Tag:Xavier
Posted on: October 26, 2009 10:33 am
Edited on: October 26, 2009 10:33 am
Score: 143
Admitting mistakes with the player rankings
You're bound to have mistakes when you start ranking players 25, 30 or 40 deep at different positions.
It even happens to me.
So in an attempt to be a stand-up guy, I'm here to acknowledge three mistakes in the player rankings, all of which were oversights and nothing more. To be clear, I'm not interested in arguing about whether somebody ranked 21st should really be 16th, because things get pretty subjective when you get past the top three or four at any position. Plus, those debates are so last week. But I did leave off three guys who absolutely should've been included, and I'd like to set the record straight right now.
Mistake No. 1: Jordan Crawford (Xavier)
Crawford averaged 9.7 points two years ago as a freshman at Indiana, and there's reason to believe he'll improve on those numbers this season at Xavier. In fact, he could challenge Dayton's Chris Wright for Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors.
So why did Crawford not make the shooting guards and wings list?
Because I'm stupid, that's why.
Mistake No. 2: Arnett Moultrie (UTEP)
Moultrie averaged 8.8 points and 8.2 rebounds last season and was the best freshman in Conference USA not named Tyreke Evans. He's a 6-foot-11 forward who used that body of work to earn an invitation to play for Team USA this past summer in the FIBA under-19 World Championships.
So why did Moultrie not make the big forwards and centers list?
Because I'm stupid, that's why.
Mistake No. 3: Arinze Onuaku (Syracuse)
Leaving Onuaku out was the most frustrating of all because I love this dude. He's a big-bodied post player who shot 29.8 percent from the free throw line last season, which is hilarious. But he also averaged 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds, and those are nice numbers for a guy who isn't the focal point of anything.
So why did Onuaku not make the big forwards and centers list?
Because I'm stupid, that's why.
Category: NCAAB
Xavier lands elite wing from Class of 2011
Dezmine Wells committed to Xavier on Thursday to give first-year coach Chris Mack his most heralded recruit to date.
Scout.com ranks Wells No. 60 in the Class of 2011.
"I just love everything Xavier has to offer," Wells told CBSSports.com by phone. "It's a great school."
Credit Mack and assistant Pat Kelsey for much of the work on this commitment. They both developed relationships in the state of North Carolina during stints as assistants at Wake Forest. So they know the area well, which helped them go into Raleigh and land Wells -- a 6-foot-4 wing from Word of God Christian Academy.
Furthermore, every Xavier coach allowed on the road visited Wells last week.
That type of attention made an impression.
"They did that for me, and I'm not even a senior in high school," Wells said. "It let me know that I was their top priority."
Category: NCAAB
Xavier and Gonzaga agree to home-and-home series
Xavier and Gonzaga -- two of college basketball's best non-BCS programs -- have agreed to a two-year home-and-home series that will start next season, a source told CBSSports.com on Monday.
The series will begin in Spokane in the 2010-11 season.
The Zags and Musketeers will play at Xavier's Cintas Center in 2011-12.
X's Mack already impressing A-10 commissioner
I wrote a column Monday about the widening gap between BCS and non-BCS schools in basketball, and in that column I mentioned how even the best non-BCS programs can't keep their coaches from jumping to a power league when the right job opens. Memphis and Xavier learned as much after last season. Thus R.C. Johnson (Memphis) and Mike Bobinski (Xavier) were forced to replace coaches, and both turned to assistants already in the program.
Fortunately for them, the moves seem to be working.
Memphis coach Josh Pastner already has a commitment from Will Barton (No. 3 in the Class of 2010 at MaxPreps.com), and barring a major surprise he'll also land Joe Jackson (No. 11 in the Class of 2010 at MaxPreps.com), sooner or later. Meantime, Xavier coach Chris Mack has commitments from Class of 2010 standouts Justin Martin and Jordan Latham, both of whom are in Scout.com's Top 100.
Martin is ranked 87th.
Latham is ranked 96th.
Dayton is the only other A-10 school with a Top 100 commitment.
And that's a good indication that Xavier should remain strong in the league.
"I think it's pretty impressive that Chris has already established himself and is not skipping a beat," said A-10 commissioner Bernadette McGlade. "I think Mike Bobinski and president [Michael] Graham made a great hire in staying with Chris -- somebody who really knew [Xavier] and believed in the system."
Category: NCAAB
Barnes cuts list; Xavier gains commitment
Harrison Barnes, Scout.com's top player in the Class of 2010, has narrowed his list of possible colleges.
That list (according to Scout.com):
- Duke
- Iowa State
- Kansas
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- UCLA
No timetable has been made for his final decision.
