A-10 Champs!

Xavier has officially become out right Atlantic 10 champs tonight.  We can thank St. Louis for knocking off St. Joe’s at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse as the Hawks now have too many losses to catch up.  The best St. Joe’s could have done was to share the A-10 regular season title with us and that would have meant X losing three straight to close out the regular season.  So it was never going to be likely.

Sean Miller wants to win at least 10 A-10 titles! 

The thing about the A-10 this year has been the way every team from 2^nd all the way to 13^th has just been beating up on each other.  Xavier of course being the exception, along with the one win Bonnies.  (Remember when Sean just reamed the guys after winning the conference opener against the Bonnies?  Seems like forever ago doesn’t it?) 

The downside to all this parody is that only two teams from the conference may make the Big Dance.  Remember the talk of 5 teams less than a month ago?  

Even though we are officially the champs, our guys still have a ton to play for before March Madness falls upon us.  Almost certainly, we need to win out for a #2 seed.  (The talk of a #1 seed is a bit optimistic, but hey, that’s what we as fans are suppose to do.)

We as fans can also soak in this achievement (back to back baby!), but the players need to stay focused for Saturday’s big game against GW.  I shall be there to cheer on the Muskies.  Plus, I’ll be getting fired up on beer before and after the game.   So it should be good times.

Congrats Guys!  And keep on keepin on!

A laugh at the expense of the Flyers

It’s never nice to kick people when they are down…………….but I just couldn’t help myself.

At least he’s optimistic I guess.

Say it with me now…..5 in a row!

What a great week for the Musketeers.  Not only did we beat Dayton for the fifth consecutive time, but wins against Rhode Island and Duquesne mean we have clinched at least a share of the A-10 regular season title.  We only need one more win to clinch the title out right.  I’m fairly confident we can win at least one of our final three games.  

It wasn’t just the wins but what was at stake for the three teams the Muskies defeated.  Rhody was looking for a marquee win to solidify their at-large hopes for the tourney.  They may have been putting too much pressure on themselves to win, as they clearly have not moved on from losing to us with two more losses at home to Umass and St. Joe’s.  Three consecutive home losses probably have killed their at-large hopes.  Duquesne is a team on the rise and they were also looking for their first major scalp.  And Dayton…let’s just say collapse probably doesn’t do the word justice.  They desperately needed a win at home yesterday to bring back any hope of an at-large bid and now must put all of their tourney chances into winning the A-10 tournament.  It seemed impossible only one month ago, but it now seems very plausible only two A-10 teams could make the tourney.  Three at the absolute most.  Weren’t their whispers of five bids just a few short weeks ago? 

And now a short tangent on Dayton.  Did anyone else see the quote that was put on screen during CSTV’s broadcast yesterday?  I’m paraphrasing, but it was a Dayton fan’s words that basically read, “This is our version of Michigan-Ohio State and UNC-Duke.  It means that much to us.”  I think I speak for almost all X fans when I say the Dayton games do not mean that much to us.  It’s a rivalry game, sure.  But it’s definitely second on our depth chart of rivals.  UC is by far the bigger of the two rivals.  Although it is funny because it’s all cyclical.  We hate UC the most.  They claim to not hate us as much and instead focus their energy on Louisville, who in turn hates UK much more than UC.

Stan once again proved why he is the A-10 Defensive Player of the Year Sunday afternoon.  He could teach Brian Roberts a thing or two about defense. 

Anyways, it still feels damn good to beat them five times in row. 

The Muskies now take a much-needed week off.  We won’t see X in action until Saturday night when GW comes to town.  And while it would be funny to see Dayton miss out on the A-10 tournament, GW would probably need to beat us in order for that for that to even be possible.  We still have much to play for and a #2 seed appears to be well within our reach. 

As pointed out in the comments section in the previous post Andy Glockner gives us some serious love in the most recent College Basketball Insider pod cast.  Saying it would be no fluke if we were to make it all the way to the final four.  (It’s not until the very end of the pod cast.  Thanks Shawn!) 

Of course, that’s nothing we Muskie fans haven’t known for quite some time!

Roger Clemens doesn’t like Dayton either

Even though we are less than two hours before tip off, I just couldn’t let this one go.

As we all know, Roger Clemens is probably a cheater and more importantly a huge d-bag. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be funny d-bag. Okay, a hilarious d-bag.

