Xavier in Direct TV Classic this Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving weekend, Xavier will be participating in the Direct TV/ Aneheim Classic.  Here is a look at the tournament and links to all the previews and information you need to follow the Musketeers!

Xavier opens the tournament on Thanksgiving, at 2:00 p.m., versus Pacific.  Pacific is coming of an 11-19 season and hail from the Big West conference.  They opened up the 2012 season with a win over Holy Names but since have lost back to back games to Fresno State and Oral Roberts.  They return all of their starters from 2011 and despite their two losses, look to be better than last year.  Xavier is definitely the favorite but they will not want to overlook this veteran team. 

Here is complete preview and projections from ESPN. 

ESPN Preview

Also, below is the bracket with all the times and TV information for the entire tournament.  

A-10 Tuesday Wrap-Up

The good outweighed the bad in the A-10's performances on Tuesday night.  Here are the final scores from around the league.

The Bad...

Fordham 71 - Fairfield 74

ND State 57 - Duquesne 43

The Alright...

Saint Louis 59 - #12 Kansas 73

Doing What They Were Supposed To... 

La Salle 64 - Hartford 51

Richmond 64 - Wofford 58

The Good... 

Harvard 56 - St. Joseph's 75

The Big Time....

Butler 82 - #9 North Carolina 71

2013 Recruit Brandon Randolph Commits to Xavier

Today, Xavier got some great news on the recruiting front.  Brandon Randolph chose Xavier over Missouri for his college destination.  Randolph is a 6'2'' guard from Inglewood, California.  He is listed as a three star guard on Rivals and a 4 star on Scout.  His strengths are getting to the rim and creating his shots.  He is considered a very good scorer, but will need to work on his ability to pass and work the ball better as a point guard 

Randolph committed to Xavier after originally committing to Pepperdine this past summer.  Shortly after committing to Pepperdine, he opened his recruitment back up.  As a west coast high school player, he has been mostly overlooked by Pac 12 schools.  His recruitment has picked up since this summer and his break out performances on his AAU team.  Xavier joined this recruitment late but seemed to be a great fit from the beginning, with him being rumored to have committed after a recent visit to Norwood.  Instead, he decided to let his recruitment play out and he followed through on his visit to Missouri this past weekend but luckily, for Musketeers fans, he decided on Xavier after returning from that visit.

The addition of Randolph helps solidify next years class of incoming recruits.  With Jalen Reynolds and Myles Davis being ineligible this year, they will join Randolph and another 2013 commitment Kamall Richards.

Around the A-10 11/20

Xavier is off to a hot start this season at 3-0, meanwhile other A-10 teams are sending messages of their own.

Monday Night Rap-Up

Butler 72, Marquette 71
Rotnei Clarke hit game winning, three point shot at buzzer to send Butler past Marquette in the opening round of the Maui Invitational.  A solid win for Butler and the A-10.

Fordham 70, Pennsylvania 68
Fordham picked up their first win of the season in the NIT Season Tip Off.

Duquesne 90, JMU 88 OT
Duquesne wins their first game of the season, defeating James Madision.  Avoiding a bad loss early in the season.

St. Louis 70, Texas A&M 49
The Billikans won their semifinal game against the Aggies.  Another quality win for the A-10.

Whats in store Tuesday... 

Fordham vs. Fairfield
LaSalle vs. Hartford
Richmond vs. Wofford
Duquesne vs. ND State
St. Joes vs. Harvard

Games to Watch...

Butler vs. #9 North Carolina  8:00 p.m. on ESPN - Semifinal of Maui Invitational

St. Louis vs. #12 Kansas 9:30 p.m. on ESPNU - Final of CBE Hall of Fame Classic

Xavier Lands Big 2014 Commitment - Melvin Swift

Last night Chris Mack got a big commitment in 4 star recruit, PF Melvin Swift.  Swift is a junior from Houston, Texas who is climbing the national rankings for the class of 2014.  He is considered by some websites to be a top 50 recruit, while others have him just outside the top 50. Swift was being recruited by Kentucky, Kansas, SMU and Baylor.  This is a huge get for the Musketeers and helps calm fans nerves in regards to impact of the past off season on recruiting.  Here is a look at the commitment from Bleacher Report.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1402306-xavier-basketball-musketeers-land-forward-melvin-swift

Xavier vs. Fairleigh Dickinson Update

As soon as I published my preview for the Musketeers regular season opener tomorrow night, I see this update from Shannon Russel.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/xavier/2012/11/08/fairleigh-dickinson-hayes-dismissed/

Fairleigh Dickinson has dismissed their 2nd best player, Lonnie Hayes.  He is also a Cincinnati native.  Also, they will be without four other players who are not making the trip for violating team rules.  That leaves just 7 players for Fairleigh Dickinson to have available tomorrow night. Hopefully that means an easy tune-up opener for the Musketeers before next weeks showdown with Butler!

Xavier vs. Fairleigh Dickinson Game Preview

Xavier comes in off their exhibition victory over Kentucky State to face a similar opponent in game one.  Fairleigh Dickinson is led by their back court which returns their three best players.  Melquan Bolding, their 2 guard is their top returning scorer.  He led the team last season in three pointers and should be a tough match up for Xavier.  He is a player that scan from anywhere.  Their two other leading guards are also explosive but inconsistent scorers. Inside, Fairleigh Dickinson lacks any players taller than 6'7'', so Xavier should have the advantage there.

Here is a more in depth look at Fairleigh Dickinson from an earlier preview of Xavier's Out of Conference games.

Farleigh Dickinson ranked near the bottom in the NCAA last season in almost all team statistical categories, averaging 60.8 points per game and shot 41% from the field.  That all led one of the worst seasons in program history, going 3-23 during the 2011-2012 season.

The Knights return their top two scorers Melquan Bolding and Lonnie Hayes.  Bodling is a Senior Guard who struggles shooting the ball despite leading the team in scoring last season with 15.1 points per game.  He only shoots 29% from three and 35% from the field.  Lonnie Hayes, a Cincinnati native from Harmony Prep, was the second leading scorer for the Knights last season and much like Bolding struggled from the field.  The 6’0’’ guard only shot 25% from three and 34% from the field.

The Knights do lose their top rebounder from last season and do seem to lack much of an inside presence on either end of the floor.

