From the 10/24/06 Enquirer:

 

XU picked first in A-10

BY DUSTIN DOW | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

 

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – In almost five months, the Atlantic 10 Conference will be back here for the league men’s basketball tournament, and Xavier is expected to be the team to beat.  These are optimistic times again for Xavier, which was named an overwhelming title favorite Tuesday by Atlantic 10 coaches and media at the at the league’s preseason meeting.  It was yet another October accolade, which haven’t been common at XU in recent years.

 

Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061024/SPT0102/310240017/1078/COL02

 

GO MUSKIES!!

 

It is amazing though how little preseason rankings are actually worth.

i heart the blob.

 

that is all.

Congrats XU, you are picked to be the best of the worst!!!

While I am happy for XU for landing this recruit...I not sure how 'coveted' he is seeing as how he was being recruited by Dayton, Western Michigan, Wake Forest, Stanford and Indiana.

 

Xavier lands coveted recruit

BY DUSTIN DOW | [email protected]

March 24, 2007

 

CINCINNATI - Brad Redford was sitting in his Frankenmuth, Mich. home Thursday watching ESPN when he saw an interesting headline scrolling across the bottom of the television screen.  It read that Xavier coach Sean Miller had just signed a new contract at Xavier through the 2015-16 season.

 

This was important news to Redford, a 6-foot point guard regarded among the best in the country in the high school class of 2008.  Xavier had been recruiting him hard for more than a year.  Later that night, Miller personally called to tell Redford about the contract extension.  They had a good conversation.  Saturday afternoon, Redford called Miller back and orally committed to the Musketeers, becoming the second 2008 recruit in less than a week to announce an intention to play for Xavier.

 

More at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070324/SPT0102/303240030

Rando, I can tell by your comment above you must root for the Bearkittens.  I'll let that slide, though! 

 

 

Not sure why you point out Stanford as a some sort of bad team.  They made the tourney this year, have a strong tradition, and have been a #1 seed in the tournament within the last ten years.  They're actually a very good program. 

 

 

Of course, Redford was just the prelude to Xavier landing Kenny Frease, a 6'11", 255-pound center from Massilon.  It came down to Notre Dame, Kentucky, and Xavier (plus he received scholly offers from nearly every big-time program in the midwest).  He's currently the #4 rated center in the '08 class and is rated as highly as the top 20 by some services (generally he's rated between 30 and 45 overall in his class).  Xavier's '08 class is going to be a top 10 class, and if they land Yancy Gates from Withrow -- who wants to be a true power forward, playing next to a true center (like Frease), they will probably have a top 5 nationally recruiting class. 

 

 

 

Given that OSU has advanced to the championship game, it definitely reflects well upon Xavier.

Xavier has a solid program and will continue to do well and even dominate in the A-10.  Sean Miller has grown in his coaching over the years and coached a brilliant game against OSU.

 

Yes I am a Bearcats fan, but I also root for Xavier when they are playing other teams.  I always cheer for them to win the A-10 and to do well in whatever post season play they get in (if they get in).

 

Xavier's '08 class is going to be a top 10 class, and if they land Yancy Gates from Withrow -- who wants to be a true power forward, playing next to a true center (like Frease), they will probably have a top 5 nationally recruiting class.

 

This is all well and good, but it is a stretch to say the least that Xavier and Sean Miller (in the A-10 mind you) will pull in a Top 5 recruiting class (hmmm Texas, OSU, Duke, NC, Kentucky, Florida, UCLA, USC, SU, UConn, Gtown...those are just a few of the schools that can EASILY be placed higher on a recruits list over XU).  I could go on...but it REALLY hurts XU being in the A-10.  If Xavier were in a bigger conference or even a more competitive conference then things could be different.

 

But the fact of the matter is that regardless of what you think about the 'Bearkittens'...they are in the Big East and have MAJOR national coverage against MAJOR national powerhouse programs.  As a recruit you would rather play a Syracuse, UConn, Georgetown, UofL, Marquette, etc rather than Dayton, GW, Richmond, etc.

 

UC will continue to benefit from the success of the entire conference.  This is why the big conferences stay dominant...its a cycle (see Buckeyes).  I think you may have forgotten that no more than 10 yrs ago UC was a perennial #1 and is still considered to be one of the best basketball programs in NCAA history.