Meantime, Xavier got a commitment from a Top 100 prospect on Sunday. Justin Martin, a 6-foot-7 forward from Indianapolis, committed to the Musketeers just before leaving from a weekend visit to campus. Scout.com ranks him as the 87th-best prospect in the country.
Category: NCAAB
Tags: Duke, Harrison Barnes, Iowa State, Justin Martin, Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, UCLA, Xavier
Stanley Burrell cannot be held to 140 characters
One of the more interesting ways to follow the NBA Draft was -- surprise, surprise -- via Twitter .
Kevin Love was Tweeting every pick, seemingly confused at times about why his new GM selected 17 point guards. Kevin Durant was welcoming James Harden to Oklahoma City. Hasheem Thabeet was typing about the joy of looking at stars from a rooftop (or something like that). And then there was former Xavier standout Stanley Burrell, who started by rooting for Derrick Brown and then turned to defending Derrick Brown before ultimately criticizing Sean Miller.
It was fascinating stuff.
Burrell -- who played at Xavier from 2004 to 2008 -- started by predicting Brown would go here or there in the first round. It never happened, of course. So Burrell Tweeted that he was "jinxing my boy. im pulling for u and your fam D Brown. u deserve this!" Naturally, when Brown started slipping, some Xavier fans ripped his decision to leave school early. Why? Because that's what fans do. They love you when you play for their favorite team. But if you ever leave early they mock you if the decision doesn't go as planned.
Happens every year.
It happened this year.
But Burrell didn't like the tone.
So he took the time to defend Brown.
"Come on X-fans.. save the criticism on D Brown. My man is a special talent and he WILL be drafted tonight and he WILL make a roster. watch!"
Then ...
"if i recieve one more negative msg about D Brown, i will find a way to block that person. D is chasing a dream! Hes from xu- Support him!!!"
And then ...
"some of u fans really amaze me some time!!! makes the true xu fans, look bad."
And then (when Brown slipped well into the second round) ...
"Lets face it... SM isnt trying to develop pros. It was all about him! Look ive spoke to SM ONE time since grad. from X. Family huh? NOT! ... SM taught me many things that im thankful for. Most recently, this world is cut throat! GET YOURS WHILE U CAN! Wow!"
"SM" stands for former Xavier coach and current Arizona coach Sean Miller.
Brown confirmed as much in a later Tweet.
He then ranted against Miller in a magnificent way.
"I said what I said about Sean for a few reasons. 1) The fact that ive talked to a coach ONE TIME since grad. that i gave my blood, sweat, and tears for(for 4 yrs) is BULLSHIT! I sacrificed (just like the rest of my teammates) for Sean and our team...He made me believe that we were really like family to eachother. when really that was just a scheme to get us all to buy in to the "team system". He proved me right when i realized we only spoke once for about 15 secs when i attended the temple vs xu home game. i understand coach is really busy but i truly believed in the guy & what he taught me. i see now that really its all about getting yours while u can in any way u can. i remember reading a quote in the paper from Sean where he said, we win at XU without having a single pro on our roster. * Now even if thats true, do u really need to put us out there like that? Because we too want to provide for our families after college. And no, a comment like that wont keep us from being drafted into the NBA but it does show how Sean wanted all the success to be about him and his coaching. Lets not get my words mixed-up, sean is an amazing coach but if yall think that his coaching ALONE was the reason for all the success we had, YOURE WRONG! It also took guys in the locker room willing to give whats best for them PERSONALLY for the good of the team, the university's name & its winning tradition. Sean was just the one that seriously benefited financially. I have a degree and some of the most amazing memories from XU but the things ive learned since leaving xu makes me wish i would've done what was best for me and mine and not the other way around. Cuz thats what its about, right? Its not! but i learned the hard way. so i say congrats to D Brown for choosing to do whats best for him and his family (not saying that playing for coach mack would've hurt him for next yr because coach mack is a GREAT COACH that is definitely ready for this opportunity) but D Brown reached out and grabbed a piece for himself tonight, instead of just being on the giving end (like we were all trained to do at xu)."
Category: NCAAB
Xavier hires Mack
Xavier will promote Chris Mack to succeed Sean Miller as the school's head basketball coach, multiple sources told CBSSports.com on Tuesday.
A press conference is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday.
Miller left Xavier last week to succeed Lute Olson at Arizona. Almost immediately, Mack was tabbed as the leading candidate, and his position was strengthened when Miller -- plus most of the players and recruits -- endorsed the 39-year-old assistant.
Mack is a former Xavier player and graduate of the school.
He inherits what should be a Top 25 team.
Category: NCAAB
Tags: Chris Mack, Xavier
Mack interviews at Xavier
Xavier assistant Chris Mack interviewed for the school's vacant head coaching position Wednesday and appears to be the leading candidate to replace his old boss, a source has told CBSSports.com.