Outlook:

This should be an early season tune-up for the Muskies.  Xavier will have more talent at every position on the floor and on the bench than anything the Knights will have.  The one test Xavier will get is from the Knights two senior guards.  Despite their struggles shooting last year, Xavier’s young guards will need to do a good job defending the two veteran guards who will be looking to have bounce back seasons.  Look for a comfortable win from the Muskies in their season opener.  This will be most likely their weakest opponent of the year.

Xavier Basketball: The Time is Now!

After a long, disaster of an off-season for the Xavier Men's Basketball Program, it is finally over. The After a long, disaster of an off-season for the Xavier Men's Basketball Program, it is finally over.  The Musketeers play their first game, albeit an exhibition game, versus Kentucky State on Saturday night.  This is their only exhibition game before opening the regular season a week later versus Fairleigh Dickinson.


The off-season was a tumultuous time for the Musketeers.  Losing all of their top scorers, Tu Holloway to graduation, Kenny Frease to graduation, Mark Lyons transferring to Arizona, and Dez Wells expulsion.  This left a gloom and doom outlook for the 2013 Musketeers basketball team.  Then when you thought it could not get worse, two of the three incoming recruits, Myles Davis and Jalen Reynolds were ruled ineligible by the NCAA.  I don't think anyone thought Xavier would ever hit a rock bottom so low.  In the end it left a small roster that everyone is questioning.


<b>Questions for this year's team:</b>

<b>Who will replace the scoring lost?</b>  Xavier lost around 75% of their scoring from 2011-2012.  They will look to returning players like Justin Martin, Travis Taylor, Jeff Robinson and Dee Davis to fill most of this void left.  Yet even if each of these players have developed into better scores and players, there will still need to be help.  That help comes in the form of Semaj Christon, the five star recruit that Musketeers fans rest their hope on.  He has been described as possibly becoming the best point guard in school history and he will need to develop quickly with the lack of depth at the guard position.  Early signs are good, with word that he was dominant in their scrimmage versus West Virginia last week.  Another new player that could also help make up for lost points is transfer PF, Isaiah Philmore.  If he can be a force inside, the Muskies may be better off than thought.


<b>Travis Taylor, Justin Martin, will they step up?</b> This may be the key to the Musketeers shocking the world and being better than anyone thought.  These two players have shown flashes of brilliance and many other moments of mediocrity.  If this year's Xavier team is going to exceed the expectations that have been put before them, they will need to be scoring threats and dependable leaders on the court.


<b>Will Xavier's short bench cost them? </b>
Depending on how the starting line-up shakes out, the Muskies should be alright inside.  They will have Philmore, Taylor and Robinson playing the bulk of the minutes, with freshman James Far getting minutes here and there when needed.

The depth issue is mostly focused on the guard position, where the Muskies have only one scholarship player off the bench.  Brad Redford will more than likely be coming off the bench to spell Christon and Davis.  Redford will be a huge factor in Xavier's success or failures this season.  Can he get his shot back to what it was two years ago?  Will his defense be good enough to keep him on the court or will it be a liability?


<b>Overall Outlook</b>
Later this week I will give you my prediction for 2012-2013 but after a tough off-season and a lot of questions surrounding this team as they enter the season, there are good things.  If things work out the best they can, this season will not be a lost season at all.  It will be an exciting year of competitive games and entertaining basketball.  The answer to how good Xavier will be lies within the players.  The talent is there for this team to compete night in and out with all the teams on their schedule.  It is a matter of what level of their potential this team realizes and puts forth on the court.

Xavier Basketball Update 10/18

Xavier Recruiting Update There is no good news in this update. First, Xavier's biggest prospect and most highly touted potential recruit, Roddy Peters committed to Maryland last week. While not shocking news on any account, it was a tough blow to Xavier. They recruited this top guard very hard and had a decent chance to land him, especially if the Harrison twins decided on Maryland over Kentucky. Instead the Harrison twins chose Kentucky and Maryland made Peters their top target. That leaves one lone top target at the guard position left at this point. Ron Patterson continues courting new schools but Xavier is in great shape to land this commitment at the moment. He took a visit to Providence after visiting Xavier and just cancelled a visit to SMU. I am hearing that Patterson really likes Xavier but those surrounding him would like him to check out other schools before making his decision. Now that he has looked and talked to other schools, his decision could come shortly. One caveat to his recruitment is that UCONN is not interested and talking with Patterson and Syracuse is also said to be entering his recruitment. This tells me that if Patterson commits in the coming weeks, it will be Xavier, but if he continues it on for a while and new teams begin entering the mix, Xavier will not be such a sure bet. Hopefully he will commit soon to the Muskies. At this point there is not much else known about Xavier's other targets. It seems they are expanding their search and hopefully soon we will get word on some new targets they are pursuing. They are pretty deep in the front-court but definitely need to bring in some gaurds in the 2013 class. Cantino Cleared to Practice Chris Cantino was cleared by the NCAA to practice with Musketeers. They are still awaiting the NCAA to decide his eligibility for games at this point. Isaiah Philmore to Sit out First Three Games PF transfer Isaiah Philmore will sit the first three games for the Musketeers after they found he did not file the proper paperwork before starting his career at Towson. Philmore figures to play a huge role with the Musketeers this season and he will be missed the first three games but luckily this is nothing more than a minor issue that the Musketeers self-reported. Musketeer Madness on Saturday Night Reminder that starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Musketeer Madness will kick off at the Cintas Center.

A-10 Media Day Preseason Poll

This morning marks the start of the A-10 Men's Basketball day. The coaches preseason poll was released first thing and they have selected Xavier to finish 9th out of 16 teams. That is just about where I would suspect them to be at this point. Here is the full preseason poll. 1). St. Joseph's 2). Saint Louis 3). VCU 4). Temple 5). UMASS 6). Butler 7). La Salle 8). Dayton 9). Xavier 10). Richmond 11). St. Bonaventure 12). Charlotte 13). George Washington 14). Fordham 15). Rhode Island 16). Duquesne

