Gary Parrish on X

[muskieman]

On Gary's blog Here's Tuesday's

Dear Gary: Xavier is a major sleeper. Watch Out.

-- Paul

Well that was a nice, quick, straight-to-the-point email, Paul.

I appreciate the simplicity.

But I must ask: How can anybody consider Xavier a sleeper anymore?

The Musketeers have (quietly, I suppose) developed into one of the nation's best programs, and -- with apologies to Gonzaga -- you could make an argument that Xavier is the best non-BCS program not named Memphis. Here's the raw data, which is quite impressive:

* Xavier has won 20 or more games 11 times in the past 12 seasons, 20 times in the past 25 seasons.
* Xavier is one of only nine schools to make multiple Elite Eights in the past five years.
* Xavier ranks among the top five nationally in wins in the month of March over the past five years.
* Xavier has made seven of the past eight NCAA tournaments with three second-round appearances and two Elite Eights.
* Xavier has had 14 NBA players since 1993.

With that body of work, the Musketeers can't be considered a sleeper.

They are always awake.

Have been for years.

of course today we see Dear Gary (on fans who feel slighted)

Here's Wednesday's Dear Gary ...

Dear Gary: I rolled my eyes as soon as I read Tuesday's Dear Gary. Xavier hasn't been a sleeper since 2005 and beyond, as evidenced by you. So I have to ask: How often do you get this stuff and is it as annoying to you as it is to me when some crazed fan tells you to watch out for their team!

-- Martin my guess a dayton or uc fan

How often does it happen?

Everyday.

Is it annoying?

Not really, because I can just delete them if I want.

But such notes do serve as a reminder that a large percentage of hardcore fans take a slighted and irrational approach to things, which is to be expected. And just so we're clear, I'm thankful for it. Without hardcore college basketball fans there is no market for what I do. Those people help pay my mortgage. But yes, it is comical to read notes from fans who consistently think I overlook their team or hate their team or despise their coach or whatever. I mean, I can't tell you how many emails I got from Kentucky fans over the past year accusing me of either hating or being jealous of Kentucky, as if that makes any sense.

Seriously, why would I hate or be jealous of Kentucky.

It's a fine school with a great history, and the people there have never been anything but nice to me. I applauded Billy Gillispie's hire, named him SEC Coach of the Year last season and have never strayed from my belief that he will eventually win big in Rupp Arena. Yet somehow I'm perceived as a hater of Kentucky. And don't even get me started on the "jealous of Kentucky" part. Honest to God, I don't even know what that means because I'm not sure how it's possible to be jealous of a college basketball program. But I get emails like that all the time. It's crazy, but part of the territory.

As for Tuesday's Dear Gary, that guy wasn't being being crazy, really.

He just wanted to make sure I knew about Xavier.

But as I pointed out, Xavier is way beyond the point of needing to solicit attention.

Any progam that consistently wins that much is on everybody's radar every single season

[Shadow]

Someone should forward that to Ari Stewart!

[muskieman]

I am sure that is a violation of NCAA rules.

[Shadow]

I am sure that is a violation of NCAA rules.

MM - I would never think of putting X in that situation. I simply said "someone" - meaning a friend, mother, etc.

[muskieman]

S I wouldn't think you would do it. I assume the NCAA with their rules doesn't let a mother that graduate from X recruit her son and her son's friend to X as athletes (he said with sarcasm dripping from his keyboard).

If Jack Ruby could help Bob Huggins recruit and UC got away with it the rules are up for grabs sometimes.