Joe's first brackatology

[Anti-Homer]

I'm not saying Lunardi is correct but it is not unreasonable for someone to wait for proof before assuming a program with a 2nd year coach and a disappointing season the prior year is ready for the top 25.

X certainly looks as though they have all the pieces to be great but decision making was a huge problem for most of last year. If that continues to be an issue, X will not realize its potential. Additionally, a highly ranked recruiting class could certainly disappoint. X has a lot to prove but the potential is certainly there.

You really believe X had a disappointing year? They lost their three best players, along with their 5th and 6th best ones in O'Mara & Gates, as well as their HC. They were further handicapped by a coach whose loyalties were seemingly down south based on comments by recruits, and it was reflected in the players who were brought in under Strawberry Ice's watch. Steele did arguably the best recruiting job recruiting seen at X, especially considering that most quality players had committed elsewhere when he took over. The only comparable effort was when Shadow and Mman stole me at the 11th hour from the other board, by offering me the position of junior moderator, and passing over the heir apparent, Muskenick. It's hard to believe that was over three years ago. But I digress.


Another superb job by Steele & Co. this year has brought in an influx of talent, including a stretch four, and a key defensive sub who shoots a high percentage from three point land. We also have some freshman who can contribute right away. Assuming Marshall and Goodin show better decision making, and cut their three point shooting by a modest 60%, I expect X to be in 7-10 seed territory.

Seacrest Out.

[madness31]

I understand your point Anti but I still stand by the season being disappointing. The primary reason is that decision making by Goodin and Marshall was sickening. Numerous games were lost because of poor decisions. Goodin should have been benched. Marshall isn't as easy to bench but certainly needed a coach in his ear early and often.

[kyzrex]

I understand the point being made by madness. IF those players had played better, and smarter, the season would have had MORE success. Therefore it was a “disappointing” season.

However, that IF and BUT game can be played out over virtually EVERY season of EVERY team EVERY year. NO team, No player, and NO season will ever be perfect or without some disappointment.

Realistically though, last years team accomplished pretty much at the level most people expected BEFORE the season started and in some ways did more than many expected at that time.

I have virtually no real idea just how far this year’s team can go. I have HOPES, based on what I see as the POTENTIAL that is there. But that’s true of virtually every year and every player. Some players and some teams never seem to reach the level that their potential says they can, others find a way to exceed it.

Always need to remember that those “players” and those “coaches” are still just people. You don’t just wind them up and flip a switch when it comes time to play the game. We really don’t know what they are going through on a day to day basis in their real life outside the 2 hours we see in the arena or on TV.

The only time I’ve ever been really disappointed in a Xavier team was many many years ago when I SAW them jogging back on defense in a game where they were getting blown out on their home floor. Other times I’ve been disappointed in the RESULTS, but not in the effort. I expect mental mistakes to be made, these are not robots.

[muskieman]

I understand your point Anti but I still stand by the season being disappointing. The primary reason is that decision making by Goodin and Marshall was sickening. Numerous games were lost because of poor decisions. Goodin should have been benched. Marshall isn't as easy to bench but certainly needed a coach in his ear early and often.

The problem most don't see here is that madness is always perfect in everything he has done and expects it of others. Forget injury, forget personal problems and forget just day to day ups and downs every player should be a robot and perfect, oops, robots are not always perfect unless indestructible. If on paper they are supposed to be champions then they better be champions or the season is in the crapper... I guess he would really be a victim of madness if he was a UK fan or an OSU fan and were constantly expecting a National Championship. He misses the point that all teams have people under scholarship and there are few teams in the BE that were always the dominate team in games last year.

[madness31]

Actually I do not ask for perfection. I understand missed shots, the occasional mistake, etc. The problem was that mistakes were the norm and the intelligent decision was the rarity. Xavier, specifically the 2 players with an emphasis on Goodin, were not playing basketball. I do not know what game they were playing but it was pathetic and they should be embarrassed by their performance during the first half of the season. I stopped watching somewhere around that time because it was just painful to watch. I caught a few games near the end of the season and looked at box scores periodically. Improvements were eventually made but I do not recall if sufficient to expect great things this year. There is certainly hope as both individuals area capable of being very good players and one potentially could be great.

As for expectations for myself, I am incredibly hard on myself for mistakes. I certainly make them but they haunt me for days, weeks and sometimes years. On the court it is a bit different because when you make a mistake you have the opportunity to immediately make up for it. If you turn the ball over, you can get a steal, force a turnover, a blocked shot or several rebounds. You can up the intensity to a level that overwhelms the competition. In other areas of life, you don't always get to compensate for mistakes and have to live with the consequences.

Xavier players last year and several years under Mack settled for living with mistakes rather than making up for them or even learning from them. Last year some learning eventually happened but it was slow and still not to the point where a person should feel they are where they need to be. Even in my 40s, when I mess up on the court, I lock my opponent down whether he is 16, 22, 30 or 80. When players don't do that, they don't belong on the court. There is always another gear if you want it. You can certainly argue that the competition on the playground doesn't compare to D1 Hoops but I'd argue you either achieve or you fail and the outcome is based on attitude and effort.

For you Muskieman, maybe just try to focus on not making things personal. You love to attack people for their comments rather than simply disagreeing with the comments. I certainly might expect too much of the team and of certain players. Maybe it is unfair I expect intelligent decisions and not just playground basketball. Or maybe some people don't know enough about the game to know the difference between good passes, good shots, missed opportunities, etc. I hope we all get to enjoy a fun and successful year of Xavier basketball.

[muskieman]

Okay, Dad. Maybe had you not been so personal in the past with me I would not have been so personal about your criticisms of players last year. As for your last year experience, I can say no matter how I felt about a season, and I have been through many bad ones, I never have gone away from it for a time. Bet you leave early