last season after transferring from Indiana. His appeal was not granted and he was still forced to sit out. Having him a year ago could have carried XU to the Final Four. At least that could have been the case if you believe Sean Miller when he said Crawford could be the best guard in XU history. He averaged nearly 10 points per game as a Hoosier and is all but guaranteed to start next season. If he?s not rusty, then he should be the best player on the team. We?ll see.

Mark Lyons
Lyons will challenge Terrell Holloway for the point guard spot. Lyons was forced to sit out a year ago after being an academic non-qualifier, but on paper, is supposed to be as good, if not better than Holloway. Either way, XU will benefit for two reasons. A) Lyons provides much needed point guard depth. B) Lyons and Holloway should be ultra-competitive in battling it out for the starting point guard role, which should bring out the best in both.

Question Marks:

Derrick Brown
The super athletic Derrick Brown declared early for the NBA draft, but did not higher an agent. Keeping Derrick Brown (13.7 points, 6.1 rebounds) takes the Muskies from only a Top 25 team to a potential Top 10 team. He could also be the difference between being a Sweet Sixteen team and a Final Four team.

Kevin Parrom
Will the Rivals.com Top 150 recruit come to Xavier? It looks unlikely, but there is still a chance.

Chris Mack
Mack takes over for Miller, but has never held a head coaching job in college basketball. He was the player?s choice to replace Miller, so the majority of the team should stick together. But only time will tell if he can be as good as Sean Miller. Unlike Miller, Mack benefits from inheriting an extremely talented and experienced squad.

Key Games:

Old Spice Classic, Orlando Florida
Features: Marquette, Michigan, Alabama, Baylor, Creighton, Florida State, Iona and Xavier

Kansas State (Away)

LSU (Home)

Butler (Away)

Cincinnati (Home)

Florida (Away)

Atlantic 10 2009-2010 Preview Part One

hehmand — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:37:46 GMT

Before you know it, college basketball season will be here again. So here?s to an extremely early look at next year?s Atlantic 10. This week I?ll be previewing my projected bottom half of the league.

14. Fordham Rams
Last year the Rams were terrible. They managed only three wins the entire season and were consistently blown out. This year won?t be much better for the Rams, standings-wise, but they should be better record-wise. Brenton Butler, who only played in seven games a year ago, should be back and ready. The Rams also return their two top scorers including freshman All-Atlantic 10 performer Jio Fontan. Still, don?t expect much from Fordham.

13. George Washington Colonials
If there is a team that could challenge the Fordham Rams for the worst team in the league, GW could be that team. Wynton Witherspoon, Noel Wilmore, and Rob Diggs are gone. That?s three of the top four Colonial scorers from 2008-2009. Senior Damian Hollis is going to have to have another solid season to keep the Colonials competitive. If Karl Hobbs is still coaching George Washington in the fall, then there is something wrong in Washington D.C.

12. Saint Bonaventure Bonnies
The Bonnies were a pleasant surprise last season, advancing to the Atlantic 10 Tournament. They should be able to do that again. Heck, they may even be next year?s Duquesne (the Dukes advanced all the way to the A-10 Championship game and earned an NIT berth after I picked them to finish in the bottom two). The Bonnies top two scorers were freshmen last year, and they?ll have a stable of seniors who could lead the Bonnies to more success than a year ago. Mark Schmidt is my early favorite for Atlantic 10 coach of the year.

11. Saint Joseph?s Hawks
Saint Joe should never be rated this low in the Atlantic 10. So what has gone wrong? Well for starters, seniors Tasheed Carr and Ahmad Nivins are gone. Not only were those two the top Hawk scorers, but Nivins was also Atlantic Ten Player of the Year. And without him, there is not much more talent on what was an already thin squad. The Hawks will have to rely heavily on role players like Garrett Williamson, Idris Hilliard, and Darrin Govens. If one or two of those guys play like stars, the Hawks could inch toward the top of the Atlantic 10. If not, then this is a fair assessment for the Hawks.