Bill Simmons, the Sport’s Guy if you will, has a big batch of links he posts every couple of weeks or so. This past week’s batch featured one link that would put a smile on any Xavier fan’s face.

I do feel a little bad for laughing out loud at it, because Hal McCoy is freaking legally blind for crying out loud. Way to show some compassion for your hometown paper just looking for a short interview, Roger.

But when a person of his stature says, “The best thing about Dayton was seeing it in the rear-view mirror.” I mean, that just cannot be ignored. Most people take a certain amount of pride in where they come from. After all, you only get one hometown. Apparently, Roger only cares about himself. But I think we already knew that.

Regardless, the quote is hilarious and had to be mentioned here  at the MB.

Now it’s time to take care of business.  Go X!

  

I Don’t Like Dayton

Twas nice to win with a healthy cushion instead of these nail biters we’ve been accustomed to of late. I certainly did not think it would be that easy. Just goes to show the talent and attitude this team has.

Once again, the balanced scoring was there. D Brown, C.J. and B.J. all had 13, Love had 12, and Duncan chipped in with 8 points as well. But perhaps the best stat of the night was Drew playing only 14 minutes. That rest should be invaluable for tomorrow’s game against Dayton and as the season continues to progress.

I thought our beat-down of them back on January 24^th would be a close game. And I truly feel this will be a close game as well. Dayton has not been playing too well recently (to say the least) and surprisingly appears to be outside looking in at the NCAA tournament. Heck, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they might not even make the A-10 tournament. How hilarious/awesome would that be?

UD Arena will be rocking and this will be the third straight game we’ve seen our opponents fans participate in a “(insert color here)-out.” That’s when you know you’re good. When all of our conference opponents see us as their biggest home game to the point where they have a color scheme to try and intimidate the players. I would imagine the “Red Scare” will be sporting the “Beat Xavier” shirts they wear every year. Methinks it’s time for a bit more creativity on their part.

Seriously, get some new shirts.

It’s hard not to look ahead and think, “How great would it be to beat Dayton five times in a row.” I don’t think the players will have that problem. But that’s why they play and I watch. Well, and because I’m too short and slow to play.

On an unrelated note, I’m glad we are not apart of these contrived “Bracket Buster” games. While they would be good for some decent national exposure and a quality opponent they just scream “Mid-Major.” And I don’t think I have to mention that we don’t take to kindly to that moniker here in the Xavier Nation.

Sooooooooo…..screw Dayton and everything they stand for.

Go X!

Q&A With Duke’s Court

Because we here at the MB know very little about Duquesne this year we figured what better way to learn about them than a quick email exchange with one their biggest fans leading up to Thursday night. “The Duke” of Duke’s Court does a fantastic job chronicling the travails of Duquesne basketball. Check out the site HERE for the questions the Duke threw our way and our subsequent answers.

Musketeer Blogosphere: To be frank, I’ve only seen about two minutes of
Duquesne basketball this year. It was early in the
year when y’all barely lost to Pitt. I don’t think
I’m going too far out on a limb here when I say most
Muskie fans have not seen the Dukes play one second
this year. We here at the MB know Duquesne loves to
play at a very fast pace and that’s about it.
Describe this year’s Dukes team and how you think
Duquesne will go about attacking Xavier’s great
defense?

Duke’s Court: Running and gunning. The Dukes love to run and aren’t afraid to take
quick shots when they present themselves. When the quick open shot
isn’t an option the Dukes like to look inside for either Shawn James or
Kieron Achara in the post. The Dukes also create a lot of their offense
with their pressing defense. The Dukes are at their best when they are
creating turnovers and scoring off of those turnovers.

MB: Xavier has gotten a lot of pub for how balanced their
offensive output has been this season. However,
taking a quick look at Duquesne’s season stats shows a
very balanced attack as well. What has been the key
to this kind of balance?

DC: First and foremost the Dukes have a number of talented offensive
players, (Kojo Mensah, Reggie Jackson, Gary Tucker, Shawn James, Kieron
Achara, etc). Shawn James is normally the Dukes’ primary scoring
option, but if he is having an off night one of his teammates has been
able to step up and fill the scoring void. James had a tough game
against Richmond on Saturday and no one stepped up and replaced his
points resulting in a disappointing home conference loss.

MB: Who are the perimeter threats X fans should know about
before Thursday night?