Former Xavier Players in the NBA

Xavier has had success over the years sending players to the NBA. Currently, there are two players are projected to be on an NBA teams roster this season. Most notably, arguably Xavier’s best player in school history, David West with the Indianapolis Pacers. West will be entering his 10th season in the NBA. David has been a mainstay in the starting lineup for the past 7 seasons. He played his first 8 seasons in the NBA with the New Orleans Hornets before signing with the Indianapolis Hornets before the 2011-2012 season. Last year he averaged 29 minutes and 12.8 points per game. This is a slight drop off from what he averaged in his tenure with the Hornets, but the Pacers were a very young and deep team last year. He was complimented inside with much better talent on the Pacers, in Roy Hibbert and Danny Granger. What is not shown on the stat sheet is the leader that David West is on and off the court. This leadership and experience is a huge factor for the young and upcoming Pacers squad that looks to take the next step and go deep into the playoffs this season. We all know, if they follow David West’s lead, they can take that next step. The other notable Xavier graduate in the NBA, Jordan Crawford. Entering his third season in the NBA, Crawford is looking to have a breakout season. He was a starter for much of last season, playing beside John Wall for the Wizards. This year it looks like he may be coming off the bench, playing behind Bradley Beal. Last season he averaged 27 minutes and nearly 15 points per game. His struggles have come from the three point line where is just shooting 30% and he is a non factor in assists or steals. Crawford will have to start shooting the ball better from outside and become a better passer and defender if he wants to be an everyday starter in the NBA. Another note, Tu Holloway’s dream of playing in the NBA looks like it may fall short this season. Holloway went undrafted in the recent rookie draft and was briefly signed by the Mavericks, until being released today. He will look to catch on with another team this preseason or at the least be signed to the D-League.

Musketeer Madness on October 20th

Xavier announced Musketeer Madness will be held on October 20th, starting at 4 p.m. on the plaza outside the Cintas Center. The events inside will begin at 6 p.m. Both the Men's and Women's Basketball teams will be featured in the free event to kick off the start of the Musketeer's basketball season!

Xavier Announces Full Schedule with Game Times and TV Information

Xavier announced their full schedule, including game times and tv information on Monday.  All games will be televised, except for the exhibition game.

Chris Thomas Decommits from Xavier

Xavier continues to get bad news.  This time it was their prized recruit for the 2013 class, Chris Thomas.  Thomas is a five star guard who is playing this year in Junior College at Chipola JC in Florida.  He was Xavier's only commitment for the class of 2013.  With him as their sole recruit, Xavier was still ranked in the top 25 in Scout.com's last team recruiting rankings for the 2013 class.

Now that he has re-opened his recruitment, it will be highly unlikely that Xavier would re-enter the equation. It seems Xavier may have to widen its net to secure a decent recruiting class this year, as many of their top targets have already turned down Xavier.  A few are still out there, as noted in the recruiting update last week but they will need to land atleast one of those players and then add some quality recruits, maybe not as highly touted.

Xavier Recruiting Update

Just when you thought things could not get much worse and you wanted to look to the future for hope, Xavier's recruiting took a big hit.  Over the last week they have lost three of their top targets in the class of 2013, both of which at one point or another had Xavier listed as their top choice.  

First, Davon Reed committed to Miami after a visit to their campus.  Reed is a 6'4'' SG out of New Jersey and a four star recruit that Xavier had recruited heavily over the past couple of years.  He had narrowed his list to Wake Forest, Miami and Xavier, and planned to take a visit to Xavier in early October.  Earlier this month it looked like Xavier was behind the other two schools and that it would take a great visit to Norwood for Reed to choose Xavier, so not a huge shocker.  Early on Xavier looked to be the favorite for Reed but Wake Forest and Miami slowly overtook the Musketeers.

The second prospect for Xavier to choose elsewhere was another 4 star, SG prospect, E.C. Matthews.  Like Reed, Matthews was a prospect high on Xavier's radar for quite some time.  It was thought he would take a more time to decide on his future, but instead he committed to Rhode Island after a recent visit.  A huge get for Rhode Island and a big loss for Xavier.  It is thought that the playing time Rhode Island offered was a big factor, yet its not like Xavier has a full depth chart this year.

Lastly, Devin Williams recently revealed his latest list of schools, removing Xavier from his recruitment.  This may be the biggest blow of them all.  Williams was a Cincinnati local before this year when he decided to attend Montverde Academy in Florida.  Earlier this month it was revealed he would not take an official visit to Xavier but it was thought to be no big deal since the 4 star PF recruit had attended nearly every home game the last two years and been to Xavier's campus numerous times.  He is still listing Ohio State and UCLA as his top choices.  Xavier was thought to be battling it out with UCLA for his services and this news came out of nowhere.

These losses hurt Xavier but they are still in the mix for some great players and top targets of theirs.  First, Roddy Peters a four star PG seems to be still down to Xavier and Maryland as his top schools.  He just took an official to Rutgers and plans on visiting UCLA and Memphis still.  The key for Xavier is if the Harrison twins that are being heavily recruited by Maryland, choose Maryland, they may not have a spot or playing time for Peters.  It does look like his decision could come soon though.

Also, another name that will not go away is Ron Patterson.  After he left Indiana, it was thought he may be headed to Xavier for this season but he instead went the prep school route to Brewster Academy.  Xavier has not stopped recruiting Patterson and it seems they are the front-runner at this point.  Although many schools seem to be jumping in at this point, as he has excelled early on with Brewster.  Patterson is a SG.

Xavier is also trying to jump back into the recruitment of Josh Hart, a four star SF from Washington D.C..  It  looks like Xavier has an uphill battle to get back into his recruitment, but if they can he would be a nice fit for next season.

Lastly, with Devin Williams out of the mix, it looks like Xavier is turning their attention to Junior Etou, a 6'8'' PF from D.C..  He is a raw talent that rebounds well and scores mostly from put-backs.  He is a name I think you will hear more about linked to Xavier.

Updated Xavier Roster

With Reynolds and Davis out this year, after being ruled ineligible by the NCAA, it leaves Xavier with just 8 scholarship players.  They have added Chris Cantino, a Junior College transfer, but at the moment his status is unclear and nothing is official.  If he is cleared by the NCAA, then Xavier will have 9 scholarship players.

Here is a look at the depth chart with all the changes.

PG: Dee Davis, Semaj Christon
SG: Brad Redford (Dee Davis, Semaj Christon)
G/SF: Justin Martin
PF: Travis Taylor, Isaiah Philmore
PF: Jeff Robinson, James Farr

So as you can see, not much depth for Xavier.  I do want to point out that many teams play with an 8 or 9 man rotation, once they get into the thick of their schedule.  It would not be a huge factor if Xavier had one more guard.  The issue is they are potentially adding Cantino, who is a SF and will only help spell Martin.  Also, James Farr, a true freshman will more than likely see limited time unless he wows the coaching staff this camp.  Inside, I like the three man rotation of Taylor, Robinson and Philmore.  I think they will be steady performers this season.  At the guard positions, you have to think Dee Davis and Christon will be the starters, with Redford coming off the bench.

