'Nova blogger has a very odd preview of X

[Mr. Neutral]

This is a look ahead at how last year's Top 25 will do this year, but even I, in my most critical moments, would not call last season "mediocre", and how this blogger could say that our in-season losses were a predictor of non-success in last year's NCAA is beyond me.
Anyway, if you're looking for a puzzling, irritating preview, this is probably the best you'll find.-------


# 8 Xavier (30-7)
Xavier had a mediocre season last year, ending with a nineteen point deficit to UCLA. It would be fair to say that The Musketeers schedule, in The Atlantic 10, is not hard by any means, and when you lose to opponents like, Saint Joseph’s, Arizona State, and Miami (Ohio), you are not going to do well against teams in The NCAA Tournament. Xavier will not have two of their top four players return this year. Josh Duncan and Drew Lavender brought in a cumulative 25.2 PPG. On the other hand they have two promising recruits, Kenny Frease, a 6-11 center ranked #10 center in scouting reports, along with Brian Walsh, who was ranked #35 shooting guard. They also have their top two rebounders from last season, Brown and Anderson.

I would look for Xavier to have a similar season to last year.

http://novafantasysports.com/blog/2008/ ... -analysis/

[Wisexuowl]

I'll take that record, and I'll take that Elite Eight berth too ... and our chances there.

[muskieman]

How did Nova do last year? I don't think I saw them in the Elite Eight. Sounds like crying and we know there is no cryin in basketball.

[XLFan]

This was my take.

Since Xavier is not in the Big East, they have a cupcake schedule. Don't pay attention to last year's tough schedule, which included huge wins over Kansas St., Virginia, and Indiana, but lets instead focus on the losses to backyard rival Miami or conference foe St. Joe's. Yes they made the NCAA tournament, but were beaten badly in there final game. (Of course we can't mention that Xavier beat the SEC tournament champion in the first round, a Big 10 team in the second round, and a Big East team in the Sweet Sixteen.)We'll still give the Muskies an #8 preseason ranking; however, if they were in the Big East they couldn't compete for a league championship.

[muskieman]

I find it rather odd that ND is given such high ranking by all the "experts" yet they are picked 4th in the Big Least by the coaches that know them the best.

[JKC74]

Villanova has not done much of anything in almost 25 years!! Their current coach is one of the nation's leading cry babies!! He thinks College BB is like the US Open, once you win you should be at the top of the bracket every year from now until doomsday.All I can say is let them talk, every year we worry about how our guys will do and they always with rare exception come through. I look for as good a year or better than last year in terms of overall play. My Villanova prediction: 13-14 record, Jay Wright crying in his soup, OOO! We lost a tough one to Seton Hall, OOO! we lost a close game to South Florida, OOO OOO we had to play Penn.

[kerly]

??? Villanova lost 13 games last year among them were St.Joe's Cincinnati and Rutgers. Where is he coming from?
I too would settle for last years record if we don't have a credible point guard.

[somebody]

I guess what puzzles me is why all this talk about a blog on a Nova fantasy site? What are the credentials of this poster?

[AlabamaMuskie]

Honestly, I think this blogger hit the head on the nail. We could establish a permanent link to his blog next to the articles on the front page.

[Mr. Neutral]

<<I guess what puzzles me is why all this talk about a blog on a Nova fantasy site? What are the credentials of this poster?>>

In no way was I vouching for this guy's cred, but simply putting it up as another guess at how our season would go. It struck me as a rather odd preview, and not a very well-reasoned one, but it is the offseason, so....