Eight Months from now REMEMBER THIS...

[Masterofreality]

The Xavier University mens basketball team will face, arguably, one of the toughest non-conference schedules ever with potential games against Purdue, Duke, Butler, at Virginia, at Cincinnati, at Kansas State and a Tournament in Puerto Rico and Auburn.

We will have a very young backcourt and other players who will ned to find their way to the prime time spots like JoDu did this year. We will also have freshmen who will be stepping into huge roles that will take some time. It is very possible that Xavier wil have a mediocre record against the non-con schedule we will play. The "sky is falling" crowd, and the nattering nabobs of negativism will be wanting to throw dirt on this team early next year. Don't be sucked in.

IN Sean Miller I trust. The approach this year, as has been proven in many prior years by Coaches like Denny Crum at Louisville, is that a tough early season schedule teaches your team what it needs to do to succeed. Xavier learned more from the loss vs Tennessee this year than, arguably, any other game in the 37 that they played.

Be patient with this team, next year. Your patience will be rewarded.

[muskieman]

I am with you brother MOR.

I look for Sean to be the most successful coach that Xavier has ever had because 1) He can recruit 2) He picks his assistants well 3) he game plans well 4) he has become a great in-game coach. 5) he knows were he and his team needs to improve and he goes about solving those problems.

15 years from now I hope I am alive to say I lived through the "wooden era at Xavier" with a coach named Sean.

[wkrq59]

MOR,
You couldn't be more right. Many people on this board are expecting the four freshmen to come in and knock the veterans out of starting spots and play extensive minutes. Some are saying the two players--Adrion and Charles--who saw little playing time, to leave. I doubt that will happen.
I, too, expect a rough early season, especially in the huge non-conference games.
Of the incoming freshmen, I expect Frease and maybe Redford to make significant contributions but not right away. I believe the key will be the performance of Mark Lyons. If he can provide Dante with significant competition for the point-guard spot, that could be a big factor in an overall successful season. But that is also assuming Dante will take the point guard position and run with it.
Among the questions to be answered:
*Who will take over for Drew. Dante? Lyons, another?
*How much progress will Adrion and Charles make over the summer? Will they be able to challenge Jason and B.J. and make major contributions?
*Who will be the defensive stopper this year? There won't be another Stanley unless a miracle is wrought, so who? C.J.? He is a slasher on offense but can he discipline himself to play much better D? And if he does, will his offense and rebounding suffer?
*Can Derrick take his game up several notches? He has already improved his defense and rebounding, but both will need even further improvement. Will he be able to develop that mid-range jumper that will enable to jump-stop and pop and not rrun headlong into stationary players and draw offensive fouls?
* Can Jason Love improve his game sufficiently and once again establish himself as a scorer and offensive threat? Can he improve his defense so he can stay in the game without picking up two quick fouls in the first half?
*Who among the veterans will lead this 2008-09 club? Love, Frease, Bronson, McClean ? No, not from the center position. Good as he is Kevin Love was not the leader of that UCLA club although he was the best player. Callison is. Can Anderson step up and take the team on his back? Can B.J.? Maybe for both but highly unlikely. How about Dante? He matured significantly in his first season? But can he lead as a sophomore, improve his PG skills, better his 3-point shot, and continue to improve his defense? That's a helluva lot to ask of a sophomore?
*Will Sean be able to mold this team of veterans, transfers and very talented freshmen into the cohesive unit that will let Xavier successfully defend its A10 regular-season title?
*Will the expectations for this team be so high that the ripping and hypercritical picking start all over again, especially with Sean? Yes, this team was the most successful in Xavier history, but even this team was the subject of post-game criticism at a moment when pride in achievement should have pushed the critics into a corner.
*Will the assistant coaches who helped make this season so successful return for another go or move on?
And those are just a few of the questions that will have to be answered before the first A10 game is played in 08-09.

[muskieman]

*Will the expectations for this team be so high that the ripping and hypercritical picking start all over again, especially with Sean? Yes, this team was the most successful in Xavier history, but even this team was the subject of post-game criticism at a moment when pride in achievement should have pushed the critics into a corner.

That my friend I think will never change in this program or any other program. Negativism comes easy to some when they are commenting about others.

I think next years team could be one of the better rebounding teams is all I have heard and seen about McClean but being in the system a year should help. The person that X needs to replace is Duncan. Can a big man learn a mid range game and be consistent at it, I doubt they will shot the three, which will be even longer next year, like Duncan.

[MarionHall4ever]

Great stuff MOR.

Hopefully your insights -- coupled with the prescient comments of MM and Q -- will help temper the negativity of some of our Bretheren next season.

I've got to tell you that you caught me off guard with that "nattering nabobs" quote, though. A Spiro Agnew reference!?!? Are you kidding me?!?! I damn near sprayed coffee through my nose when I read that. Funny stuff, but you'll be giving away your age with references like that.

Am I understanding you correctly about next year's opponents? Are you saying that you have reason to think that Duke may be coming to Cintas next season? If so, that's a ticket I want. A tournament in Puerto Rico too? Where do I sign up for that trip?

I'm looking forward to next season -- and the additions of Kenny Frease, Brad Redford and the rest of the newcomers -- already.

[Mr. Neutral]

<<I've got to tell you that you caught me off guard with that "nattering nabobs" quote, though.>>

MOR owes Agnew, and other posters on this board, a little something for re-using that phrase. It's been in multiple posts on this board before.

I'm sure next year will be like every other year. Some of us will be overly critical, some of us will be overly fawning, and the players and coaches will do what they're going to do without giving two sh*ts about these posts.

[muskieman]

<<I've got to tell you that you caught me off guard with that "nattering nabobs" quote, though.>>

MOR owes Agnew, and other posters on this board, a little something for re-using that phrase. It's been in multiple posts on this board before.

I'm sure next year will be like every other year. Some of us will be overly critical, some of us will be overly fawning, and the players and coaches will do what they're going to do without giving two sh*ts about these posts.

Put me in the fawning category and with that label I walk proudly as a X fan. I think the person that is OVERLY critical is the one we are talking about. Anyone want to claim that label.

[Mr. Neutral]

Hey, it's probably me, so I might as well step up.

[muskieman]

Hey, it's probably me, so I might as well step up.

Overly?

[Mr. Neutral]

If you've got someone else in mind, I'm more than willing to pass the torch. I just figured that my classmate (and friend) MOR was probably referring to me. I could be wrong, of course.