xavierhoops

Really? You'd think he'd brighten up. Why go into the season knowing you're going to get at least one team wrong year after year after year before they even play a game?

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Chris Mack in 3 years at Xavier has had twice the NCAA wins (4) of the entire Dayton coaching staff in the modern era of NCAA basketball (2).

z8-Minutemen

WH is a hack who knows nothing about basketball. This isn't news. Maybe we should rethink all of the praise that we give to him/her on this board?

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Dallas Cowboys- 5 super bowls and counting...

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bprichard

True, I can't really imagine X ever being that low in the A10. Especially since I generally assume Xavier will finish above Dayton just to rile me. So if I chose X at 14, I would have to put UD at 15 or 16, and I would never do that.

xavierhoops

Actually agree with z8 for once. If this WH guy continually underestimates Xavier year after year after year particularly given Xavier's success year after year after year.... either he has really clouded judgement with regard to Xavier or not as smart as some people think.

I never really read his rankings... but 14th in the A-10? Wow.

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Chris Mack in 3 years at Xavier has had twice the NCAA wins (4) of the entire Dayton coaching staff in the modern era of NCAA basketball (2).

anXUfan

Come on. WH may have had a few drinks before the Xavier pick but he remains this board's greatest asset.

a10nick

.....after "The Muddled One"!!!







WAAAAAAAAAAAY after the Muddled one ---- I think it unfair to closely compare WH with Muddy. They are polar opposites in fact.

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I just want the team I support to be in a stronger conference. I'd prefer it to be a stronger A-10! To me that would mean every member would have at least 2 trips to the NCAA Tourney and 5 winning seasons during each 10-year cycle. It would also be great for every program to seriously challenge for a league title (either regular season or Tourney) at least once during that same period of time.

xavierhoops

Although both, evidently, with a biased view of Xavier. Although Muddy's I think is extreme jealousy and hate more than bias.

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Chris Mack in 3 years at Xavier has had twice the NCAA wins (4) of the entire Dayton coaching staff in the modern era of NCAA basketball (2).

Bona Wolf for Pope

Guys relax. It was one game. If Xavier is still playing this way in a couple months, then you'll have something. Not everyone who doubts Xavier does so out of jealousy and they haven't been proven wrong by the second game of the season.

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"Careful reading comprehension is crucial to an online forum discussion."

spider23

LOL. Thinking the same thing. Just like the two transfers that were GREAT NEWS for the program, I am guessing that this is just the thing Butler needed before A10 competition - a good loss to a conference team that does not count in the conference standings.

SpiderDave19

Xavier looked very good. They're certainly playing with a chip on their shoulder, and that goes a long way, defensively. Especially with the athletes they have.

Butler looks like they have a long way to go, but some pieces are in place. They'll get better and be a tough game for everyone in A10 play.

It's just one game. Xavier has been making a LOT of shots, not all of them great looks. Couple that with their depth issues, and I'd hold off on making any banners just yet. But they will be tough. I'd still say they'll be right around .500 in league play. 9-7, best guess at this point.

Butler was disappointing, but that guy can coach and they'll be much better in a month, I'd guess. A little concerned with their stud shooters....Clarke is clearly a shooting guard and is far from mastering the skill of being both a scorer and distributing, and knowing just when to do which. Not an easy thing. Dunham might be All-A10 in HORSE, but he's a freshman. Long way to go until he's more than just a very dangerous spot-up shooter.

A nice eye-opener for Butler....these are the types of athletes you're facing most nights in the A10. Road wind are GOLD.

paulxu

When your coach gets hammered on by just about everyone since last December, including questioning his character and ability, it's nice to see someone else recognize him, who is surely not a homer:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...resti/1703855/

It's a long season. We may end up 9th like the league coaches picked. But I don't think it will be because Chris Mack can't coach.

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...he went up late, and I was already up there.

a10nick

As a Muskie fan and long-time student of the game of college basketball, I'd have to say that Dave has a great handle on the Butler AND Xavier situations.

Most people know that Stevens will get his kids to gel at just the right time. He's got a number of pieces to the puzzle that simply have to adjust to their new teammates and their roles in the bigger scheme of things. But he's got a pretty well-established history of being a great puzzle-solver!

Chris Mack has a lot more new pieces to somehow fit together since he has not one starter back from last season. He also has what most people think is more to prove. Somehow, Coach Mack has "always used Sean Miller's players" to gain success (while other coaches get some hefty credit for similar equal success early in their tenure as head coach). OK, we'll live with that and see how Chris does in a year when his Muskies are generally picked to finish near the bottom of the pack in the A-10, have only eight scholarship players of the 13 allowed, and are completely out of the discussion as far as the post-season is concerned.

It will be interesting to see the maturation of both teams.

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I just want the team I support to be in a stronger conference. I'd prefer it to be a stronger A-10! To me that would mean every member would have at least 2 trips to the NCAA Tourney and 5 winning seasons during each 10-year cycle. It would also be great for every program to seriously challenge for a league title (either regular season or Tourney) at least once during that same period of time.

blob

Agree with much of your post, but X actually survived a poor shooting night vs. Butler. We ended up 5-17, under 30%. If you subtract Brad Redford's 3-4, the rest of X's guys went 2-13. If X had actually been on fire from outside like they were in the first game, it would have been a 30+ point win.

Basically, I think there is nothing unsustainable or fluky about Xavier's shooting performance vs. Butler.

SpiderDave19

They made a few wild-looking runners, to my eyes. I wasn't speaking specifically of three pointers.

Most importantly for Xavier, it looks like a couple guys have improved (or just received more opportunities with all the new minutes available), and they are up to the challenge.

And I always like when people take cumulative stats, and "subtract" the best or worst contributor to arrive at a different number....sound mathematics, there. (:

rusty X

I think it is high time to recognize that Chris Mack did a great job with his two new hires of assistant coaches. The job they did with no returning stars is just great. And it clearly disproves Muddy's assertion that Mack is a social misfit.

This game was Chris Mack's idea of heaven. Tough defense by his team for the entire game and a patient offense. And he clearly got into his players' heads with his us against the world mindset.

He will have issues this year with a very thin bench, but it will highlight what a talented coach he is.

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