Wednesday, August 29, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
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
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
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 1st.
Purdue will undoubtedly be a different team this season than
the team Xavier beat last year in the Cintas Center 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 20th 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.
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.
Monday, August 20, 2012
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.
- 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.
Friday, August 17, 2012
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!
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!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
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
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
http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/4554
From CollegeSportsMadness.com
"Joel Welser
Sat, 08/04/2012
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 "
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 "
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
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
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
Monday, August 13, 2012
Braxton Miller - 2015 Xavier Recruiting Target
Yesterday, on twitter Braxton Miller, a 6'2'' Guard from Indiana tweeted;
Had two really good phone calls with #Illinois and #Xavier! So blessed to be where im at right now but gotta #StayInTheGym
Thursday, August 9, 2012
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;
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;
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.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
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!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
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.
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
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
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