"I think it's his job to lose," the source said.
Miller accepted the Arizona job Monday and has subsequently endorsed Mack -- as have most of the players and recruits, plus the fan base (at least according to an online poll at the Cincinnati Enquirer ). Others who have been publicly connected to the job are Brad Stevens (Butler), Gary Waters (Cleveland State), Darrin Horn (South Carolina), Ken McDonald (Western Kentucky) and Fran McCaffery (Siena), though it's worth noting that McCaffery signed an eight-year contract with Siena on Wednesday and probably isn't a serious candidate.
Xavier should be a preseason Top 25 team next season.
Category: NCAAB
Tags: Chris Mack, Xavier
The latest on Xavier's search for a new coach
Sean Miller wants Chris Mack to succeed him at Xavier.
"I'm hopeful that happens," Miller said at his Arizona news conference. "I think it would be a great choice."
As do the readers of the Cincinnati Enquirer . Nearly 60 percent of those responding to an online poll want Mack to be Xavier's next coach. In third place is Siena's Fran McCaffery with 9.4 percent (as I type), although McCaffery's comments to a New York radio station suggest he might not even be on Xavier's radar.
"I’d like to be the coach of the Lakers, but they didn’t call me," McCaffery said when asked about the Xavier opening. "There’s no sense talking about a job where nobody has expressed any interest in me." Also worth noting: At least one New York media outlet is reporting that McCaffery is on the verge of signing an extension with Siena. An announcement could come as early as Wednesday.
Other names in the online poll are Brad Brownell (Wright State), Brad Stevens (Butler), Ken McDonald (Western Kentucky), John Groce (Ohio), Louis Orr (Bowling Green), Jim Christian (TCU) and Darrin Horn (South Carolina).
Horn is the lone BCS-affiliated coach of the listed candidates.
But would he really leave the SEC for the A-10?
Answer: It's possible considering Horn is the lowest paid coach in the SEC East. According to published reports, Horn -- i.e., the man who just led South Carolina to a tie for first in the SEC East -- makes roughly $800,000 per year. That number is dwarfed by the salaries of Billy Donovan (Florida), John Calipari (Kentucky), Bruce Pearl (Tennessee), Kevin Stallings (Vanderbilt) and Mark Fox (Georgia), the last of whom left Nevada for Georgia last week and signed a deal worth $1.3 million per year.
Category: NCAAB
The coaching carousel is slowing down
DETROIT -- With Arizona, Memphis and Washington State all filling their head coaching vacancies Monday, the only remaining nationally relevant opening is at Xavier, and you have no idea how nice that is for those of us who follow this stuff. To be able to fly home and not worry with the coaching carousel is truly a blessing, most notably for my wife and son. And so on behalf of the Parrish family, I'd like to thank all the ADs who made this possible.
I owe you.
Anyway, Xavier?
Sources have told CBSSports.com (that's me) that athletic director Mike Bobinski is only considering Xavier assistant Chris Mack and experienced head coaches (like Siena's Fran McCaffery). My advice: Hire Mack and be done with it. "Chris is ready to become a head coach," is a quote from Sean Miller pulled directly from Mack's bio, and I'm inclined to believe it.
The 39 year-old Xavier graduate just finished his fifth season on Miller's staff after completing three seasons at Wake Forest under the late Skip Prosser. In other words, Mack has worked for two great coaches and established himself as a notable recruiter in the area. Plus, he's from the area. So this should be easy, and an easy search is a successful search ... as Arizona's Jim Livengood and Memphis' R.C. Johnson can attest after struggling to fill their vacancies.
Why put yourself through that, Mr. Bobinski?
Just give Mack this preseason Top 25 team and let him win the Atlantic 10.
Unlike Arizona and Memphis, Xavier doesn't need somebody to rebuild a program.
Xavier just needs somebody to guide what's already in place, and there's no reason Mack can't do that.
Category: NCAAB
Tags: Chris Mack, Xavier
Arizona comes back at Miller, gets him this time
DETROIT -- Barring another last-minute change of plans, Sean Miller will be introduced as Arizona's next basketball coach despite the fact that he turned down the job late Sunday, a source has told CBSSports.com.
According to a source, Miller scheduled a Monday afternoon meeting with his staff, at which point he is expected to finalize the decision. The source said Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood called Miller early Monday after having been rejected and "significantly changed" the offer, which was initially around $2 million per year for seven seasons. At that point, the source said, Miller got better assurances on the number of "buy" games he would be allowed to schedule, as well as some enhanced promises about the way the team and coaches would travel. Thus, Miller's career at Xavier now seems set to end after five seasons, four of which resulted in NCAA tournament appearances.