Once I hear on Cantino, I will of course update the roster.

What does the Myles Davis Loss Mean?

A day after learning that Myles Davis will be ineligible for this upcoming season, its time to look at what the impact will be.  The loss of Davis leaves just 3 scholarship guards on Xavier's roster.  Xavier will look to Semaj Christon, Dee Davis, and Brad Radford to run the show.  It will be interesting to see how they keep these three players fresh.  In theory, there are two guard positions equaling 80 minutes of playing time, leaving each player with about 27 minutes on the court.  Of course Xavier will not look to keep all three of these players minutes the same but after looking at what Xavier has at the guard position, I don't think under any circumstance Chris Mack wanted to see these kinds of minutes being expected from any of these players, except possibly Davis.

Davis is the only experienced point guard in the bunch, but is just a Sophomore.  He grew a lot last season and seemed to hit his stride the second half of the season and even a bit of range with his shot.  He will need to be the leader of this bunch.

Semaj Christon is the most talented of the guards by far, yet I don't think anyone would want to have this amount of weight put on his shoulders during his freshmen season.  He will need to step up and be a leader on this team on the court.  Also, with the lack of scorers on this team, he will need to score buckets in bunches.

Brad Redford is the veteran of the bunch.  There is no doubt his range and ability to shoot from the perimeter is a great asset, but because of the increased role he will now have to play, defense will be the area he needs to focus.  Although he is a liability on that end of the court, Xavier has no choice anymore, Redford is going to have to play substantial minutes now that Myles Davis is out of the mix and they need him to hold his own ton the defensive side of the court.  The other issue with Redford is, he cannot get beat on the defensive end of the court and pick up fouls.  With the lack of depth at the guard position, none of these players can afford foul trouble.

A bleak outlook for Xavier got even more bleak yesterday with the Myles Davis news but it does provide a great opportunity for Xavier's remaining guards.  The season may be a little tough at times to watch but Semaj and Dee Davis will get an incredible amount of experience that should work in Xavier's favor over the next couple of seasons.  For Redford, he went from being a role player, splitting minutes with Myles Davis, to seeing a lot of minutes and huge opportunity to put his stamp on this team during his senior season.

Jalen Reynolds Still Awaiting NCAA Decision

Yesterday Xavier received a huge blow in losing incoming freshmen, Myles Davis.  Meanwhile Jalen Reynolds is still awaiting final word on his status for this season from the NCAA.  It seems to be a forgone conclusion that Reynolds will not be eligible for Xavier this season and it now is just a matter of hoping he is a partial qualifier instead of a non-qualifier as Myles was deemed.  If Reynolds is a partial qualifier, he will remain on scholarship and get valuable experience by being allowed to practice.  Although this would be a huge blow for the Muskies, it would not be a terrible situation as Reynolds would get a year of experience and then be ready to go next season as a Freshmen.

As soon as a decision is announced in regards to Reynolds I will update Xavier Nation!

Myles Davis Ineligible

Jeff Goodman, of CBS Sports, is reporting that Myles Davis has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA.  Not only is he ineligible, he is a non-qualifier, meaning he can't receive his athletic scholarship or practice with the team this season.  This is a huge blow to the Musketeers for 2012-2013 and one that is receiving a ton of skepticism towards the NCAA.  As Goodman notes in the article the specifics of this case make it very hard to see how the NCAA ruled the way it did.  For more on the case check out Goodman's article below.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/20165079/ncaa-denies-eligibility-to-myles-davis-and-sam-cassells-kid-

Myles Davis and Jalen Reynolds Non-Qualifiers?

There are rumors swirling right now that Myles Davis and Jalen Reynolds have not qualified for the upcoming season.  If they are non-qualifiers, they would not be eligible for athletic scholarships and would have to pay their way this year at Xavier.  It sounds like Davis is a non-qualifier and seems to be up in the air if Reynolds is a non or partial qualifier.  If he is a partial qualifier, he would get to practice with the team and be able to hold his athletic scholarship.  Either way this is a huge blow to the Musketeers. This would leave them with 8 scholarship players on the roster and eligible for this season, not counting Chris Cantino, the Junior College transfer.  Cantino is also being rumored to be ineligible for the upcoming season but this seems to be less likely, but if so, Xavier will be extremely thin in the depth chart.

Xavier Announces 2012-2013 Schedule

Last week, Xavier announced their full schedule for the 2012-2013 season.  Dates have now been set for all games, with times still unannounced for some of their games.  This upcoming season all Xavier regular season games will be televised.  Eight of Xavier's games will be televised on ESPN's family of networks, while most of Xavier's conference games will be shown on CBS Sports Network.  Their are 10 games which the network they will be on is yet to be determined.  Most of these games will be on Fox Sports Ohio, which is the home station for Xavier Basketball.   Take a look at the schedule by clicking the link below!

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/xavi/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2012-13/schedule/schedule.pdf

Xavier's Father Graham on Jury Duty

Sources indicate that the silence from Father Graham in regards to the Dez Wells situation this week is a result of him being away from Xavier on Federal jury duty.  Xavier fans have been clamoring for Father Graham to step in and do something about the Wells situation and now we know why we have heard nothing from him.  You would have to think with how big this situation has grown, that at some point he will make a statement.  He has to know by now, if not he should hear this evening how the situation is gaining media attention and continues to spiral out of control.

Is Xavier Basketball, as We Knew It to Be, Over?

A couple weeks back I worked hard to move past the doom and gloom of what Dez Wells expulsion meant to the Musketeers in 2012-2013.  I tried to help turn the page to what was left on the roster and point out the opportunity that other players would now have to step up and show us what they are made of.  Yesterday, everything changed and the outlook of the program on Dana Ave. completely reversed.  Instead of thinking that Dez Wells made a big mistake and one that hopefully he and the program would be able to move on from, I now have to question the administration of Xavier.

Xavier is an interesting basketball school.  You have a great academic university that works hard to put itself in a position to be looked at as one of the top private universities in the country.  The business college is always ranked as one of the best and it is thought to be one of the best places in the country for pre-law students.  There is so much to be said about the Xavier education and the pride that students, faculty and alumni have in saying they graduated from Xavier because of this superb education.  The University is run by administrators that hold the Xavier, Jesuit way up as the main mission of the University.  This is the way it has always been and rightfully so.