 

UC has a solid recruiting class for next year and has tons of top tier recruits on the radar for future years...it is only a matter of time before UC returns to its stature.  And it is only a matter of time before the fad wears off for XU basketball unfortunately (see Gonzaga).

Xavier's '08 class is going to be a top 10 class, and if they land Yancy Gates from Withrow -- who wants to be a true power forward, playing next to a true center (like Frease), they will probably have a top 5 nationally recruiting class.

I could go on...but it REALLY hurts XU being in the A-10.  If Xavier were in a bigger conference or even a more competitive conference then things could be different.

 

You mean like the Mid-Continent Conference (or whatever conference they were in during the Pete Gillam era)?

BTW, those A-10 schools are so bad. Must be why they've had as many B-ball 1 seeds as the Big East. :roll:

 

P.S. We've been waiting for the XU fad to wear off since Byran Larkin was enrolled there.  :roll:

^I hope that you're kidding.  The A-10 deserved no more than 1 team in the tourney this year...the Big East consistently puts multiple teams in the big tourney (and are usually shafted out of the last spots..Syracuse, WV).  Xavier has done well for itself...but they haven't even dominated the A-10.

 

If you want to take that next step then start consistently dominating the competition you currently face.  UC did this with C-USA and was able to take a step up to the Big East because of that and various other reasons.

 

XU each year is a question mark on whether they will make the tourney...as can be seen by the past 3 years

 

'05: Elite 8

'06: didn't even make NIT

'07: 2nd round

'08: ??

Temple, St. Joesph, UMass, George Washington, Xavier...

All pityful teams with no history, no legacy, and no basketball teams.  :roll:

Come on now.  Just because UC is in the Big East now, doesn't make it the best conference in the NCAA.

If Cincy (and Louisville) were still in Conference USA, you be arguing that it was a better conference than the A-10.

You go ahead and call me when you want to continue this conversation without your Bearcat blinders on.

The C-USA was a better conference at that time than what the A-10 was.  Sure those teams were good back in the day, but most are miserable now.

 

Trust me...the Big East is the faaaar superior conference right now when comparing the two conferences.  Once teams like Temple and UMass return to prominence...and GW and St. Joseph become consistant winners, then I'll give it to you.  But those teams are faaar from that stage right now.

 

The Big East can legitimately argue to have 8 teams in the NCAA tourney every year, while the A-10 can really only make a solid argument for 1 team.  How is that even comparable?? (blinders off)

 

Final RPI Rank    Team      Final Record

5 Pittsburgh 27-7

9 Georgetown 26-6

22 Marquette 24-9

31 Notre Dame 24-7

33 Xavier 24-8

37 Louisville 23-9

50 Syracuse 22-10

57 West Virginia 22-9

62 Massachusetts 23-8

68 DePaul 18-13

71 George Washington 23-8

74 St. Louis 20-13

75 Dayton Atlantic 10 19-12

76 Providence Big East 18-12

95 St. Joseph's Atlantic 10 18-14

 

Now obviously the blue team are Big East...and Red are A-10.  I was never trying to turn this into a Big East v. A-10 debate or even a UC v. XU debate.  You are the one pushing this issue, but I will not allow you to make claims that the A-10 is comparable to the Big East...its no contest.  Now back to my original statement....I wish XU the best of luck and continued success, it would just be nice to see them get out of that crappy conference and really be able to live up to their fullest potential.

I know you don't like hearing this kind of stuff but here is a quote from the No. 17 (Yancy Gates) recruit in the nation:

 

“The Big East played a real big factor,” said Gates, who wore a Cincinnati Bearcats T-shirt to his news conference, “because it’s one of the top conferences in the country. To be able to play in that type of conference and also be at home and play, that really played a factor. I wanted to stay close so my family could watch me play.”

 

He had XU on his list of 5 final schools.  He said that staying close to home was a big factor, but that it was a "real big factor" to play in a major conference like the Big East.  I'm posting this not to cause a sh!tstorm, but to illustrate the point I made earlier.

