Musketeer Madness

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Standing in front of the Xavier bench, Sean Miller had this far-off look in his eyes. His expression flashed between deadpan and stunned. If eyes could talk, Miller’s would have been saying, “What the --?’’

He’d just watched his senior guard Stanley Burrell waste the last 15 seconds of an epically bad first half for the Musketeers. Burrell held the ball so long, by the time he passed it to B.J. Raymond, Raymond’s three-point try didn’t even beat the buzzer.

Normally, such a display would have elicited a psycho-stare from Miller. Not this time. The coach walked off, maybe in shock, maybe thinking what he might say at halftime to salvage a season.


Who knows how a team that looked blank, acted blank and shot blanks for 20 minutes could rally to play like champions in the next 20. Maybe it was first game-it is. For high seeds, their Madness opener often comes with a touch of Nightmare on Elm Street anxiety.

Maybe it was a lack of respect for 14th-seeded Georgia, which needed a four-game miracle in the SEC tournament just to get here. “Some guys felt like it was going to be easy,’’ Raymond judged. “We had to have (Georgia) slap us around a little.’’

Quite possibly, Xavier is not yet past the Little Man Syndrome, and being seeded so highly gave the players the shakes early. They’re kids. Who knows what they’re thinking?

The technical reason the Musketeers turned a nine-point halftime deficit into a closer-than-12-point win goes like this:

Xavier feeds off its defense, rebounding and transition game. All picked up in the second half. “Defense to offense. That’s how we play,’’ Raymond said.

Xavier is best when it gets to the free throw line. That means the Musketeers are running at the basket. They shot 29 free throws ... in the second half. And made 25.

Xavier is best when everyone’s head is into the game. We’re not sure where the heads were in the first half. But they rallied in the second. You’d need a shrink to explain Xavier’s first 20 minutes a mind-reader to judge the last 20.

“I think we were a little tight,’’ Miller decided. “The first game is always tough. We tried to feel our way through it, instead of attacking.’’

The coach loosened them up a little at halftime. He directed a barrage at Burrell who, defense aside, has been an offensive bust his last three NCAA tournament games: 1-for-14 shooting, a total of six points. At half, Miller slapped Burrell upside his manhood. Figuratively.

“Stan, are you scared?’’ Miller wondered. “Are you going to go out like this? Or are you going to fight?’’

“I’m not scared,’’ Burrell said afterward. “I got more heart than anybody.’’

After Georgia’s Sundiata Gaines swiped Drew Lavender’s dribble and turned it into a dunk, the Bulldogs led 41-30 with 17:20 to play. You could almost hear the XU bus warming up.

For long stretches, Josh Duncan and Derrick Brown were the only Musketeers with a pulse. Duncan was 40 minutes of fabulous, muscling up for big rebounds, big-shouldering his way into the lane and making free throw after free throw.

Where was everyone else?

“We had a choice,’’ Duncan said. “We could have accepted how we played in the first half. Or we could come out fighting.’’

They chose the latter. Jason Love dove for a loose ball and called a smart timeout, saving the possession. Brown made a steal and followed with a dunk. Raymond tied the game at 49 with a three. Less than a minute later, Dante Jackson put XU ahead for the first time since the first few minutes. And everyone went to the line and made free throws.

“There’s no talking in practice when we shoot free throws,’’ Duncan said. “Coach won’t allow it. Too many distractions.’’

The Musketeers escaped, which beat the alternative. They were able to win a first-round game by playing one good half. That’s either impressive or worrisome, depending on how you choose to look at it. All that matters is another game. Xaiver gets it Saturday.

I'm not sure anyone is looking at it this way so I am just going to throw it out there. You're a 3 seed, you've been in the other spot before, the 14 seed comes out with all this emotion knowing they are the darlings because they won 4 games to make it in (remember, XU has done this twice before). You stand there, take their best shot and don't panic, and you let the game coem to you and don't force it. This is what in my opinion they did in the second half, they did not force shots, they took what was open and when they had the chance stuck it down their throats. When on defense, UGA spent most of the time dribbling back out to half court because the help defense was that good.

I think XU came out for a few minutes and felt entitled, we're a 3 seed. At halftime, you can bet Mr. Miller knocked that right out of all of them. The good side is this team played their game and need to play forty minutes on Saturday like the did the 2nd half today.

Oh, and Paul Daugherty should just shut his computer off and stop writing because he spent most of his time writing about his lover Cronin. Their season is over and unless your name is Dow, this wagon is full.

klark, every account I've seen (Dow, NY Times, Chicago Sun-Times, AP, etc.) took pretty much the same approach as Daugherty, and Miller and the players admitted that they didn't come to play in the 1st half, for some reason.

Had X not stepped it up in the 2nd half, we would have been the big story of the 1st day-and not in a good way.

Mr. Neutral wrote:klark, every account I've seen (Dow, NY Times, Chicago Sun-Times, AP, etc.) took pretty much the same approach as Daugherty, and Miller and the players admitted that they didn't come to play in the 1st half, for some reason.

Had X not stepped it up in the 2nd half, we would have been the big story of the 1st day-and not in a good way.

Yet they did step up and won the game. We could if they did this or if they did that all night long. The facts are they didn't if, they did and that is why X got the W. In the past X has spit the bit but this team isn't the other teams. Sure they might lose their next game but I don't think it is for lack of trying. UGA was working on emotion and adrenaline, ask Duke about a team that is not expected to win and has nothing to lose. As someone put it the wave of Adrenaline and emotion was worth 30 minutes then they were slapped with cold hard reality that X was the better team today.

As far as nothing to lose and everything to gain with adrenaline....see Cal state Fullerton vs Wisc. 2 points at half.

mm, I was just pointing out that Daugherty's take on the game wasn't really any different from anyone else's, so it seemed a little unfair to take a shot at Daugherty as if he had written something more critical than others had.

Heck, CJ Anderson was as critical of the team's 1st half performance as anyone! And Miller even more so!

"Heck, CJ Anderson was as critical of the team's 1st half performance as anyone! And Miller even more so!"

Which is to say he wan't as critical of the team's 1st half performance as anyone, namely Miller.

The Muskies need to come to play right from the opening tip off:
1) you can't get away with this bull forever
2) they owe themsleves, the coaches, the school, alums & fans to use their talent to its fullest. This opportunity does come around every year.

Grow up & get serious!

<<Which is to say he wan't as critical of the team's 1st half performance as anyone, namely Miller.>>

Note to principal: when you're trying to pimp someone else's sentence structure (and IMHO, incorrectly), be sure to check your spelling ("wan't).

Mr. Neutral wrote:mm, I was just pointing out that Daugherty's take on the game wasn't really any different from anyone else's, so it seemed a little unfair to take a shot at Daugherty as if he had written something more critical than others had.

Heck, CJ Anderson was as critical of the team's 1st half performance as anyone! And Miller even more so!

Not if you have read his articles for years, listened at times to his radio show, been at sport events where he talked, or had the unfortunate opportunity to be in a group talking with him, other that that he is okay The sun only shines on Paul according to THE BOOK OF PAUL and as far as sarcastic goes he makes me look like a sweety.