10. Massachusetts Minutemen
If anyone read my blogs this past season about the A-10, then they know how frustrated I was with UMass. And maybe I should kick myself, but I?m going to go against conventional wisdom and put them this high. Of course ?this? high is not high at all, but it could be argued that the Minutemen could be below Saint Joe and Saint Bonnie. But I won?t put them there because of Ricky Harris. He put up 18 points per game a year ago and could easily average 20 this season. Plus, Derrick Kellogg is in his second year so his players should have a better grasp on his system?right?

9. Rhode Island
Make it two consecutive years that the Rams had golden opportunities to make the NCAA Tournament but blew it. This year, the NCAA most likely won?t be anywhere near reality. The Rams top two scorers Kaheim Seawright and sharpshooter Jimmy Baron are gone. But Jim Baron, Sr. does return Keith Cothran and Delroy James, two talented seniors who should keep the Rams competitive. An NIT berth could be an obtainable goal for the somewhat rebuilding Rams.

8. Charlotte 49ers
This team has tumbled greatly since joining the league in 2005. And now, amazing dunker Charlie Coley is gone. As is leading scorer Lamont Mack. Bobby Lutz better find a way to finish better than 8th, or his job may actually be in jeopardy. But he?ll be able to count on senior DiJuan Harris (9 points per game) and junior An?Juan Wilderness (7.9 points per game). Lutz will also have Rivals.com Top 150 recruit Chris Braswell (ranked 83rd). The talent has always been there for Charlotte. It?s just a matter of health and consistency. And if the 49ers stay injury-free unlike a year ago, they could finish much higher.

Xavier Season Recap

hehmand — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:19:03 GMT

The 2008-2009 season for the Xavier Musketeers was interesting to say the least. It was surprisingly successful, but at the same time, extremely bittersweet.

Lowlights:

Unless you?re the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers, each and every NCAA basketball team is going to go through the highs and lows of the basketball season. Heck, even the national champion North Carolina Tarheels looked human at times this season (see: Boston College, Wake Forest, Florida State). Naturally Xavier was no different. Here?s a recap of the season lows.

Duke: Xavier had a golden opportunity to impress the nation on December 20th. They had a nationally televised game against one of the premiere programs in all of basketball, the Duke Blue Devils. Xavier was embarrassed from the tip, but managed to only lose by 20. At times, it looked as if it could/should have been 40.

February: Over the past few seasons, the Musketeers had been flat out dominant in the month of February. This year, however, was not the case. Things started off well with an impressive home victory over Temple on ESPN. The X-men then went on to lose three of the next four, including an unacceptable loss to a bad Charlotte team. The woes spilled over into early March with a loss at Richmond.

Atlantic City: Three straight seasons the Musketeers have come into the Atlantic Ten Tournament as the top team. Three straight years the Musketeers have been eliminated in the semi-finals. This year it was the Temple Owls advancing past the Muskies. Bad news for X: the tournament is staying put in Atlantic City for the next few seasons.

Second Half vs. Pittsburgh: Xavier had everything rolling against the top-seeded Pitt Panthers in the Sweet 16. The second half was the polar opposite. The Muskies only managed a meager 18 points (they scored only four points in the first ten minutes), while Pitt put up 31. Levance Fields? clutch three-pointer and a later steal did in the Muskies and their upset bid was thwarted.

Sean Miller?s Departure: All signs pointed to Sean Miller staying at Xavier for a while. He claimed to love the Xavier community and had high hopes of a future Final Four (still possible, in my opinion). He had stepped up scheduling and recruiting. His team was set to be loaded next season. Plus he had already publicly stated he didn?t want to listen to any other offers. But the Arizona Wildcats called and lured Miller away with an $11 million deal over five years. To add insult to injury, Arizona Athletic Director Jim Livengood mispronounced Xavier at Miller?s press conference numerous times. It?s Zavier, not ecks-avier.

But when Xavier fans look back on this season, it should be remembered for a season of highs, not lows.

Rebuilding Season? No thanks: This was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Seniors Stanley Burrell, Josh Duncan and Drew Lavender had graduated. Freshman Mark Lyons was ruled ineligible as an academic non-qualifier. Indiana transfer Jordan Crawford?s appeal to play right away was rejected. So how did Xavier respond? With 27 wins and a Sweet 16.