Last December, following the brawl with UC the administration was appalled by how the basketball program  had put the University in such a negative light.  There is no doubt the actions on the court and postgame press conference changed the way people looked at the Xavier Men's Basketball Program.  Yet, this was one bad moment in a long line of seasons graduating every player and representing the University with class. Every once in a while a program has a few bad guys in it, that make mistakes, but after all is not the Jesuit mission one of compassion and forgiveness.  The remarkable thing about Xavier has been its ability to take on some of the best basketball players in the country and make them better players, but most importantly better men with degrees from a prestigious University.   Some of the best players are risks for a university to take on, but is the Jesuit way not to give every person an opportunity to learn and grow as human being?  People make mistakes and Tu, Mark, Dez and the rest of Xavier's basketball program made them that day at the Cintas Center.  They served their punishment and moved on to lead Xavier to a great run in the NCAA Tournament. Xavier's administration never did move on or past the mistake of the brawl with UC.

When Mark Lyons left Xavier, the rumors swirled and continue to swirl over how that all transpired.  Most think that the Xavier administration stepped in at some extent to push Chris Mack to get rid of Lyons, to what extent they did, we will never know.  This was a step by the administration to take over the program.

Dez Wells was expelled a couple of weeks back and at the time it looked like Xavier had done the right thing, Wells was in the wrong.  Now, after yesterday the opposite seems to be the truth.  Xavier rushed to judge a student and expelled him for something a highly thought of criminal prosecutor says did not happen.  Some Xavier administration apologists point to other reasons for his expulsion, that it was more than the sexual allegations, drinking was involved.  Yet, I went to Xavier and had underage friends get busted for drinking and other issues and were never expelled, just slapped on their wrists.  How can I look at everything that came out yesterday and not think Xavier's disciplinary process with Wells was not flawed?

That leads us to the question on everyone's mind, why was the process flawed and unfair to Wells?  A simple answer would be that Xavier was just following the Federal regulations that were put into place to a tee because of their recent issues with sexual assault cases.   Yet, if they did that and it came out as it did yesterday that their conclusion was off base, whey did they not re-open it and give it another look with all the evidence the police and prosecutor had?  So I don't buy that this is just about the recent federal investigation.  I don't buy it at all.  Dez Wells was the last of the main factors from the brawl.  Outside of that incident he was viewed by students, coaches and the media as a very classy kid with his head in all the right places.  Dez      Wells is a good student and well liked teammate.  Xavier's administration did not think he was any of these things and only looked at him as someone that had helped damage the reputation of the University.  They looked at him as another basketball talent that was a liability on the court because he may do something to embarrass the school.     This was their chance to remove another bad person, as they viewed him, from the basketball team.  Further putting their stamp on the basketball program.

The question becomes where does the program go from here?  Can Chris Mack continue to coach under an administration that is clearly questioning the players he is bringing in?  How can he go out and recruit the top talent in the country and convince parents that he will have their son's back, when his opinion means little to the Xavier administration?  The simple answer is he can't.  Something has to give, either the Xavier basketball program that has put Xavier into an elite company major basketball programs or the Administration that seems to want to push basketball to the edge of the cliff.  Here's to hoping someone has sense enough to realize its the administration is the one out of line.  I am talking to you, board of trustees.

Hamilton County Prosecutor: Xavier "fundamentally unfair" to Dez Wells

Today on Bill Cunningham's show, on 700 WLW, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters made it clear that there was not enough evidence to charge Dez Wells.  He went as far as saying he would not prosecute this case in "a million years".  The compelling interview had Cunningham pushing Deters to answer the question on everyone's mind, did Xavier unjustly expel Dez Wells?  The prosecutors answer was less direct but just as compelling, that Xavier did not offer a fair process for Wells to present his side of what happened, and that in his view, they ruined a young man's character when the evidence suggested he was innocent.  He even went as far as saying Xavier should re-open this case and change the way they handle future sexual allegations between students.

The interview was telling and seems to suggest that the Xavier Administration has made a huge error.  Dez Wells name has been ran through the mud, with people labeling him and falsely accusing him of something the local prosecutor says never happened.  An institution that serves to teach young people christian values, including justice, completely ignored those values in order to try look as though they handled this situation properly and as if they were taking the high road.  Instead, they ruined a student athletes career within the University and ruined his character across the country.  This is not the Xavier Way and while we have focused on the basketball program re-establishing the Xavier Way, maybe we should instead turn our attention to the Xavier administration.  For now, lets hope Xavier does the right thing and their part to clearing Wells' name, by offering him the opportunity to come back to Xavier.

Kris Jenkins Commits to Villanova

I know I am a little late on this but it must be pointed out.  Kris Jenkins, the 4 star PF out of DC committed to Villanova over Xavier and Clemson this past weekend.  It seemed that it was between Xavier and Villanova down the stretch and one has to wonder if the timing had anything to do with the Wells situation.  It sounds more and more like Wells was railroaded by the Xavier administration, which if that is the case or how it seems to Wells and his circle of friends and coaches, it will have an effect on recruiting.  Only time will tell but for now Xavier turn its focus to other top recruits on their board for 2013.

Projecting the Starting Line-Up

With Dez Wells gone, lets take a look at how the starting line-up may look on opening night.

At the guard position you are now down to 4 players. Dee Davis has to be considered and early favorite for one of the 2 guard positions.  He played a lot last season and seemed to get better as the season went along.  I think you will see a rotation similar to last season with Davis, Semaj Christon and Myles Davis, running a similar rotation to Lyons, Holloway and Davis last year.  Redford may see time in the starting line-up early in the season at the 2 guard because of his experience but I would not expect that to last long.  I see him coming off the bench with Myles Davis to spell Dee Davis and Semaj Christon.

At the SF/Guard spot, you have to think this is where Justin Martin needs to step and take control of his spot in the starting Line-Up.  This is the whole left by Wells and I see no reason Martin is not the answer.  The other option will be incoming Junior College transfer Chris Cantino, who is said to have nice range and be an athletic SF with the inside presence to play against PF's.  If Cantino impresses and the young gaurds struggle early on I could see a point where Cantino and Martin are in the same starting line-up.

At the 4 and 5 spot on the floor it could be one of any one of these players.  Jeff Robinson has the edge in experience and past performance.  He is my early favorite to start at the 5 spot.  Travis Taylor would seem to be the favorite at the 4, with Isaiah Philmore battling for that spot as well.  It is way to early to see how incoming recruits James Farr and Jalen Reynolds fit in.