DC: Freshman Bill Clark was dubbed as the 3 point shooting threat the Dukes
wanted when he was recruited last year but he has proven to be streaky
this year. He played a fantastic 2nd half against Richmond on Saturday
and Xavier fans can only hope he cools off Thursday night. Reggie
Jackson and Gary Tucker can knock down an open 3 when given the
opportunity and oddly enough both of Duquesne’s big men, James and
Achara, are known to take the occasional 3 and make it. Shawn James hit
back to back 3’s in the final minutes against Dayton last week to help
seal the upset.

MB: Stanley Burrell has been our lock-down defender this
year. Who do you anticipate him guarding on the
perimeter?

DC: The Dukes rotate in a number of talented guards but I would be most
fearful of Kojo Mensah. Mensah is a scoring point guard who is capable
of driving and putting up a shot in traffic as well as making a nice
pass inside to his best friend Shawn James.

MB: Shawn James is one of the best shot blockers in the
country. Talk about the impact he has had on the
Dukes recent success.

DC: Shawn James is a once in a decade kind of player. James has the ability
to take over a game with his shot blocking ability on the defensive end
of the floor. Opposing teams have to game plan around avoiding James
inside. I have literally seen opposing guards drive in for an open look
in the paint, see James out of the corner of their eye, and then simply
turn around and dribble back outside; James has that kind of presence
inside. Some players have decided to challenge James inside, and they
end up getting blocked more often than not.

MB: When A-10 teams start having success inevitably there
is talk of other schools coming in to woo the coach
away. The Xavier message boards are already ripe with
speculation of “bigger schools” wanting Sean Miller.
If Duquesne continues to have this kind of success how
long do you think the higher ups at Duquesne be able
to keep Coach Everhart in Pittsburgh?

DC: This is a question that Duquesne fans don’t like talking about. There
has been some speculation that Ron Everhart may be courted for the open
LSU job this off-season, but personally I think he will be back at
Duquesne next season. If Duquesne has another successful season next
year it could be Everhart’s last year on the Bluff.

Thanks for the great answers Duke! Looking forward to the game!

Mr. Perfect Strikes Again

Blah blah blah blah close game. Blah blah blah blah senior leadership. Blah blah toughness. Blah blah blah balance. Well, we’ve heard it a million times, and it hasn’t gotten old to me yet.

Now lets talk MVP of the game. Josh Duncan was once again perfect, shooting 8-8 from the field, 3-3 behind the arc, and added 4 free throws in 4 attempts. This is the second game in a row he recorded a field goal % of 100 and 20+ points off the bench. And he did all of this at the hostile environment of the Thomas M. Ryan Center in Rhode Island. He was calm, confident, and he was clutch. I love you Josh Duncan…in a totally manly way.

Not only did he play so gosh darn good, but he did so with 4 fouls, his 4th being called mere seconds after he entered the game in the second half. These refs were driving me crazy. They were so inconsistent. Sometimes they were calling it if Josh made eye contact with the ball handler. It really seemed to me like at the end of the first half and at the beginning of the second half they were calling everything and then some, but for the last 10 minutes or so they were letting a lot go. I mean, I was watching this game with my mother and I couldn’t stop cursing at the refs.

Stanley Burrell was at it again with his D, holding Jimmy Baron (’bout 15 ppg) to 2 points in his 26 minutes of play. Stan didn’t hit any 3balls, but he did rack up 7 assists and had some pretty clutch jumpers. He did have 6 turnovers, but that’s why the McDonalds All American is our starting PG.

Lovely spread out scoring to help Mr. Perfect out. 14, 9, 9, 8, 8, 7, and 3 from the rest of the boys in blue to go with Joshua’s 23. Rhody went on an impressive run in the second half, but it was good to see us hold on.

Is it me, or does Pete Gillen try too hard to let people know that he isn’t bias toward Xavier? Sheesh.

Why does it look like we have no idea what we’re doing most times against a 2-3 zone. It’s irritating just seeing 4 guys pass it around the 3 point line to each other and not making any cuts or screens or anything. I know Coach has seen the zone before, so what is happening out there? Is it just really good defenders? Is it our players? Someone, please tell me.

80% from the charity stripe. Like I’ve said before, this team’s A10-leading free throw% is winning these close games.

This BIG week of games has just gotten started. The Dukes on Thursday, The Flyers on Sunday. We will be participating in a Q&A with The Dukes Court before the game on Thursday. Dayton, I hate you.

Once again, Josh Duncan, I love you.

