Xavier Basketball

[Spazzrico]

Same here.

But I'd rather the tournament be 64 teams. You make the field of 64 or you don't. No "play-in" games. I hate the concept of expansion.

I'm definitely thrilled that XU made it in this year, but I"m theoretically of exactly the same mind. I'll accept the 68, but I didn't think it needed to expand and I really, really hope they don't do any more.

[texasdave]

Xavier falls in the play-in game. Still a successful season if you ask me.

[Boston Red]

Successful? I suppose it meets the absolute bare minimum criteria for being successful. I thought Xavier needed to get back to the NCAA Tournament this year, and they did. Sort of.

[Sea Ray]

Xavier falls in the play-in game. Still a successful season if you ask me.

They'd have been better off winning a few games in the NIT. I'll say the same thing if my Vols lose tonight

How many of you participate in pools where they count all 68 teams? The ones I play in still don't count the games in Dayton

[Caveat Emperor]

Xavier falls in the play-in game. Still a successful season if you ask me.

The program feels like it's stagnating a bit -- with the same issues (vanilla offensive design, lack of consistent outside shooting, defensive lapses, refusal to play press / zone defenses unless forced to do so) continuing to plague the team.

At the end of the year, they'll be able to say they made the "Tournament" (since they technically consider the play-in game the tournament) and finished #3 in the Big East, but there needs to be some serious re-evaluation of some things in the offseason.

The results will continue to be inconsistent until the team and coaching staff dedicate themselves to a greater degree of mental toughness and awareness on both sides of the court and start to run offenses that aren't so reliant on dribble-drive penetration and picking up contact fouls around the basket.

[mdccclxix]

Watching the tournament, you're next to nothing if you can't hit big three pointers throughout the game. There are other equal components like sharing the ball well and playing great defense, but I consider the three point shot to be an irreplaceable component to high level championship ball. Chris Mack's teams have not shot the three well at all and certainly haven't made up for it with any counter balanced strength like having a bunch of tall shot blockers on the roster. That said, I think they've started making up for that with next years class.

[Caveat Emperor]

Chris Mack is, apparently, the main target for Wake Forest's coaching vacancy.

Interesting to see where this develops.

[mdccclxix]

Now is a good time to keep a coach, I think. This is the bridge XU needs to cross that they didn't when Miller left. Miller leaving prevented a team with Derrick Brown and Jordan Crawford from happening. Semaj would likely leave if Mack did.

[Caveat Emperor]

Now is a good time to keep a coach, I think. This is the bridge XU needs to cross that they didn't when Miller left. Miller leaving prevented a team with Derrick Brown and Jordan Crawford from happening. Semaj would likely leave if Mack did.

It'd be a terrible time to lose a coach, IMO.

Justin Martin can also transfer without penalty since he'll have graduated by the end of this semester. I imagine he'd immediately bolt elsewhere as a 1-year player as well.

Plus, I think they'd probably lose a huge chunk of their recruiting class as well.

[reds1869]

Time for XU to open the checkbook. Letting Mack go would be disastrous in the short term.

[Sea Ray]

Providence was in either way. A-10 has 46% of its teams in vs. 40% from the Big East. Pretty comparable, though clearly in the A-10's favor. I still do not see a contender to even make the Sweet Sixteen from the A-10's six. Maybe Dayton? I would be surprised if Nova and Creighton are not both playing in the second weekend. Not sure either is quite strong enough to sneak into the Final Four this year, though. If Creighton is shooting well, they can beat anyone, but if they're not hitting a high percentage from 3 they're going out against the first good team they face.

So are you surprised? Given their seeds I was only mildly surprised. So do you think Nova and Creighton underperformed or were they overrated?

[Boston Red]

I am surprised. Particularly with Villanova. They were awful in the Big East Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.

[mdccclxix]

Watching Nova hoist up so many threes made them look one dimensional. I guess they were afraid of Uconn on the inside. Uconn has always been a shot blocking team, but Nova was way too late in getting buckets inside. They almost set the record for least 2 pt field goals in that game. Bad strategy, bad balance, I thought. They were a better team than they showed. I didn't watch the Creighton game. They've never been to the sweet 16 and I don't know if they ever will at this rate. I think they were also less physical inside than they need to be in the future to have a better rounded team. Providence showed the best in the tourney, but also was an incomplete team. Heck Georgetown may have been a sweet 16 contender, but they were inconsistent and had no depth. Oh well. The conference title is there for XU's taking next year if Mack comes back with Semaj and Martin and that frosh class. Good time for Mack to leverage. They better find a way to pay the guy more money.

[Caveat Emperor]

Time for XU to open the checkbook. Letting Mack go would be disastrous in the short term.

I'm by no means convinced Mack is a great coach -- I think he's got strengths and weaknesses. I'm also by no means convinced that, in a vacuum, Xavier wouldn't be better off with someone like Pat Kelsey as their head coach going forward.

But, given the massive influx of talent coming in right now that has yet to set foot on Victory Parkway for a game, they need to at least retain Mack for a few more seasons.

[toledodan]

espn is reporting that he's not taking the cal job. i'm not sold on mack but i don't want to lose anyone from the incoming class. if it was me i would start stainbrook and 4 frosh. if that transfer from indiana is any good than maybe start him. if we are going to strugle i want the young kids learning from it for the future.