My projected starting line-up for game one!
Guard - Dee Davis
Guard - Semaj Christon
SF - Justin Martin
PF - Travis Taylor
PF - Jeff Robinson

Xavier Moving Forward

At this point the loss of Dez Wells has made the upcoming season look very gloomy, but its time to move forward and look at what Xavier has.  After thinking about what the loss of Wells meant to Xavier and trying to find a player on the roster to fill his role and production, I was left with only one player.  Call me an optimist, but I think this player has the potential to have a break out season and make it at least easier to forget about Wells.  This player was very up and down last year and found himself during the middle part of the year riding the bench because of his inconsistent play and effort in practice.  Yet, down the stretch when players like Lyons, Holloway or Wells would get into foul trouble he came in and had an impact on the game.  In the NCAA tournament against Lehigh he came in off the bench and grabbed 7 rebounds and had 1 block in 13 minutes of play.  Against Baylor he played 18 minutes with 5 rebounds, 1 block, and 6 points.

The player that Xavier needs now to step up and take hold of being a leader on the court is Justin Martin.  Martin has all the talent and potential in the world to lead Xavier to a solid season this year, despite losing Wells.  If he puts it all on the line this season and commits himself entirely to the team and Chris Mack, he could replicate the production that Wells would have given this team.  It is now Justin Martin's time and hopefully he rises to the occasion.  If he does, I think the doom and gloom will turn to bright sunshine.   

Dez Wells Expelled From Xavier

Today Xavier announced Dez Wells was expelled from score for breaking the student conduct rules.  Jeff Goodman is reporting that it was related to a sexual incident.  Huge blow for the Musketeers who now have lost their top 5 scorers from last season.

Xavier OOC Breakdown Part 3: Purdue Boilermakers

Today is part three in our series taking and early look at Xavier’s out of conference schedule.  Today we take a look at the Purdue Boilermakers, who Xavier will visit on December 1^st. 

Purdue will undoubtedly be a different team this season than the team Xavier beat last year in the Cintas Center.  The Boilermakers finished 22-13 last season and lost in the 2^nd round of the NCAA Tournament to Kansas.  They lose their top two scorers and 3 of their top 4, from last year’s team.   The top two returning players are Terone Johnson and D.J. Byrd.  Those two will lead the backcourt, although Byrd will more than likely play the three man on the floor.  Look for the remaining starters and impact players to be young and inexperienced.  The Boilermakers are bringing in the 20^th ranked recruiting class according to Scout.com.  They have four incoming 4 star recruits, anyone of which could see a lot of playing time on this young Boilermakers squad. 

Outlook:  It is very difficult to predict just how good Purdue will be.  Just like the Musketeers they have a lot of inexperienced talent that could take some time to gel together.  Since this game is at Purdue, you would have to give a slight edge to Purdue but hopefully a young Musketeers squad will be able to pull one out on the road.

Next Up: Vanderbilt 

Ron Patterson Headed to Prep School

Ron Patterson has decided to reclassify to the class of 2013 and head off to Brewster Academy this fall.  Sources felt this was the direction he was headed on Monday, as his family seemed to be pushing him towards the prep school route.  Although it would have been a decent addition to the Muskies this fall, Patterson was not going to be an impact player or possibly may not have even seen much playing time.  The Muskies are seemingly loaded at guards with Wells, Myles Davis, Dee Davis, Semaj Christon and Brad Redford, and it could use a late addition at PF or C.

Also, it seems unlikely that Chris Mack will offer Patterson at this point for next season.  Mack is on some of the best guards in the class of 2013 and already has signed Chris Thomas.

Xavier Recruiting Update

Class of 2012
- Xavier has one available scholarship as fall classes have begun. It looks like it is about 50/50 that the last scholarship is going to be filled in the next few days.  The two candidates are Ron Patterson, the former IU recruit, and Chris Cantino.

- Ron Patterson seems to be leading towards the prep school route.  Sources indicate that his family and coaches are pushing him towards Brewster Academy, while he would prefer the college route this season.  If he does decide to go to college this year it seems Xavier has the leg up on other schools.

- If Patterson does not fill the last available scholarship, it looks like Xavier may offer it to Iona recruit, Chris Cantino.  Last Friday, Cantino's JC coach tweeted that he had decomitted to Iona and chosen Xavier instead but it looks like that was just a ploy to try and get Xavier to take on Cantino before Patterson's decision.  With just one scholarship left, Cantino will have to wait to see what Patterson chooses to do.  Cantino is a Junior College forward for Palm Beach St., who averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game last season.

Class of 2013
- Kris Jenkins, who is a four star PF from DC recently cut his list of schools.  It looks like it is between Xavier, Villanova and Clemson.  Jenkins is set to visit Xavier in September.

- Devin Williams visited Xavier's campus last week and seems to be down to Xavier and UCLA.  Ohio State has also entered late.  Williams is a PF that seems to be leaning towards Xavier and could make his decision this fall.

Chris Mack adds Dante' Jackson to His Staff

Today, Chris Mack announced the addition of Dante' Jackson to his staff as a graduate assistant.  Dante' Jackson played his last season for the Musketeers is 2011 and helped lead the Musketeers to the NCAA tournament that season.  Following his graduation, he spent last year as a graduate assistant with the Ohio University Bobcats.

Ron Patterson Decision Likely Today!

Ron Patterson will likely make his decision today on where he will attend school this fall and play basketball. Most sources seem to think he will choose a 4 year college over the prep school route.  He will be eligible to play right away wherever he goes.

It would be a nice addition for Xavier if they picked him up for the up-coming season, yet it should be noted that Patterson is not going to be an impact player right off the bat.  He is a 3 star recruit outside the top 100 and compares most favorably to incoming Xavier recruit Myles Davis.  This would just add depth and potential down the road for Patterson to develop into a solid contributor late this year or more than likely his sophomore through senior years.

I will update the blog and twitter as soon as his decision has been released!

Ron Patterson to Xavier?