 

Here is the full article:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070416/SPT0101/304160066/1078/COL02

Xavier nabs new recruit

BY DUSTIN DOW | [email protected]

April 18, 2007

 

Xavier picked up an unlikely transfer player Tuesday.  Hillsdale (Mich.) College freshman Andrew Taylor, a 6-foot-7 forward, called XU coach Sean Miller and orally committed to the Musketeers a day after visiting the XU campus and meeting with the coaching staff.  Taylor started 25 games this season for Hillsdale, a Division II program, and decided to transfer to Division I after averaging 12 points and five rebounds.

 

His high school coach from Toledo St. John's knew XU's coaches from the recruitment of B.J. Raymond, a current XU player, and notified Xavier's staff that Taylor was interested in transferring to XU.  "B.J. is doing well there and we both come out of the same high school system," Taylor said.  "Coach Miller said he wants me to be a skilled four-man. He wants me to put on about 25 pounds."  Taylor will have to sit out the 2007-08 season and become eligible as a sophomore in 2008-09.

so apparently Skip Prosser has passed away.  This according to espn.com.  Has anyone else heard of this?  He was 56.

I did.

 

He was a very good man.

Wow...that's terrible.  I had heard he collapsed while jogging through the Wake Forrest campus.  He was a great guy.

Shitty.  RIP, Skip.

 

This is very, very sad. 

This is very sad - I know he used to stop in at Hap's periodically and was a very down to earth guy.  He was also great as sharing life lessons and not just teaching basketball.  I watched ESPN a little tonight, and you can tell what kind of person he was by other coaches' reactions.

Muskies beef up schedule

Virginia, Vols to visit Cintas

BY DUSTIN DOW | [email protected]

 

For an indication of how far Xavier University has risen in the ranks of college basketball since 2000, look at its schedules.  In 2000-01, the season that Cintas Center opened, Xavier played host to a grand total of zero major-conference teams.  In 2007-08, four major-conference opponents will come into Cincinnati to play Xavier, according to the team's schedule obtained by The Enquirer.  Virginia, Cincinnati and Tennessee will visit Cintas Center this season to play XU. Xavier will host Kansas State at U.S. Bank Arena.

 

More at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070912/SPT0102/709120382/1065/SPT

 

---

 

Home is where the hoop is

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

 

Maybe you saw today's story in the Enquirer about XU's schedule: Virginia, Cincinnati and Tennessee will visit Cintas Center this season to play XU. Xavier will host Kansas State at U.S. Bank Arena.

 

For the moment, I'd like to point out that while to the city of Cincinnati, no single game is bigger than the Dec. 12 Crosstown Shootout, it's not the most-anticipated nonconference game on XU's schedule this season for XU insiders.  That Dec. 22 game against Tennessee at Cintas Center will be one of the most interesting games I've covered at Cintas Center -- and I'm approaching my sixth season on this beat.  It's got the drama of Tennessee and Bruce Pearl finally returning the game to XU after backing out two years ago, and it will feature a Tennessee team that some are pegging as a Final Four contender because of the presence of Chris Lofton, maybe the best guard in the country.  The dueling sideshows then will involved Drew Lavender's impact against Lofton and a potential matchup between Ryan Childress and Josh Duncan, two former Moeller players.

 

XU schedule

Nov. 6; Georgetown College (exhibition)

Nov. 10; Southeast Missouri State (2007 Chicago Invitational Challenge First Round at Cintas Center)

Week of Nov. 12; at Miami (Ohio)

Nov. 20; Coppin State (CIC Second Round at Cintas Center)

Nov. 23; Kent State at Sears Centre (Hoffman Estates, Ill., CIC Third Round)

Nov. 24; Indiana or Illinois State at Sears Centre (Hoffman Estates, Ill., CIC Fourth Round)

Nov. 28; Oakland

Dec. 1; Belmont

Dec. 5; Creighton

Dec. 12; Cincinnati

Dec. 15; at Arizona State

Dec. 22; Tennessee

Dec. 28; Delaware State

Dec. 31; Kansas State at US Bank Arena

Jan. 3; Virginia

Jan. 6; at Auburn

Jan. 9; St. Bonaventure(A-10)

Jan. 12; Fordham (A-10)

Jan. 16; at Temple (A-10)

Jan. 19; at George Washington (A-10)