A statement is expected later Monday.
A news conference could come as early as Tuesday
Category: NCAAB
Sources: Miller rejects Arizona to stay at Xavier
DETROIT -- Sean Miller, after meeting with his family and staff late Sunday, decided to reject an offer from Arizona and remain at Xavier, sources have told CBSSports.com.
A statement is expected early Monday.
Miller flew on a private plane to Albuquerque, N.M., then drove to Sante Fe, N.M., early Sunday to meet with Arizona president Robert Shelton, athletic director Jim Livengood and a high-powered booster named Paul Weitman. The meeting lasted roughly four hours, and when Miller returned to Cincinnati he was described by a source as about "50-50" in terms of staying at Xavier or leaving for the Pac-10.
Late Sunday, that changed.
So now Miller will return for a sixth season at Xavier.
Sources said Arizona will next target Utah coach Jim Boylen.
Officials working on behalf of Arizona have already initiated contact, according to sources.
Arizona has now been publicly rejected in its search to replace Lute Olson by Miller and USC's Tim Floyd. Some other candidates the school has informally pursued to varying degrees are Mark Few (Gonzaga), Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh), John Calipari (Kentucky), Jeff Capel (Oklahoma), Bruce Pearl (Tennessee) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State).
Category: NCAAB
Miller back home, described as "50-50"
DETROIT -- Xavier's Sean Miller was back home in Cincinnati late Sunday, meeting with his family and staff and debating whether to accept an offer to become Arizona's next basketball coach, sources told CBSSports.com.
According to a source, Miller flew on a private plane to Albuquerque, N.M., then drove to Sante Fe, N.M., to meet with Arizona president Robert Shelton, athletic director Jim Livengood and a high-powered booster named Paul Weitman. The meeting lasted roughly four hours, and a source described Miller as about "50-50" in terms of staying at Xavier or leaving for the Pac-10.
No deadline for an answer was given to Miller, a source said.
But Arizona would like an answer by Monday, it seems.
Miller has been at Xavier five seasons.
He's made four NCAA tournaments, including one Elite Eight.
Category: NCAAB
Miller to meet with Arizona on Sunday
DETROIT -- Xavier's Sean Miller boarded a private plane sent by Arizona officials early Sunday and flew to Albuquerque, N.M., to meet with athletic director Jim Livengood about coaching the Wildcats, sources have told CBSSports.com.
Whether Arizona asked Xavier for permission to speak with Miller is unclear, and also moot. Requesting permission to speak with another schools' coach is mostly a courtesy in this business, almost never a necessity. To wit, sources have told CBSSports.com that people working on behalf of Arizona have contacted various high-major coaches all season in informal ways, in some cases as early as November.
According to sources, Miller has been told he could receive a package at Arizona worth more than $15 million spread over seven years. Still, there is no guarantee he'll take the job, the sources said, because he's comfortable at Xavier and positioned to have a team that should win another Atlantic 10 title next season.
Miller has been at Xavier five seasons.
He's made four NCAA tournaments, including one Elite Eight.
Arizona has already been publicly rejected in its search to replace Lute Olson by USC's Tim Floyd. Some other candidates the school has informally pursued to varying degrees are Mark Few (Gonzaga), Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh), John Calipari (Kentucky), Jeff Capel (Oklahoma), Bruce Pearl (Tennessee) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State).
(Here's a link to the plane Miller boarded, according to a source close to the Arizona program.)
Category: NCAAB
Arizona reaching out to Xavier's Miller
DETROIT -- Arizona has initiated conversations with Sean Miller in an attempt to see whether the rising star at Xavier will entertain an offer that could be worth more than $13 million spread over six years, a source close to the Arizona program told CBSSports.com on Friday.
Multiple sources said it's unclear whether Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood has spoken directly with Miller, but the sources added that Miller has had preliminary discussions with a third-party representative working on behalf of Arizona, and that he's willing to consider a move to the Pac-10 more so than he's considered different opportunities in the past. In other words, Miller was never seriously interested in Virginia or Georgia, and he's not interested in replacing John Calipari at Memphis. But Arizona is the type of elite job that has his attention, though there are no guarantees Miller would automatically leave Xavier given that he clearly has the best job in the Atlantic 10.
Miller has been at Xavier five seasons.
He's made four NCAA tournaments, including one Elite Eight.
Arizona has already been publicly rejected by USC's Tim Floyd. Other candidates the school has informally pursued to various degrees are Mark Few (Gonzaga), Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh), John Calipari (Memphis), Jeff Capel (Oklahoma), Bruce Pearl (Tennessee) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State).
Category: NCAAB
