Crosstown Shootout

[dsmith421]

Growing up in a highly partisan XU household, this used to be the biggest date on the sporting calendar. I would get so wound up and nervous I couldn't sit still for more than 2 minutes at a time and usually end up "watching" about 50% of the game trying to avoid the television. If Xavier won, I would usually have come down enough the next day to watch the inevitable taped copy (oddly, the old man always 'forgot' to tape the game when UC won...). One of the more puzzling mornings in high school was when I had to explain to the assistant principal why I was seen (in my letter jacket no less) on the evening news at Dana's having beer poured on my head after the Lenny Brown game.

Now I just am sort of apathetic about the whole thing. UC is certainly experiencing some ups and downs right now and will not be an NCAA contender this season (or possibly the next, although I like Mick Cronin). Xavier, for the third straight year under Sean Miller, is an underachieving, schizophrenic team that can't paste together two even average performances and completely collapses every time they are confronted with adversity.

What was once a rivalry crackling with excitement has sort of fizzled into the blahs. I'm going to the Nevada-St. Mary's game that night and never once considered skipping out to watch the UC-X game. Anyone else just sort of underwhelmed by the direction of the local programs?

For what it's worth, I'm predicting a UC upset in a low-scoring, ugly affair. Something like 62-60.

[Reds4Life]

Don't worry, the game won't be around much longer. The Big East is moving to an 18 game conference schedule in the next year or so and the Crosstown is probably on the chopping block. Hell, you can't even watch it on local TV anymore.

FWIW, I'm a UC fan (and grad) and I don't see how they win the game tomorrow. This team is flat out horrible, they don't do a single thing well.

[dsmith421]

Don't worry, the game won't be around much longer. The Big East is moving to an 18 game conference schedule in the next year or so and the Crosstown is probably on the chopping block. Hell, you can't even watch it on local TV anymore.

I'll believe it when I see it. I would think politically UC could get away with dropping Dayton and Miami (as they have done periodically over the past decade) but I suspect the XU rivalry has too much history to just disappear.

Of course I'm not plugged into the UC booster community (although I do have a degree from UC) so I don't really know.

[Reds4Life]

I'll believe it when I see it. I would think politically UC could get away with dropping Dayton and Miami (as they have done periodically over the past decade) but I suspect the XU rivalry has too much history to just disappear.

Of course I'm not plugged into the UC booster community (although I do have a degree from UC) so I don't really know.

I think it's more up to the Big East at this point, but they are going to the 18 game schedule so they can milk the TV contract for every cent it’s worth.

I know UC is considering signing an agreement for a long term home and home series with Ohio State at the moment. The Big East wants the local rivalry games to be power conferences if possible; the A10 is a big reason why the powers that be in the Big East are putting pressure on UC to dump the series.

From the UC side, there are many that want to dump the series, so I don't think you'd see many complaining about it. Many in the UC boosters believe X has built their program off the backs of UC over the years and would like to put an end to that. X has more to lose from the series being cancelled than UC does.

[toledodan]

being a die hard xavier fan i'm not underwelmed or overwelmed right now. x is doing about what i expected. if you are waiting on them to be a top 20 team(every year)then you will be waiting along time. xavier has everything you want in a top basketball program with the cintas center and fan base. the one thing they are missing and will keep them from getting to that elite status is the conference. the a-10 which was a big step from the mcc days has fallen instead of improving. the year xavier joined there were 3 top 25 teams that year and 5 made the tourny. the a-10 ouside of x's and st. joes run(elite 8) haven't seen anything else close. untill xavier can get into a better conference they will never get to that next level. if xavier does move to a new conference i will expect a couple of average seasons while they improve the talent level.

as for uc. even though i'm not a fan: they will get better. they lost a great coach and took a hit moving to the big east. the talent level will get there but it will take a couple of years. the important thing for uc is not to have any losing seasons while this transition takes effect. its alot like when x left the mcc. a big fish in a little pond moving to the ocean. once they bring the talent in to match the conference level uc will be back in the top 25. the big question is how many uc fans are selling the program down the river. as of 5:00 there were still tickets left for the shootout. many of the die hard fans have bailed. if uc takes longer than expected to bring the talent in we could see the tony yates era all over again.

[dsmith421]

the one thing they are missing and will keep them from getting to that elite status is the conference. the a-10 which was a big step from the mcc days has fallen instead of improving. ... if xavier does move to a new conference i will expect a couple of average seasons while they improve the talent level.

I see a lot of arguments on Musketeer Madness and elsewhere about how XU is being held back by the A-10 and how the bottom feeders are killing the Muskies' RPI, etc.

Xavier finished tenth in the A-14 last year. It would be easier to take the gripes more seriously if X was dominating the league. They aren't.

I guess I'm spoiled after growing up during the Staak/Gillen/Prosser/Matta years because right now watching X come out flat and soft in yet another road game is about the last thing I want to seek out.

[toledodan]

I see a lot of arguments on Musketeer Madness and elsewhere about how XU is being held back by the A-10 and how the bottom feeders are killing the Muskies' RPI, etc.