Puerto Rico: Xavier went into Puerto Rico with hopes of notching a marquee win or two to build towards the rest of the season. Instead, they got three big victories that would carry momentum forward for the rest of the year. They defeated Virginia Tech (NIT qualifier), Missouri (NCAA Elite 8) and Memphis (NCAA Sweet 16) to capture the Puerto Rico Tip-Off title. It was the Muskies second consecutive preseason tournament championship.

Non-Conference Schedule: Xavier scheduled Auburn, LSU, Butler, Duke, Cincinnati and the Puerto Rico Tip-Off to beef up its schedule. The result: a 12-2 record with marquee wins over Auburn (NIT), LSU (NCAA 2nd Round) and the already mentioned Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

Gained Experience: The experience that was present a year ago that was so valuable to X was now gone. Therefore, Xavier freshmen and sophomores were pretty much thrown right into the fire immediately. The results were pretty impressive. Kenny Frease, Terrell Holloway and Brad Redford all contributed 10+ minutes per game throughout the course of the season. All three averaged over five points per game as well. Sophomores Dante Jackson and Jamel McClean also earned valuable playing time.

Atlantic 10 Dominance: Xavier posted a 12-4 conference record and earned its third consecutive Atlantic Ten regular season championship. If Chris Mack keeps the ship rolling, all signs point to a four-peat, and maybe a five-peat.

NCAA Tournament: Xavier came limping into the NCAA Tournament having lost five games in February and March. The Musketeers were one of those teams that people were picking to be upset, either by Portland State, Florida State or Wisconsin. That didn?t happen. Xavier dominated Portland State and fought off a gritty Wisconsin team. Xavier saved arguably their two best games of the season for the NCAA Tournament. As a result, the Muskies advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time, and the first time ever in back-to-back years.

All in all, this was a pretty good season in Xavier land. Yet a dark cloud has been hovering overhead for the past two weeks. Xavier let their upset bid against Pittsburgh slip away. A week later, Sean Miller was off to Arizona. Right now, the future is uncertain. But all signs point to matched, or hopefully, increased success in the 2009-2010 season. Next week I will post an extremely early season outlook for the Muskies.

Xavier Selects Mack

hehmand — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:04:32 GMT

It was announced earlier today, first unofficially by a Yahoo sports report, but then later confirmed, that Xavier University is set to announce that Chris Mack will take over the head coaching position for the men?s basketball team. A press conference has been set for Wednesday at 1 p.m.
Mack served as an assistant coach under Sean Miller for all five of Miller?s years as Xavier?s head man. He has been known to be a great recruiter as he recruited almost the entire 2008-09 recruiting class.
Mack should be extremely familiar with not just the current roster and current recruits (still no word whether J.D. Weatherspoon or Jordan Latham will recommit to X, or if ?09 recruit Kevin Parrom will ask for his release), but he is extremely familiar with the university as well. He played two seasons for the Musketeers after transferring from Evansville. He was the Musketeer team captain in 1991-92 and 1992-93. He graduated in 1992. He is also familiar with the city of Cincinnati after having a standout basketball career at Cincinnati St. Xavier High School.
Mack?s prior experience included serving three years under the late Skip Prosser as an assistant at Wake Forest, as well as being the director of basketball operations for Xavier from 1999-2001. He was also the head coach for Mt. Notre Dame, a local all-girls high school.
Mack has already gotten underway in putting together his staff. He?s already promoted Travis Steele from director of basketball operations to assistant coach. Former Xavier standout Brian Thornton will take over Steele?s position.

