Placards on lamp posts around the Xavier campus read “A Better Education For A Better World.”  The weekend’s events provide the Jesuit university with the opportunity to fulfill that motto.

Saturday’s 79th meeting between the Cincinnati Bearcats and Xavier Musketeers unraveled into a disappointing display of testosterone-driven “one-upsmanship.” Subsequent press conferences and suspensions have fueled public commentary and opinion.

Fans were left to wonder about the culture of the Xavier locker room.  Players chosen to represent the university in Saturday’s post-game press conference used the opportunity to portray the Musketeer team as “gangstas” who don’t back down.

Twenty-four hours later, Chris Mack referred to the press conference as a mistake. That the players should not have been given the opportunity to speak.

A mistake?

The truth cannot be a mistake, and for those young men the words chosen represent their perception of reality, their truth. The conviction in their voices left no doubt. Like it or not, it is also Xavier’s reality.

Hiding from such assertions ignores an opportunity that the Jesuits have encountered for centuries: the chance to teach, to nurture.

Those words brought out into the open a harsh reality facing society. There is a growing number of young people who approach daily challenges with this survival of the fittest mindset.

It doesn’t have to be that way. There are alternatives, and the simplest lesson that can be taught is one at the very core of the Jesuit mission: “Turn the other cheek.”

Many will scoff at such a notion – a further indication of the problem.

From Sunday’s briefing it appears the process has started. Apologies were expressed. Words recanted. Sure, these admissions were scripted, rehearsed and lacked the temerity of the previous day’s contention.  Timing was of the essence.  Learning will require a process.

Those outside the locker rooms can haggle whether or not the suspensions equal the infraction.  The true test of these judgments will come the next time a similar situation arises.

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times challenge and controversy.”

Xavier didn’t need to go far to find its challenge and controversy. The Jesuit university found these residing in its own locker room.  The lesson that can be taught will make the world a better place.

CINCINNATI — Xavier University men’s head basketball coach Chris Mack has added 14-year NBA veteran and 1993 Xavier University graduate Aaron Williams as a temporary assistant coach on his staff. Williams will assist Mack while assistant coach Kareem Richardson continues his recovery after recent surgery and a hospital stay. Richardson hopes to be back on the bench in late December.

“First and foremost, Kareem is well on his way to a full recovery,” said Mack. “Our basketball family has been praying for him every day in hopes that he will be re-joining the program in a few weeks. While Kareem is away, Aaron will be a valuable part of our program. He will be on the floor coaching every single day of practice and in games. His experience as a 14-year NBA player will be invaluable to each player in our program, particularly our posts. And it’s always great to catch up with one of your best friends from college too.”

Williams, a member of the Xavier 1,000 Point Club, scored 1,073 points at XU (tied for 42^nd in XU history), grabbed 713 rebounds (16^th on XU’s all-time list) and blocked 197 shots (second only to David West in XU history).

Williams, a First Team All-MCC selection, was a part of three NCAA Tournament teams and three Midwestern Collegiate Conference Championships during his four-year career. XU reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history in his freshman season of 1989-90 with Williams playing the role of one of the late-game heroes of that second round win over Georgetown. XU reached the second round in 1991 and 1993. For the final three seasons of Williams’ career he was a teammate of Chris Mack.

Following his graduation in 1993, Williams earned his way onto the Utah Jazz squad as a free agent for the 1993-94 season. He also played for Milwaukee, Denver, Vancouver, Seattle, Washington, New Jersey, Toronto, New Orleans and the L.A. Clippers before retiring following the 2007-08 season.

Photo courtesy of SBU athletics

By Paul Casey Gotham

Mark Schmidt remembers it well. He had just finished his first season as head coach with St. Bonaventure, and his Bonnies, who hadn’t known a winning season in five years, limped to the finish line with just two victories in Atlantic 10 conference play and an overall record of 8-22. He introduced his recruiting class – the group to which he would stake his claim and received a tepid response especially for one player whose name created little interest.

Four years later, the Bonnies are looking for back-to-back winning seasons, and Andrew Nicholson, whose name was known to few at one time,  is now a player-of-the year candidate.

“No one knew who he was,” Schmidt recalls. “On our recruiting we brought four or five guys in.  He was this kid from Toronto.”

Nicholson  scored 12.5 per game and grabbed 6 rebounds that year to earn A-10 Rookie of the Year. The native of Mississauga, Ontario led freshmen nationally in field goal percentage (.602) and blocks (81).