Indiana recruit, Ron Patterson, was expected to begin classes on Monday at Indian University but did not meet the academic requirements for the University and will be leaving.  Articles indicate that he is looking at prep schools and other 4 year universities to attend this fall.  Could the 3 star recruit choose Xavier?  He originally chose Indiana over Xavier, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.  Ron Patterson is a shooting guard that is regarded as one of the best defenders in this years class.  He is a good jump shooter but not a great ballhandler or great at creating his own shot.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/recruiting/blog/eye-on-college-basketball-recruiting/19802041/indiana-signee-ron-patterson-not-attending-the-school

Xavier OOC Matchup Breakdown Part 2: Robert Morris

For this weeks OOC matchup breakdown we move on to Robert Morris.  This week I found a great breakdown of Robert Morris on CollegeSportsMadness.com by Joel Welser. Below is the link and text for their Preview for Robert Morris.

http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/4554

From CollegeSportsMadness.com

"Joel Welser

Sat, 08/04/2012

Robert Morris Colonials

2012-2013 Overall Rank: #98
Conference Rank: #1 NEC

Robert Morris Team Page

The 2011-2012 campaign was supposed to be one of rebuilding for Robert Morris. With just one senior on the roster, the expectations were down a little bit. And perhaps a third place finish in the NEC was a slight disappointment, but it was still a squad that won 26 games and made a nice run in the CIT. This year they will shoot for a more prestigious postseason tournament. With Velton Jones leading the way, the Colonials have the depth, talent and experience to reach the NCAAs. Jones averaged 16.0 points per game last year and added team highs with 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals. Jones is a good enough outside shooter to keep the opposition honest, but he will do most of his scoring around the basket. With junior Anthony Myers available to provide another ballhandler or give Jones a break, RMU is in great hands at the point guard position.

2011-12 Record: 26-11, 13-5
2011-12 Postseason: CIT
Coach: Andrew Toole
Coach Record: 44-25 at Robert Morris, 44-25 overall

Who’s Out: 
Lawrence Bridges started 34 games during his senior season, but the 6-5 forward averaged less than 20 minutes per game and rarely put up big numbers. He averaged 3.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game and did a lot of the dirty work. Bridges was a glue player, but his production can certainly be replaced and there are plenty of players who are ready to turn into senior leaders this year. 

Who’s In: 
Third year coach Andrew Toole added three players to the roster and a couple of them will make an impact right away. Karvel Anderson, a 6-2 guard, will add some much needed experienced depth on the perimeter. The junior college transfer averaged nearly 25 points per game last year at Glen Oaks Community College in Michigan. He should be capable of providing a nice offensive spark off of the bench. Vaughn Morgan, a 6-6, 235 pound forward, is another juco transfer who has the strength and experience to play right away. Morgan is a good athlete who has enough size to play the four spot. His athleticism makes him a very good rebounder and shot blocker and that is where his greatest impact may be felt this season. However, he is not a bad scorer either and Robert Morris’ frontcourt will be in great shape if he can emerge as a consistent scorer at this level on top of his defensive skills. Incoming freshman Stephan Hawkins is a big 6-9 forward, but will need some time to add weight to his frame. 

Who to Watch: 
Hawkins will have time to develop since the Colonials do not lack bodies in the frontcourt. Small forward Lucky Jones had an amazing freshman campaign despite spending most of the season coming in off of the bench. Jones is a dynamic scorer who can knock down the long ball, but he also led the team with 6.1 rebounds. Russell Johnson can stretch out the defense with his shooting ability as well. Johnson is only 6-6 and on the lean side, but he is a great athlete who works hard on the glass. Thus, he can, and will, play at the four spot. Mike McFadden was eligible after the first semester during the 2011-2012 campaign after transferring in from Iona. He wasted no time getting into the starting lineup. McFadden has the size to play the five spot in the NEC and proved to be a consistent interior scorer. But while McFadden was waiting to be eligible, Lijah Thompson got a lot of playing time. Thompson is more of an undersized center than McFadden and he is a strong rebounder and the biggest shot blocking threat on the Colonials squad. Thompson’s knack for getting into foul trouble made it easier to have him come in off the bench, but when Robert Morris needs a stop, Thompson will be roaming the paint. Keith Armstrong gained some valuable experience as a freshman and will have to battle it out with Morgan for minutes off of the bench behind Thompson.

Final Projection: 
Velton Jones may get most of the headlines, but RMU has another great guard in Coron Williams. The 6-2 junior is the shooter on the team and knocked down an impressive 41.0 percent of his 5.7 attempts per game from beyond the arc. The inside presence of McFadden and Thompson and Jones’ ability to drive and dish will again give Williams plenty of open looks. And he can knock them down in bunches. Besides Myers, who is primarily a point guard who can hit some long balls, there is no depth on the perimeter. That is where Anderson will have to come in and make something happen. With Jones presumably stepping into a starting job on the wing, Robert Morris will need to find a new offensive spark to come in off of the bench. If they do, they could finally get the best of LIU Brooklyn after two years of falling to the Blackbirds in the NEC Tournament.

Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:
Velton Jones, Senior, Guard, 16.0 points per game
Coron Williams, Junior, Guard, 10.8 points per game
Lucky Jones, Sophomore, Forward, 8.5 points per game 
Russell Johnson, Senior, Forward, 8.5 points per game
Mike McFadden, Junior, Forward, 8.4 points per game  "

Lunardi's First Bracketology for 2012-2013!

Joe Lunardi posted his early preseason bracketology yesterday on ESPN.  He has FIVE Atlantic 10 teams in the tournament and one listed as the next four out.  Not to my surprise, Xavier is not listed anywhere in the bracket or just out of it.  With Xavier losing their 3 top scorers and replacing it with very young talent, there is not much for preseason rankings and projections to go on.  What this does show, is just how tough the A-10 projects to be this season.  Not only did they add two great programs in VCU and Butler, middle-tier A-10 programs from past seasons have gotten much better.  UMASS, LaSalle and St. Joe's are set for big years this season.  Add in the power programs of VCU, Butler, Xavier, Dayton, St. Louis, and Temple, and you have an incredibly tough conference this coming season.

Here are the A-10 teams in Bracketology.

St. Louis - 7 Seed
St. Joe's - 10 Seed
Temple - 10 Seed
VCU - 10 Seed
UMASS - 12 Seed

Braxton Miller - 2015 Xavier Recruiting Target

Yesterday, on twitter Braxton Miller, a 6'2'' Guard from Indiana tweeted;

Braxton Miller ‏@B_Millz03

Had two really good phone calls with #Illinois and #Xavier! So blessed to be where im at right now but gotta #StayInTheGym

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•  Reply 
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It seems that the young guard is garnering some attention from Chris Mack and his staff. Braxton Miller is a developing prospect right now and is starting to gain some attention from recruiting sites in Indiana. He has noted that he would like to stay close to home and that his two favorite teams are Notre Dame and Syracuse. Hopefully by Xavier showing early interest they can secure his commitment in a couple of years if his stock continues to clime.