Xavier Is Not About the Coach, It's About the Program

hehmand — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:41:23 GMT

In his time at Xavier, Bob Staak won 88 games, and was the first coach since Don Ruberg (1963-1967) to finish above .500 for his Musketeer career. In 1982-83, he led the Muskies to their first NCAA Tournament in over 20 years. He also took XU to the NIT the following year. Then, after the 1984-85 season, Staak left the Musketeers to go to Wake Forest.
Staak was replaced by Pete Gillen. Gillen would eventually end up as Xavier?s all-time winningest coach with 202 career wins. He led XU to 6 NCAA Tournaments, including 1990?s upset win over a Georgetown team that boasted Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning. That win propelled Xavier to the school?s first Sweet 16. Gillen also had NCAA wins over fourth-seeded Missouri and third-seeded Nebraska. But after the 1993-94 season, Gillen chose to leave Xavier for Providence.
Gillen was replaced by the late Skip Prosser. In Prosser?s time at XU, he was responsible for helping get Xavier into the Atlantic Ten conference, which at the time, was considered a top-notch league. He also amassed the second-most wins in school history with 148. He took Xavier to four NCAA tournaments and was notable for bringing in guys like James Posey and David West. He was also incredibly instrumental in getting Xavier?s on-campus arena, the Cintas Center, as well. But after the 2000-01 season, he, like Staak, left for Wake Forest.
Xavier then hired Butler?s Thad Matta. In his three years at XU, Matta never missed the NCAA Tournament. He led XU to their first Elite 8 in 2004, and currently boasts the highest winning percentage in Musketeer history at .772. But then he decided to bolt to Ohio State following the 2003-04 season.
The Musketeers then hired Sean Miller. In five years, Miller took Xavier to four NCAA Tournaments, including one Sweet 16 and one Elite 8. He also had the best recruiting class in school history this past season. He was also the most aggressive scheduler in Xavier history, taking on the likes of Indiana, Purdue, Memphis, Butler, LSU, Virginia, Auburn, Illinois, Kansas State, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Alabama and Villanova. He truly helped Xavier shed the dreaded mid-major label. But just this past week, Miller decided he?d try his chances at Arizona.
So what is the point of all this? The point is simple: Xavier has never been about the coach. Xavier is and always will be about the program. Coaches have come and gone but the Xavier machine has never stopped rolling. After each coaching change, the Musketeer program has improved immensely. If history continues to repeat itself, the next Xavier coach, whoever he may be, could end up doing some incredibly special things on Victory Parkway.

The Next Xavier Coach

hehmand — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:14:16 GMT

About a week ago, I wrote an article about how Sean Miller should pass on the Arizona job. He was set to have his best Xavier team ever, and a solid season next year could have landed him more money with a different team next off-season. The night I posted the article, it appeared as if Miller had heeded my advice. Reports were coming in from his ?inner circle? that he was going to stay. The next day around 2 p.m., Miller was long gone.
Why did Sean Miller leave? The easy and really only answer, at least in the short term, is clearly money. Miller will make $1.6 million as a base salary, $400,000 in a Nike contract, and was given a $1 million signing bonus. Congratulations to Sean Miller. I hope it works out in Arizona.
But now it is time to move forward. Miller is a thing of the past. Xavier needs a new head man and here are, in my estimation, the three best options.

1. Chris Mack, assistant coach Xavier
Pros: Graduated from Xavier in 1992, so he?s familiar with the University. He learned under Sean Miller, so he would most likely run an identical system, making transition from Miller to Mack pretty seamless. Several players have also spoken out in favor of Mack, meaning that if he were to stay, the team that many have called the potential best XU team ever would stay in tact. Mack is also a great recruiter and the recruits who have de-committed from X may still sign.
Cons: Mack has zero head coaching experience in college basketball. It would be a big gamble, but it worked before (see: Sean Miller).

2. Darrin Horn, Head Coach, South Carolina
Pros: A terrific recruiter with head coaching experience, as well as head coaching success. Led South Carolina to the NIT this past season, and took Western Kentucky to the Sweet 16 last season. Horn is from Lexington, so he is familiar with the area. It would also be a huge feather in the cap for Xavier if they could lure a coach away from a ?BCS? school.
Cons: Horn runs nearly the exact opposite system that the former regime ran. Horn plays an up-and-down tempo, with a run-and-gun, full-court press style. This could lead to some players transferring out, as well as a huge learning curve to implement a new system.

3. Brad Stevens, Head Coach, Butler
Pros: One of the hottest young coaches in college basketball. He has led Butler to two NCAA tournaments in his two seasons at the helm. He?s able to get the maximum talent out of his players. Had an extremely young team this past season, but still managed a nine-seed in the NCAA tournament. He was also the only coach to get a win in the Cintas Center last year. Plus, the last time XU hired a Butler coach (Thad Matta), the results were impressive.
Cons: Runs the risk of players transferring by bringing in an outside coach. Stevens also just inked a new extension with Butler, making it less likely that Stevens would hop over to Xavier. Also, Xavier is scheduled to travel to Butler next season. If Stevens were to be XU?s coach, that could get ugly.