Josh Duncan Wins A-10 Player of the Week

We’d be remiss here at the MB not to mention Josh Duncan’s accomplishment last week. Along with Brian Roberts, he was named co-A-10 Conference Player of the Week.

If you listened to Sean’s post game radio interview after the win against Charlotte, then you heard Sean really clamoring for Josh to be named A-10 player of the week because of how well he played that night. It must have paid off.

For the week, Josh averaged 19 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, and 1.5 steals in games against St. Joe’s and Charlotte. The highlight of the week is his 7 of 9 three point shooting.

Even though Xavier has been the class of the A-10 so far this year, it is only the second time a Muskie has been named a Conference Player of the Week as Drew won the award back in December. This just goes to show how the team has far out weighed the individual this season. Sacrificing individual awards for the good of the team will hopefully lead to greater success come tournament time.

Rhode Island to go pink

Methinks the Rams and their fans will probably be up for this one. Xavier comes into this one following a tough win at Charlotte. The biggest question mark from a Xavier perspective is the health of Drew Lavender. Apparently, he’s been on crutches (according to a poster on Xavier Hoops) and will not practice at all before the game (according to Dustin Dow).

Obviously, this means he will not be 100% if he can even play at all. And since we don’t have a true back-up point guard, this probably means a few problems are headed our way.

I mean, it’s already going to be an odd environment as Rhode Island is promoting a “pink out” for the game (Insert dirty joke here). In all seriousness, it’s for a good cause as they are promoting breast cancer awareness to raise money for a cure.

If Drew cannot go I would assume BJ would be put into the starting lineup and Stan the Man would take over pg duties with Dante given a healthy amount of minutes, which in turn would mean more playing time for Adrion.

Obviously, our defense will need to remain its same stingy self. Especially, in the face of what is sure to be one of the most hostile environments we visit this season.

Jimmy Baron is one the best three point shooters in the conference and limiting his opportunities will be a key for us on the defensive end. After Stan’s foul trouble against Charlotte and being forced to watch Leemire Goldwire go off for 31 points I believe Stan the Man will be back with a vengeance. He has taken the defensive end personally this year and will no doubt be looking for revenge Monday night. To be taken out on Jimmy Baron.

Will Daniels will provide the down low threat for Rhody. I don’t know, but after watching us hold Michael Beasley to only 5 points, Daniels doesn’t scare me as much anymore. Because Drew may not play, that means Parfait Bitee may play a larger role than originally feared. But this is all speculative, so take it with a grain of salt.

Needless to say, this is going to be a tough week with Duquesne coming to town Thursday night and a visit to the friendly confines of UD Arena Sunday afternoon. Duquesne is experiencing a rebirth of sorts this year and we all know Dayton will be up for it on Sunday. But as the last three wins have shown, Sean and the boys truly have been taking it one game at a time. They will need that same attitude this week.

Stan the Man vs. Supermodels

Not quite sure I should be admitting this, but here it goes….

As ledgewood pointed out recently, Stan the Man was going to be featured in this week’s Sports Illustrated. He had the inside scoop. I could tell you how……but then I’d have to break your legs. So Thursday comes and after work I come home to check out the goods.

However, I was unaware the SI swimsuit issue was coming out that day as well. I look at both covers, and without so much as a nanosecond of thought I grab the SI with Dale Jr. on the cover to search for Stan’s pub.

The sad thing is, I feel no need to apologize for or rationalize my actions. The SI swimsuit issue use to be a big deal for me. But I am now so desensitized to it all by this here internet that hot chicks with hardly anything on, and sometimes nothing at all (i.e. the painted on bikinis) do not leave me in quite the same trance they once did.

Hell, just go to yahoo or google and type in an image search for, oh I don’t know, Shania Twain (Otherwise known as the hottest woman on Earth) and see what you get.

Why Shania Twain? Why the hell not!

If you are in a more model state of mind, I would recommend a search for Stacey Williams. I always liked her in the SI swimsuit issues back in the day. That day being the mid 90’s. She is not unhot.

So the moral of this little story is that I really like Xavier basketball. Hell, I LOVE Xavier basketball. This team has been a joy to watch this season. Especially, the transformation of Stanley Burrell. Seeing him get this kind of pub is just awesome because we as fans have see it all year long. It’s time for the rest of the country to know about it as well, because the SI swimsuit issue will be here same time next year. Sadly, Stan the Man will not.