Jan. 24; Dayton (A-10)

Jan. 27; at Massachusetts (A-10)

Feb. 2; La Salle (A-10)

Feb. 7; at Saint Louis (A-10)

Feb. 10; Saint Joseph’s (A-10)

Feb. 13; at Charlotte (A-10)

Feb. 18; at Rhode Island (A-10)

Feb. 21; Duquesne (A-10)

Feb. 24; at Dayton (A-10)

Mar. 1; George Washington (A-10)

Mar. 6; at Saint Joseph’s (A-10)

Mar. 8; Richmond (A-10)

Mar. 12-15; Atlantic 10 Championship in Atlantic City, N.J.

 

More at http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/ncaa/2007/09/home-is-where-hoop-is.asp

As a fan of Duquesne, I am really interested to see how the A-10 unfolds this year.

That is a pretty decent schedule.  Their RPI always drops as they get into their A-10 games, though.  Blech.

Xavier is having a pretty tremendous year...congrats.

 

XU climbs to No. 12

BY DUSTIN DOW | CINCINNATI ENQUIRER

February 11, 2008

 

CINCINNATI - Five seasons ago, when David West was on his way to winning national player of the year awards at Xavier University, the Musketeers finished the season ranked No. 12.  Today, Xavier improved again to No. 12 in the Associated Press Top 25, achieving the highest national ranking since West departed.  That the Musketeers (20-4, 8-1 Atlantic 10) are having comparable success this season is no coincidence, coach Sean Miller said.  The senior class – Stanley Burrell, Drew Lavender and Josh Duncan – has provided the most consistent daily leadership since that season when West guided the Musketeers to a 26-6 record.

 

I figure a nice come-back win was worth at least one post.  Way to take a hot team's best shot and turn the game completely around.

 

XU finds its toughness

Uninspired start prompts coach's halftime lecture

BY DUSTIN DOW | [email protected]

 

WASHINGTON - The halftime speech was not planned in advance.  It was a gut reaction by Xavier coach Sean Miller to stare into the faces of his three seniors - Stanley Burrell, Drew Lavender and Josh Duncan - and challenge their bravery.  "Where's your heart?" Miller shouted at them. "Where's your toughness?"

 

So Miller continued. He told them they looked scared of the magnitude of the first-round game. "You're going to end your career like that?" he asked the seniors.  No, no they weren't.  Inspired by Burrell's emotion and defensive intensity and Duncan's free-throw shooting, Xavier overwhelmed Georgia in the second half, rolling to a 73-61 victory in front of 18,400.

 

More at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080321/SPT0102/803210433/1065/SPT

Sweet 16 for X - congratulations to the team.  They now face West Virginia and coach Huggins, which will make for interesting story lines.

 

Xavier's offense clicks as Musketeers kick Purdue out of tourney

· Mar 22, 2008 @XAV 85, PUR 78 Recap | Box Score

 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- If Purdue could have picked one or two players from Xavier to focus upon, then surely the Boilermakers would have had an easier time fulfilling their reputation as one of the best defensive teams in the Big Ten.  Purdue, however, discovered what many Atlantic 10 teams already know: The X-men are simply too balanced.  Even if you find a way to stop a couple of them, two or three others are more than capable of taking over the offensive load.

 

C.J. Anderson and Drew Lavender each scored 18 points, Josh Duncan had 16, Stanley Burrell added 11 and two other Musketeers scored eight apiece Saturday in an 85-78 victory that carried Xavier into the semifinals of the West Regional.  The Musketeers (29-6) shot 54 percent in breaking the single-season school record for wins and setting up a meeting with seventh-seeded West Virginia, a surprise winner over Duke, on Thursday in Phoenix.

 

More at http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=284000041

Xavier sure looked good against Purdue.  They'll face West Virginia (instead of Duke) next game.  So they've got a good chance to advance to the Elite 8 and face UCLA, most likely.

You mean better chance right? Great year by Xavier though. I hope they get the 30 wins.

Wow what a game - I actually feel a little bad for Huggins.  Having gone to school at UC and Xavier (along with OSU), I have rooted for UC for many years.  This might sound weird, but sometimes it seems like he is cursed in the tournament.  WVU fought from 18 down and was up 6 in OT at one point, then later Xavier inbounds the ball with 2 seconds on the shot clock and hits a wide open 3.  This is not to say I am not happy Xavier won - they played tough when it counted most against a very good team.