Xavier and Sean Miller

hehmand — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 04:21:18 GMT

Sean Miller is one of the hottest young coaches in the country. So it makes sense for the University of Arizona to come calling. And it makes sense for Sean Miller to answer to those calls. But to me, it doesn?t make sense for Sean Miller to leave the program that he has helped maintain, and even grow, its national stature.
I don?t expect Sean Miller to man the XU sidelines for his entire career. It just isn?t feasible. Yes, Xavier can compete with anyone on the court. But off the court, being a team outside of the big six conferences with zero football revenue to speak of, it is extremely difficult to compete.
But Arizona is not the place for Miller. Right now, at least for the next season or two, Xavier is. At least it should be. It would be hard pressed not to find Xavier in the preseason top 10 next season. Top 15 at the minimum. He has yet another four-star recruit coming to town in forward Kevin Parrom. He?ll have more point guard experience when four-star freshman Mark Lyons becomes eligible. Miller will also receive a key piece that was missing from last year?s team in Jordan Crawford, a guard with the ability to take over the game and score at will. Miller hasn?t been shy in calling him potentially the best guard ever to play at Xavier. And oh yeah, the bulk of the team that advanced to the Sweet 16 this past season will return.
The bottom line is that right now, Xavier is a great place for Miller. He has a legitimate Final Four caliber squad next year. He?s able to win his conference nearly every year ala Memphis and Gonzaga. On top of that, Xavier boasts some of the best facilities in the nation.
This is why it?s a huge shock to find Miller severely interested in the Arizona job. Miller really doesn?t have many west coast ties. If he were to take the Wildcat job, he?d be forced to compete head-to-head with one of his best friends in the coaching world (Arizona State?s Herb Sendek). Also, Miller clearly wasn?t Arizona?s first choice. Or even second. Or third. Or fourth. Of course it?s speculation that those titles belong to Jamie Dixon, Jeff Capel, Mark Few and Tim Floyd. What does that say? Maybe Arizona isn?t a good destination right now? Who knows? And it isn?t any secret that Arizona will take some serious rebuilding with the likely departures of Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger, and Nic Wise.
But if Sean Miller decides in his heart that it is time to move on with his career, I and Xavier Nation will wish him nothing but the best and be forever thankful for representing Xavier University with class and character. Sean has without question earned whatever salary the Wildcats will throw at him. He has shown the ability to recruit and coach with the best, and someday, maybe (hopefully) soon, he?ll end up in the Final Four. I just hope he has a big X on his shirt when that day comes

Bittersweet 16

hehmand — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 04:20:22 GMT

The Xavier Musketeers entered the TD Banknorth Gardens in Boston as clear underdogs against the number-one seeded Pittsburgh Panthers. They left the Gardens knowing they let one slip away.
The game started off sloppily for both squads, but Pittsburgh slowly built a 16-12 lead with 11:39 left in the first half. Xavier immediately responded with a 13-3 run to jump ahead of Pitt, 25-19. Xavier continued to roll through the first half, eventually taking an eight-point lead to the locker room. Xavier had shown Pittsburgh that they were not about to roll over for one of the beasts from the Big East. In fact, the Musketeers dominated the first half. They out rebounded, out hustled, and beat up the rugged Panthers.
Then the second half started and the wheels fell off for the Musketeers. The eight-point lead was quickly erased. Xavier was now being out rebounded and out hustled. It didn?t help that the Musketeers missed numerous lay-ups that could have created some separation from the top-seeded Panthers. With 9:10 left in the game, Xavier had only scored four second half points. But their defensive effort somehow kept them in the lead, 41-40.
The game was nip-and-tuck for the remaining nine minutes. Yet, with just over one minute left, and clinging to a two-point lead, the Musketeers had a golden opportunity to put the Panthers away. But a bad break prevented Xavier from pulling the upset. Musketeer senior C.J. Anderson pulled down a rebound and made a baseball pass down court to junior Derrick Brown. The pass proved to be too long, however, as Derrick Brown had his heel on the out of bounds line. Pitt senior Levance Fields then took over the last minute of the game, hitting a clutch three-pointer and making a steal to all but seal the Panthers win.
When all was said and done, Xavier had scored only 18 second half points en route to letting an eight-point lead at half slip to a 60-55 defeat. X only shot 32% for the game, including an abysmal 21% from three. Despite that, the Muskie defense held Pitt to nearly identical numbers. The only difference was a few tough breaks, and an all-star performance by Pitt?s senior point guard Levance Fields. In their final games as Musketeers, B.J. Raymond scored 15 points, while C.J. Anderson had six.
XU fans, players and coaches alike knew they had let one get away from them. Despite that, the Xavier Musketeers far exceeded the expectations bestowed upon them back in November. Somehow, despite losing Drew Lavender, Josh Duncan, and Stanley Burrell, despite freshman Mark Lyons being an academic non-qualifier, and despite an Indiana transfer Jordan Crawford not being ruled eligible, the Muskies still managed to win a preseason tournament, remain ranked in the Top 25 from the middle of November to season?s end, win another league championship AND advance to the Sweet 16. All in all, you could say it wasn?t too bad of a rebuilding year.