Here are a couple of articles mentioning his development.


http://hoopniks.com/future-150-indianapolis-recap

http://future150.com/hs/basketball-news/2015-sg-braxton-miller-putting-in-extra-effort/

Out of Conference Schedule Breakdown: Fairleigh Dickinson

This is the first of a series of posts that will look at each individual Xavier OOC opponent this season.  The first OOC opponent Xavier will face is Fairleigh Dickinson.

Farleigh Dickinson ranked near the bottom in the NCAA last season in almost all team statistical categories, averaging 60.8 points per game and shot 41% from the field.  That all led one of the worst seasons in program history, going 3-23 during the 2011-2012 season. 

The Knights return their top two scorers Melquan Bolding and Lonnie Hayes.  Bodling is a Senior Guard who struggles shooting the ball despite leading the team in scoring last season with 15.1 points per game.  He only shoots 29% from three and 35% from the field.  Lonnie Hayes, a Cincinnati native from Harmony Prep, was the second leading scorer for the Knights last season and much like Bolding struggled from the field.  The 6’0’’ guard only shot 25% from three and 34% from the field. 

The Knights do lose their top rebounder from last season and do seem to lack much of an inside presence on either end of the floor. 

Outlook:

This should be an early season tune-up for the Muskies.  Xavier will have more talent at every position on the floor and on the bench than anything the Knights will have.  The one test Xavier will get is from the Knights two senior guards.  Despite their struggles shooting last year, Xavier’s young guards will need to do a good job defending the two veteran guards who will be looking to have bounce back seasons.  Look for a comfortable win from the Muskies in their season opener.  This will be most likely their weakest opponent of the year. 

Stay Tuned Early Next Week for our next OOC Match-up Preview!

Next Up – Robert Morris 

2013 Target Rysheed Jordan Possibly to Commit Today

Update: 

As I felt this morning, it seems there is no timetable for Rysheed Jordan to commit.  It looks like he will cut his list of schools down and then make campus visits.

Earlier:

Xavier 2013, Point Guard target, Rysheed Jordan tweeted last night;

black jesus ‏@sheedjordan

IM THINKIN BOUT COMMITTING 2mar

Personally, I don't think he commits today.  Recently he has been trimming his list of schools and his recruitment has been so wide ranging in the number of interested schools, that you would think he would focus on his short list of schools before making a commitment.  With twitter and everything else now at these recruits fingertips, it is easy for one tweet to sound a false alarm on a commitment.  

In terms of Xavier's chances, no one knows.  The one thing that I have noticed is that some sites do not list Xavier on his offer sheet at all, while others do.  The more credible sites seem to think Xavier is in the running.  He is a Philly kid and there are a lot of east coast teams going after him, so it would definitely be a huge get for Xavier if they can pick up his commitment.  

Stay tuned, I will update if he does commit today!

Below are links to his profile. 

Rivals

Scout

Predicting Xavier's Starting Line-up

It is way to early at this point to be sure about much but for the fun of it, I thought I would take a look at the roster and project the starting line-up for the Musketeers when they take the floor on November 9th.


At point guard, you have to think the experience factor early in the season will give Dee Davis the starting job.  Depending on how well Semaj Christon learns and develops this fall, he may compete at point guard but my guess is he will be more of a SG for this team and spell Davis at point when needed.


At the guard position/s you have to think Semaj Christon, Justin Martin, and Dezmine Wells will be the major factors.  I will go with Martin at the 2 spot on the court to start the year and first game. He played a lot of minutes down the stretch last season and played well.  I think that experience will put him in the starting line-up on November 9th.  Christon could very easily start here to.


That leaves Dezmine Wells to start at the three.  He is a slam dunk to be in the starting line-up.


Here is the toughest position to make a decision on.  The 4 was Xavier's biggest hole last season and this year it could be filled by one of many different players.  I am leaning towards Travis Taylor, who has the most experience of the contenders for this spot.  Newly eligible transfer, Isaiah Philmore will be the next logical choice. Incoming freshmen Jalen Reynolds and James Farr could also see time here or at the 5.


At the 5 position this year there will be no center.  Instead it will be a steady flow of forwards and the starting spot will undoubtedly begin with Jeff Robinson.  He has the most experience and hopefully will be more consistent this year.  He had some great games last year but also had some duds.  Philmore, Reynolds, and Farr will all likely spell Robinson at the spot.


My Projected Starting Line-Up for November 9th


PG - Dee Davis
SG - Justin Martin
SG - Dezmine Wells
PF - Travis Taylor
PF - Jeff Robinson


Your thoughts?

New Xavier Basketball Chat Forum!

I have continued to add new things to the blog but none as exciting as the new forum! Please click the page link under the header and log in to share your thoughts on anything and everything Xavier Basketball!

Anaheim Classic Bracket Announced

During the Thanksgiving weekend this fall, Xavier will be playing in the Anaheim Classic.  This year's tournament features a competitive field with three teams having played in last season's NCAA tournament.  Xavier, Saint Mary's, and Cal will head up a field that also includes Drexel, Pacific, Drake, Rice and Georgia Tech.  

Xavier will open play on Thanksgiving, against Pacific.  This is probably the easiest draw in the field for Xavier, who will have a very young team and need all the tune-ups they can get.  The game will be at 2:00 pm ET and on ESPNU.  Barring an upset, Xavier would then face the winner of Saint Mary's vs. Drexel on Friday, November 23rd, at 3:30 pm ET and on ESPN2.

Click here to see the full tournament bracket. 

A-10 Conference Schedule

In early June the A-10 announced the conference match-ups for each team.  Below is Xavier's conference opponents this year.  Xavier will play their rival UD twice once again in 2012-2013, once at home and once on the road.  They do seem to have many of their toughest games at home this year.  Besides UD's annual visit to the Cintas Center, Xavier will also face St. Louis, Temple, VCU and UMASS at home.  Their toughest road opponents look to be Butler, St Joe's and their annual trip to Dayton.  

What are your thoughts on this year schedule? 

XAVIER 
Home - UD, FOR, GW, LAS, UM, SLU, TU, VCU 
Away - BU, CHA, UD, DUQ, URI, UR, SBU, SJU

For a list of the other A-10 match-ups click the link below. 

http://www.atlantic10.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/060512aaa.html

Welcome!

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