 

 

Congrats to the Jesuit team!!!

Yay for Xavier...I made sure to give the UGA people in the office crap.  Well done.

The Blue Blob rocks!  :)

Yikes - UCLA is obviously a great team, but it seemed Xavier play as if they were tense from the start.  And UCLA probably played their best game of tournament.  I guess that is why they have been to 19 Final Fours.  Hats off to X for a great season and their Elite Eight run.  Hopefully they get over the hump in the 2009-10 season when they are supposed to be loaded.  The ESPN page is running slow so here is the local take.  Everywhere we went was packed so at least the game was good for bar business:

 

Xavier just beat #12 memphis... In San Juan Puerto Rico.

 

GO XAVIER!!!

HUGE win by our muskies. I know it's been said before, but Sean Miller is just a helluva coach.

 

This win should vault us into the top 20. Man, this squad is shaping up nicely!

AP Top 25

1. North Carolina (72) 3-0 1,800

2. Connecticut 4-0 1,694

3. Louisville 2-0 1,646

4. Pittsburgh 4-0 1,423

5. Michigan State 2-0 1,402

6. Texas 2-0 1,355

7. Duke 6-0 1,330

8. Notre Dame 2-0 1,291

9. Gonzaga 2-0 1,222

10. Purdue 4-0 1,161

11. Oklahoma 4-0 1,094

12. Tennessee 3-0 1,005

13. UCLA 3-1 916

14. Arizona State 3-0 767

15. Marquette 3-0 735

16. Xavier 5-0 600

17. Florida 3-0 535

18. Memphis 4-1 500

19. Wake Forest 2-0 414

20. Villanova 3-0 356

21. Georgetown 2-0 349

22. Miami (FL) 2-1 272

22. Kansas 2-0 272

24. Davidson 3-1 238

25. Wisconsin 4-0 214

#14 Xavier plays Dayton tonight at 7:00 on ESPN2. It should be a good one.

Apparently ESPN decided to make me a liar. The game is now being aired on ESPN Classic.

#14 Xavier loses their second straight. If they keep playing like this then they're not going to even be ranked by the end of the season.

 

XU 58, DU 71

 

XU loses second straight

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090211/SPT0102/302110093/1065

It's UD ;)

Xavier gets an at-large #4 seed in the East Regional.  They get to fly all the way over to Boise, Idaho to face Portland State at 7:30PM Friday.  The East Regional in Boise?

 

Xavier heads up Ohio's five team NCAA tournament contingent this year: #4 Xavier, #8 Ohio State, #11 Dayton, #13 Akron and #13 Cleveland State.

Xavier beats Portland State 77-59.  Advances from the first round to face Wisconsin on Sunday.

Sweet 16!!!!!

Not bad for a 'rebuilding' year huh Melanie? Sean Miller has this progam firing on all cylinders.

Not bad for a 'rebuilding' year huh Melanie? Sean Miller has this progam firing on all cylinders.

 

I hope there are many "rebuilding" years ahead!  :)

Xavier heads up Ohio's five team NCAA tournament contingent this year: #4 Xavier, #8 Ohio State, #11 Dayton, #13 Akron and #13 Cleveland State.

 

PITT 60 - XAVIER 55 | And Ohio is now eliminated from the tournament.  Great season Xavier - second sweet 16 appearance in the last three years!

Definitely a great season!  I can't wait for next season.  :)

Great season. This was supposed to be the transition from the great Elite 8 team and they go all the way to the Sweet 16. Couldn't be prouder.

 

That said, next year is going to be THE YEAR. Let's go tall Sean:

 

C Frease

PF Love

SF Brown

SG Jackson

PG Crawford

 

Bring it.

Unfortunately, it looks like Sean Miller flew to Arizona to interview.  :(

 

http://www.wlwt.com/sports/19100705/detail.html

 

The news report starts off saying "Xavier University could soon be losing its head men’s basketball coach."  Later in report, they mention "It has not yet been made public as to whether Miller was offered a contract by Arizona."