Xavier vs. Wisconsin Review

hehmand — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:26:17 GMT

After the Xavier/Portland State game Friday night, Florida State and Wisconsin went toe-to-toe in an overtime thriller. Wisconsin?s Trevon Hughes hit the game winning shot with just over two seconds left, giving the 12th seeded Badgers the upset win and a date with the Xavier Musketeers on Sunday.
What worked for Xavier against Portland State was their size. In order to succeed against the Badgers, however, the Musketeers would need a different game plan. What ensued was a defensive struggle that resembled more of a football game than a Second Round NCAA Tournament game. There were 43 total fouls in the game, and neither team was able to hit more than 40% of their shots. Both teams went back-and-forth for most of the first half, with each team never having a lead larger than five. Wisconsin headed to the break with a 27-25 lead as Trevon Hughes seemed to carry over momentum from the first round victory against Florida State. He had ten first half points.
At the start of the second half, it looked as if Xavier was headed home early. Three minutes into the half, Xavier watched its deficit grow from two to seven, a huge deficit in such a low scoring affair. The Badgers were rolling and Trevon Hughes was again doing the damage. The Badgers had Xavier on the ropes until XU Head Coach Sean Miller called a time out. The game was never again the same. Xavier immediately went on a 10-0 run to claim a three-point advantage. It was nip-and-tuck over the next few minutes until Xavier?s physical prowess started to wear down Wisconsin. The final nail in the Wisconsin coffin came on a B.J. Raymond three with four minutes left to give XU a 49-41 lead. On Xavier?s next basket, freshman Kenny Frease went up for a lay-up, and in the process, busted open the chin of Badger defender Joe Krabbenhoft. It was as if the entire game was summed up in that one play.
When all was said and done, Xavier had grinded out a 60-49 victory and earned their second consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. Defense was again the key as Xavier limited the Badgers to 3-20 from three and less than 30% shooting overall. B.J. Raymond was again valuable as he scored 15 of the Muskies 60 points. Derrick Brown was Xavier?s only other double-digit scorer with 10 points.
Xavier had proven a couple things in Boise. For one, they showed what they had all year: the ability to play with anyone and find a way to win under any circumstance. Second, they showed that they had clearly earned their four-seed (Washington and Wake Forest didn?t advance beyond the second round). Lastly, it appeared that Xavier was playing perhaps its best basketball of the year. They were clearly ready, willing, and able to upset top-seeded Pittsburgh and get back to the Elite Eight for the second straight season.

Xavier vs. Portland State Review

hehmand — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:02:05 GMT

Xavier?s NCAA Tournament run started off shakily, at best. The heavily favored Musketeers came into Boise, Idaho hoping to dominate against the 13th seeded Portland State Vikings. But as the first half progressed, it was clear that Xavier was tight, and the Vikings were loose and looking for perhaps the biggest upset in the NCAA tournament. Despite trailing 17-7, the Vikings responded with an 18-7 run, grabbing a 25-24 lead. From that point forward, however, Xavier exerted their physical dominance against the over-matched Vikings. Before Portland State could blink, it was back to a ten-point deficit and smooth sailing from there for Xavier. The second half was even more dominant for the Musketeers as they held Vikings leading scorer Jeremiah Dominquez scoreless. The balance and defense was the story for Xavier in their first round, 77-59 victory. B.J. Raymond, Dante Jackson, and Derrick Brown each scored 13 points, while C.J. Anderson scored 14. Xavier held Portland State to only 21 three-point attempts, six less than their season average. It was clear that Xavier?s size was too much as they wore down the Vikings giving up only 24 second half points. Xavier was set to face either Florida State or Wisconsin in Round Two.