Xavier finished tenth in the A-14 last year. It would be easier to take the gripes more seriously if X was dominating the league. They aren't.

I guess I'm spoiled after growing up during the Staak/Gillen/Prosser/Matta years because right now watching X come out flat and soft in yet another road game is about the last thing I want to seek out.

while i understand where your coming from xavier has been the best school in the a-10 since they joined. in the time xavier has been in the a-10:

second most wins in conference (1 behind temple)
3 a-10 touny titles

and all of this while being on their 3rd coach since joining. that is the biggest factor on why xavier is up and down. the scary thing is if xavier goes on another run will miller look to leave next? xavier will continue to be a top 30 team in most years but untill they can get out of the a-10 and into a power conference the program will never be elite.

[Reds4Life]

while i understand where your coming from xavier has been the best school in the a-10 since they joined. in the time xavier has been in the a-10:

second most wins in conference (1 behind temple)
3 a-10 touny titles

and all of this while being on their 3rd coach since joining. that is the biggest factor on why xavier is up and down. the scary thing is if xavier goes on another run will miller look to leave next? xavier will continue to be a top 30 team in most years but untill they can get out of the a-10 and into a power conference the program will never be elite.

If Xavier wants to get into a big time conference the first thing they should do isn't even basketball related. Get a football program and make it D1.

[Reds4Life]

Since Dan mentioned Miller might take a hike, this is from SI today.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...eak/index.html

here's a rundown of the nation's top 10 coaches under 40:

1) Thad Matta, 39, Ohio State. The seventh-year coach (above), who was also the head man at Butler and Xavier, is 156-50 and has made it to the NCAA tournament in five of his six seasons (OSU was ineligible for the postseason in 2004-05), including an Elite Eight run with Xavier in '04. He also gets major props for a recruiting class that includes Greg Oden.

2) Mark Fox, 37, Nevada. He continues to be one of the hottest names in the game. Fox turned down the Nebraska job last summer and received a raise and extension from Nevada. In his third season with the Wolf Pack, Fox is 59-14 with a pair of NCAA tournament appearances under his belt and is widely considered one of the game's brightest minds.

3) Chris Lowery, 34, Southern Illinois. The man is literally an NCAA tourney magnet: in is nine seasons as a SIU player, assistant and head coach, the team has made the tourney in each. In his first two years he went 49-19 and is coming off Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors. Considering the mid-major giants depth, that's saying something.
4) Scott Sutton, 35, Oral Roberts. Often compared to Kansas coach Bill Self, who brought Sutton on as an assistant at ORU, Sutton has won 102 games since the start of the 2001-02 season and is coming off a the Golden Eagles' first NCAA appearance since 1984. It's just a matter of time before he joins his brother, Sean in the major-conference ranks.

5) Jeff Capel, 31, Oklahoma. The former Duke standout has emerged as a rising star, landing the Oklahoma job after a four-year stint at Virginia Commonwealth, during which he went 79-41 and made an NCAA tourney appearance. He stresses unity and hardwork (sound's a little Krzyzewski-esque) and should be the headman at OU for the long haul.

6) Mick Cronin, 35, Cincinnati. Regarded as one of the nation's up-and-coming coaches and a top-notch recruiter, he enters his first year in the Queen City after leading Murray State to two NCAA tournament appearances in three seasons. He went 69-24 with the Racers and his 28 first-year wins were the fifth-most in NCAA history for a rookie coach.

7) Sean Miller, 38, Xavier. Matta's former right-hand man at Xavier is 45-25 in his third season -- and has a resume that not many can touch. Besides being the first associate head coach in Xavier history under Matta, he was also Herb Sendek's lead assistant at NC State. Don't be surprised if he follows Xavier's trend and ends up at a major program soon.

[Redlegs23]

Before yesterday I didn't really care too much about the shootout. It's obvious that X has more talent that UC this year, and I was mainly depressed about the possible blowout that UC could face.

Since yesterday I find myself more and more nervous about the possibility of UC pulling off the upset. I'm trying to not let myself get really depressed after every loss this year since it's expected, but so far it's not working too well. Hopefully UC can do what X has done for so long now and play competitive and put themselves in position to win at the end even when they're the big underdog. I'll be at the game, and hopefully I get to see a good one.

[OnBaseMachine]

I thought this was going to be another Bengals thread.

[Heath]

I thought this was going to be another Bengals thread.

I'm not allowed to laugh. (Check my avatar)

[RFS62]

I thought this was going to be another Bengals thread.

[TeamBoone]

Not airing this LOCAL rivalry on local television/regular cable irks me to no end. I would imagine this game means more to UC/X fans who live in Greater Cincinnati than to anyone else, and most of us won't be able to view it in our homes.

What a horrible decision by whomever.

[Roy Tucker]

More ESPNU/NFL Network/Time Warner posturing. Bah.

Those companies are going to have to be very careful and not kill the golden goose of TV sports. There is competition for my entertainment dollar and they are starting to get close to the that line.

If they use their customers as negotiating chips and don't televise what I want to see, I just might find something else to do and find out I can do without what they show.