First of all, thanks to El Fuerto for the NIT breakdown. Great to see some of the local teams getting some exposure in there. Good for Mick Cronin and Brian Gregory continuing their schools' traditions of mediocrity and underachievement. I aint complaining. The real team in Cincy is live in living color as we have now finally entered the best month of the year: MARCH BABY! (By the way, stay tuned for a CBI breakdown next week from El Fuerto)
The 2009-10 Xavier University Musketeers Men's Basketball team. Another coach, another year of doubters, haters, nay-sayers, and........another "to-be' Atlantic 10 regular season Conference Championship. That's what the Muskies and Mike Bobinski do: get rings (fat rings) and hang banners. I love Chris Mack as the head coach of this team. I will wait until after the season is over before I say why I think he's in for the long run. As for now, I am focused on the here and now, and thats wrapping up a league title for the 4th year in a row! and trying to get the best seed possible. (I say that like I have any control in it. At the Richmond game, I lost my voice, so theres my contribution).
Looks like all the talk about the A10 getting 5-6 teams is dwindling down as everybody is beating up on eachother (aside from Temple, Richmond, and Xavier). I must admit, the Atlantic 10 has been fun to watch this year...for once. The conference doesn't get enough national exposure on ESPN but after last week, I have a ton of respect for the young squad at SLU and for the grittiness of Richmond. Look for the Spiders to be playing in the second weekend of the tourney...you heard it here first!
Finally, just some thoughts on three individual Musketeers:
1) Below is my post on Cincinnati.com (http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100228/COL03/302280010/1007/SPT/Lights++camera++action+...++XU+s+Holloway+) on Terrell "Tutu" Holloway:
TRADITIONX09:
I've been saying it since the great game in the Shootout this year: when all is said and done, Holloway will be the best point guard in XU history. Lavendar was great but didn't play four years, Chalmers always will have a soft spot in my heart but more because of his play during the Run because his career was somewhat inconsistent.
Holloway is still inconsistent but man oh man, when he wants to play, he cannot be stopped. It's the biggest stage that Tutu relishes and the deeper into the game and OT's, the better plays. Crawford has been stellar all season. He had a bad half and it is awesome to see the Muskies step up when their offensive leader was off the mark. Great win.
I like where this team is headed going in to March. #12 RPI and the squad is battle-tested....there is no doubting that!
2) Jason "Buddy" "Lovely" "J Boogie" Love
Has there ever been anyone that exemplified what a Xavier student/basketball athlete is better than Jason Love? He came from D1 bball school-rich Philly and chose Xavier in the midwest, mainly because none of those schools really offered him (no Philly schools, althugh Penn St. and Providence did). He came here overweight, uncoordinated, and basically a big oaf who couldnt walk and chew gum at the same time. He came in though and from Day 1, worked his balls off and got better every season, considerably better at that. I'll give it to him, he had a ton of room for improvement but to go from 20ish % body fat to now like 6ish% or something stupid low is just absolutely unbelievable. That shit doesn't happen overnight. Neither does developing an offensive game or being one of the most dominating rebounders in the conference. All things that Love has become his senior year. A year where he is the lone-senior, he has taken the load on his shoulders and done an exceptional job leading these young Muskies.
I think I speak for all Xavier fans and maybe just basketball fans in general in saying that come Saturday, I am going to be sad after the game knowing that I will never see @LoveJ31 (www.twitter.com/lovej31) play at Cintas ever again. It has been a pleasure watching him grow, battle, and bust his ass all while shutting up and putting up for the Xavier program for 4 years. Thats what Xavier does: recruit those guys that the big boys pass on but who are willing to work harder than most, bring their lunch pale to work, and when they graduate people say "I'm going to miss having that guy in line-up night in and night out."
Thank you J Love for all your hard work. You will be missed. Let's finish strong. After tonight, he will be the WINNINGEST PLAYER IN XU HOOPS HISTORY!
3) Finally, last but not least, Coach Chris Mack and Coach Pat Kelsey
I just wanted to quickly acknowledge these guys for the job they have done. Xavier Nation was fumed after Miller bitched and hitched for Zona. A year later, I thank him because finally, since Skip, we have two coaches in Mack and Kels that CARE about Xavier bball. They are alums, are from Cincy, and have invested interest in the program. Great to have them here.
I just want to note that at the beginning of the season, we were all wondering how Xavier was going to makeup for the loss of CJ, Derrick, and BJ (our top three scorers and 60+ percent of our offense from the Sweet 16 team). Also if you can remember Sean Miller and Thad Matta's rookie seasons, those Xavier teams were hard to watch many times. They struggled and lost games they shouldn't have lost, naturally I guess with new coaching. Thad had D West and lost in the 2nd round...that was unacceptable for the team that he had. Sean had lost Chalmers, Sato, and Myles BUT didn't even make the NIT! People were calling for him to get fired! (Lets face it, that ONE bad year is the norm over there in Clifton).
Mack (www.twitter.com/@coachchrismack) and Kels are on the verge of winning the A10 title in arguably the deepest and toughest the conference has ever been with a ridiculously low 2 losses! (Im assuming we win the next 2 games). Best of luck to the boys and lets hope they can remained focused with their eye on the A10 prize....it's so close! (This is what we do. Good find BG.... http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/
Over and out,
CLICK CLACK
Ps. Make sure to tune in to the USA soccer squad take on the Dutch today at 2:30 pm. The World Cup in June will be unreal and today will be a little precursor of how it will be. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXHmTJrPaXQ)
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