Xavier Musketeer NCAA News and Notes

hehmand — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:27:20 GMT

I’ve decided to put off writing an article about Xavier’s NCAA Tournament run until after Xavier’s run ends, whether that is tomorrow night against Pittsburgh, Saturday against Duke or Villanova, or next weekend in Detroit. Instead, here are some quick Xavier tournament news and notes to pass along.

• Xavier’s game against Pittsburgh marks the third consecutive year in which the Musketeers will face a number-one seeded team. They lost to Ohio State in the second round in 2007 and UCLA in the Elite 8 last season.

• This is the first time in school history that Xavier has advanced to the Sweet 16 in back-to-back seasons. Last year they advanced to the Elite 8.

• This is Xavier’s fourth Sweet 16 appearance overall. They lost to Texas in the Sweet 16 in 1990, Duke in the Elite 8 in 2004, and UCLA in the Elite 8 in 2008.

• When Xavier plays against Pittsburgh tomorrow night, it will be the first time Xavier’s Sean Miller will face his alma mater as a head coach.

• This is the Musketeers 20th NCAA Tournament. 18 of those 20 appearances have happened since 1985-1986.

• Xavier has the third most NCAA tournament appearances without advancing to the Final Four. BYU has 24, while Missouri has 22. Both Xavier and Missouri have the chance to end those streaks this season.

• Xavier faced eight of the other 64 NCAA Tournament teams this season. They lost to Duke, Butler, Dayton and Temple. They defeated Missouri, Memphis, LSU, Dayton, Temple and Robert Morris. Memphis and Missouri will face each other in the Sweet 16, guaranteeing that Xavier will have defeated at least one Elite 8 team.

• In Xavier’s 20 NCAA Tournament appearances, they have boasted a 16-17 record.

• Since 2004, Xavier is tied with Louisville for eighth most NCAA Tournament victories with 10. North Carolina leads all with 17.

• According to Forbes Magazine, the Xavier Musketeer men’s basketball program is the 17th most valuable in the nation. Last year the Musketeers ranked 20th. Forbes values Xavier’s program at $13.1 Million, with a value of $3,789 per undergrad student. That is the highest of any in the nation.

That’s all for now. Xavier is set to tip-off against the favored Pitt Panthers tomorrow night at 7:27 p.m. in Boston. If they win, they’ll play the winner of Duke vs. Villanova on Saturday.

Atlantic 10 Awards

hehmand — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:40:31 GMT

I had initially planned on writing this article a two weeks ago. But I decided it would be better to wait until after the Atlantic-10 Tournament to put this piece together. It?s a good thing I waited, too, as this article looks a lot different than it would have a week ago.
For those who don?t know, the Atlantic-10 announced its all conference awards last week. After having followed the league since August, I figured I could hand out my own awards.

Player of the Year: A week ago this was going to be Ahmad Nivins, hands down. He averaged 19 points and nearly 12 rebounds and carried his Saint Joe Hawks to the five seed in Atlantic City. But after the conference tournament, I decided that the player of the year has to be Dionte Christmas. In the regular season he averaged 19 points and six rebounds, but was the key in the Temple Owls run to their second consecutive Atlantic-10 Tournament title. He averaged 18.7 points per game, including 29 in the championship. Without him, the Owls would not be in the NCAA Tournament.

Coach of the Year: This pick was different a week ago too. The league picked Rhode Island?s Jim Baron. I never agreed with that pick. Yes, his Rams were preseason 9th, but he still had Kaheim Seawright and Jimmy Baron on his squad. My vote initially was for Mark Schmidt, who led the St. Bonaventure Bonnies to six wins and a .500 record, their best since 2001-2002. But after all was said and done in Atlantic City, my choice for this award goes to Duquesne?s Ron Everheart. He led the Dukes to three wins in Atlantic City, giving the Dukes 12 conference wins on the season. His Dukes came within five points of going to the NCAA tournament, but still managed to land in the NIT.

