The State of the Team

[madness31]

Xavier will never reach the final 4 with Mack as head coach. This team has a single signature win this season. Has many close losses and some solid wins. The team is shooting poorly despite having a roster with several shooters. Shot selection is the issue and is a problem due to coaching. Chemistry and energy has also been a big problem for several games this year and that again is again an issue with coaching.

Mack has underachieved every year but 1 in the tournament. I do not expect this to change. He is a talented recruiter and seems very likable but sweet 16 is likely the cap while he is head coach. The good news is X will make the tourney almost every year due to recruiting success.

[muskieman]

Madness you have the best name because the madness you spew, and I do mean spew, is simply madness.

[longliveskip]

Xavier will never reach the final 4 with Mack as head coach. This team has a single signature win this season. Has many close losses and some solid wins. The team is shooting poorly despite having a roster with several shooters. Shot selection is the issue and is a problem due to coaching. Chemistry and energy has also been a big problem for several games this year and that again is again an issue with coaching.

Mack has underachieved every year but 1 in the tournament. I do not expect this to change. He is a talented recruiter and seems very likable but sweet 16 is likely the cap while he is head coach. The good news is X will make the tourney almost every year due to recruiting success.

i love how some people think a coaching change is the only thing keeping this team from getting to a FF.

it's unreal some of the posts i read on here.

some fans simply don't understand how absolutely difficult it is to get to a FF, let alone win it all.

[webxu]

I have a feeling there are about 330 or so other teams out there that would welcome Mack with open arms, we should as well.

[bluegrass]

I think it is possible to be a very good coach and still not make the FF.Look at the teams that typically make it on a regular basis.Every once in a while you get an outlier like VCU or Butler but normally it's a handful of bigger name schools.I think if everything falls together nicely,we could make it someday. You could definetly make the case Butler got there because of an excellent coach.I don't think those teams had a huge amount of talent.Hayward is the only one to make it in a significant way in the NBA.Stevens was a special coach which is why he's in Boston now.Wright at Villanova would be in that category too.Last year was our best chance to make it.Unfortunately you don't get a second chance if you have an off game.

[X-lucidity]

Coach Mack, if on the remote chance you monitor this site, please know that 99% of we in Xavier Nation do not agree with Madness above....
Some folks have a well intended but false perception of reality in the current realm of D-1 NCAA b-ball. In that alternative universe, only Xavier is allowed to offer scholly's to talented High School and Juco players. Only X is permitted to conduct practices. Only X is protected by God to avoid major injuries. More over, shooting %'s will always hold true to form in every Xavier game, no X player will ever have an off-night or come down with a cold. Finally, due to Xavier's lofty & prestigious status in the college basketball world, X not only gets the benefit of every close call by the refs but also 1st dibs on all the 5 star recruits........
Goodness

[muskiefan92]

Coach Mack, if on the remote chance you monitor this site, please know that 99% of we in Xavier Nation do not agree with Madness above....
Some folks have a well intended but false perception of reality in the current realm of D-1 NCAA b-ball. In that alternative universe, only Xavier is allowed to offer scholly's to talented High School and Juco players. Only X is permitted to conduct practices. Only X is protected by God to avoid major injuries. More over, shooting %'s will always hold true to form in every Xavier game, no X player will ever have an off-night or come down with a cold. Finally, due to Xavier's lofty & prestigious status in the college basketball world, X not only gets the benefit of every close call by the refs but also 1st dibs on all the 5 star recruits........
Goodness

This is a rather absurd post. X has never gone beyond a Sweet 16 with Mack, so how is what Madness said above off base?? I think it's posters like you and others who constantly defend CM that need a reality check. This program continues to get very good recruiting classes and, for the most part, underachieves come March. I don't think an Elite Eight is that much to expect. X got there under both Matta and Miller with lesser recruits, for the most part.

[X-lucidity]

Hey Muskiefan92, you are certainly entitled to your opinion. If the "92" indicates your graduation year then that explains quite a bit. I am 1980.. I cheered on good dudes like Steve Spivery and Jon Hanley.. Am I satisfied with Sweet 16's ? - No. Do I believe we have better talent now that could have gone farther ? - yes. If you go back to last season's posts, I was critical of Mack's performance versus Wisc. But 2nd guessing is easy. Plus our outside shooting underperformed badly that game, not all Mack's fault. Funny, so easy looking from the outside isn't it. X has come a long way and I see Mack growing in terms of coaching techniques. He already is a wonderful recruiter. I see us still on an upward trend. The grass isn't always greener so be careful what you wish for. Look how long DePaul & Marquette have slumped since their glory. (not even a decade ago for Marquette) Look at Illinois.... How about LSU...? Have you ever coached? I have, albeit grade school girls, but what the heck - certainly teaches you a lot. I have gone into games with a superior team only to lose. I have gone into games a clear underdog and won. Sometimes I made the difference good or bad & often the ball either bounced our way or against us. Bottom line, it isn't easy to make a Final Four as evidenced by just how few teams and coaches do so outside of the elite established predictable programs we all know seem to be there every year. Cracking that elusive ceiling tales time and a bit of patience. We are inching closer. But hey, it's a free country - so fee free to disagree and call me a homer if you will. Won't keep me up tonight as I am confident I hold the better grasp of reality.......................

[Anti-Homer]

Coach Mack, if on the remote chance you monitor this site, please know that 99% of we in Xavier Nation do not agree with Madness above....
Some folks have a well intended but false perception of reality in the current realm of D-1 NCAA b-ball. In that alternative universe, only Xavier is allowed to offer scholly's to talented High School and Juco players. Only X is permitted to conduct practices. Only X is protected by God to avoid major injuries. More over, shooting %'s will always hold true to form in every Xavier game, no X player will ever have an off-night or come down with a cold. Finally, due to Xavier's lofty & prestigious status in the college basketball world, X not only gets the benefit of every close call by the refs but also 1st dibs on all the 5 star recruits........
Goodness

Coach Mack,

if you are on this site, which would frighten me to no end on so many levels, please also know it was not me who parked that purple Hummer in your parking spot on game day against Nova on Sat. it was Muskieman. He thought the spot was reserved for Skyhops.

AH Out.

[skyhops]

I noticed the same thing AH. Can't believe Muskieman sprung for the 22's, but I don't blame him. My sources tell me Mack is not on this board.