Defensive Player of the Year: Here I agreed with the Atlantic-10?s choice of Tony Gaffney of Massachusetts. He had an impressive 113 blocks on the season.

Rookie of the Year: Again, I agreed with the Atlantic Ten. It could have been Fordham?s Jio Fontan (15.3 points, 2.7 assists), but his team was flat-out terrible. Therefore, St. Bonaventure?s Andrew Nicholson (12.5 points, 6 assists) grabs this award.

Best Game of the Year: Saint Joseph?s 92, Rhode Island 86 (3OT), January 10th. This game had everything. Rhode Island trailed by 17 at half, only to knot it up at the end of regulation. In the second overtime, Keith Cothran for the Rams hit an off-balance buzzer-beating three to force a third overtime. In the end, it was the Hawks who prevailed. The Hawks Ahmad Nivins had 28 points and 20 rebounds. All five Hawk starters played 48+ plus minutes, including Nivins with 54.

Surprise Team: Without a doubt, the Duquesne Dukes. 12 conference wins and a conference championship appearance. They were rightfully rewarded with an NIT bid.

Disappointing Team: Massachusetts; This team had a talented senior point guard with Chris Lowe. They have a 20 point scorer with Ricky Harris. They also boasted Tony Gaffney, the A-10 defensive player of the year. They also made it to Madison Square Garden last year for the NIT title. Yet they went 12-18 overall, with only seven league wins.

Xavier In Atlantic City

hehmand — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:39:08 GMT

The Xavier Musketeers recent trip to Atlantic City for the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament was like watching the third installment in a trilogy of bad horror movies. Although each movie has a different cast of characters and a different villain, each movie is nearly identical in the beginning, and unfortunately for XU, has the same sorry ending.
In 2007, Xavier ventured to Atlantic City as the number one overall seed. In the first round they met rival Dayton. They dispatched the Flyers with no trouble at all, 72-51. In 2008, Xavier again took the number one seed to Atlantic City to once again face Dayton. While Dayton proved to be a tougher foe than the year prior, Xavier had little trouble in eliminating UD 74-65. This season Xavier again earned the top spot in the league. This time XU squared off against Saint Louis. While the Billikens kept the game close for much of the first half, Xavier pulled away in the second half to cruise to a 66-47 win. Saint Louis was held to only 18 rebounds and 3-9 from the free throw line. Xavier, led by B.J. Raymond?s 18 points (including a desperation three at the end of the first half that put Xavier up by ten), put on an impressive performance. They turned it over only seven times and shot 49 percent. Things looked good for XU heading into the semi-finals.
But things also looked good in 2007 and 2008 for the Muskies after their opening victory. Yet, both years, XU was outperformed by teams that seemed to want and need the victory more. In 2007 Jimmy Baron and Rhode Island outscored the Muskies by nine in the second half, upsetting XU 79-71. Last season it was the Saint Joseph?s Hawks who ousted Xavier. The win helped get SJU into the NCAA Tournament. This year, it was Temple?s turn to knock out the top-seeded Muskies. In what would be classified as one of the uglier games of the year, to put it nicely, Temple scratched and clawed out a 55-53 victory. With the game on the line late in the second half, the Owls Dionte Christmas knocked down two big three?s to seal the upset. XU?s B.J. Raymond missed a three with 15 seconds remaining that would have tied the game. When all was said and done, The Musketeers shot only 35% and turned it over 13 times. Temple was hungrier down the stretch and overcame a small deficit to advance to the finals, which they would eventually win to earn a second consecutive tournament title.
Despite the poor effort in Atlantic City, Xavier was awarded a four seed in the NCAA Tournament in Boise, Idaho. They were set to play thirteenth seeded Portland State in the first round, and either five seed Florida State or twelve seed Wisconsin in round two. If Xavier wanted any tournament success, they were going to have to be extra prepared and play much better than they had in the last month of the Atlantic 10 season.

-To Be Continued-