“He surprised people by being the Atlantic 10 rookie of the year,” Schmidt recalled. “By the time they figured it out that, man, this kid is pretty good, the game was over.”

Bonaventure improved to 15-15 that season including six wins in the A-10. Nicholson took with him the respect of  peers and opposing coaches and the weight of responsibility.

“His sophomore year we challenged him,” Schmidt continued. “It’s like now you’ve got a target on your chest. People are going to come after you. He accepted that challenge.”

Nicholson responded by scoring more than 16 a game his sophomore campaign while corralling 7 boards. The Bonnies improved from 11th in the A-10 to 8th with a mark of 7-9 in conference play and earned the right to host a first-round game in the A-10 tournament.

The power forward’s progress continued last year as SBU finished 8-8 in conference play and 16-15overall – the school’s first winning record since 2001-02.

Nicholson led Bona with nearly 21 points a game and 7.3 rebounds. More importantly, he expanded his game beyond the foul lane and made himself a threat 15-18 fifteen feet from the basket.

The attention from opposing defenses created space and open chances for his teammates.

“I wish I was a teammate of his,” Schmidt said with a smile. “I would sit weak side. Swing the ball, it’s like playing h-o-r-s-e.”

Last season, Demitrius Conger, Michael Davenport and Matthew Wright all connected on more than 30 percent of their opportunities from beyond the three-point arc.

“He’s going to get double-teamed a lot, and in order for us to get good, those guys have to make shots.” Schmidt went on to explain the dilemma for opposing defenses. “The more those guys make shots, it’s going to be really hard (for opponents).”

The Bonnies and Nicholson, like every other team in the A-10, will be chasing pre-season favorite, Xavier.

Slowed by foul trouble, Nicholson played just 23 minutes (10 below his season average) last year against the Musketeers. Still, he scored 13 points on four-of-eight shooting from the field.

“I’m glad it’s his fourth year,” said Xavier head coach Chris Mack. “I liken him to a poor man’s Tim Duncan. He’s a match-up problem. If you stick a big, burly post player on him, he’ll take him outside. He has a great face-up game. He can put it on the floor from the perimeter. Just a soft touch facing the basket.  If you put an under-sized guy on him and say we’re going to take away that jump shot and make him go in the post, he’s really adept at going left hand or right hand. He’s developed an ability to really pass the ball out of double and triple teams which he sees every night.”

“Nicholson is a pro,” said St. Joseph’s head coach Phil Martelli. “He has the potential to have his name called.”

Martelli, the dean of A-10 coaches, has coached current N.B.A. players Jameer Nelson and Delonte West.

“He’s multi-talented,” Martelli continued. “There’s not a lot of guys who can be All-League and All-Defensive.  If you don’t decide right now that you’re going to double-team him and double-team him in a variety of ways, you’re just asking him to hang 35 on you.”

For Nicholson and the Bonnies, the present is November 11th when the Big Red of Cornell come to the Reilly Center for the season opener. A 7 p.m. tipoff is scheduled.

Nicholson’s future consists of choices. The Physics major, whose team has changed practice times around his lab schedule, will graduate in the spring.

His future on the hardwood?

“Part of my job is to maximize our guys’ abilities,” Schmidt added. “If he’s going to play at the next level, he’s not going to play with his back to the basket. He’s going to play facing the basket.”

Does that mean the power forward will spend more time outside the arc? Nicholson took 23 shots from behind the arc last year.

Not one for many words.  He smiles when his coach chides him about his shooting percentage from long range:  “8 for 23 – what is that 26 percent? He may want to take a hundred threes this year.”

Earlier this month, Nicholson was nominated to the Pre-Season Wooden Award Watch List for the top player in men’s basketball.

The Bonnies play North Carolina State at Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena on December 20th.

By Paul Casey Gotham

Gone to the guards

A quick look at some statistics reveals that a few teams are doing their scoring from the outside – in. The highest scoring big man in the country is Vlad Moldoveanu from American who is averaging 20.8 a game. That ranks 13th in the country. Gary Flowers (So. Miss.) is 13th with 20.6 and Purdue’s JaJuan Johnson is 15th with 20.5.

It will be interesting to see if this trend continues as teams get deeper and deeper into conference play. When March comes, usually the teams that can rebound and score around the basket survive the longest. Unless, of course, you are the 2009-10 Duke team. But then you need three perimeter scorers.

Maybe this year will be different.

Here are the top ten scorers in the nation.

For the complete list, click here.

Like father, like son Part II

Part I of this ran a couple of weeks ago. Click here to go to it. I was surprised by the tepid response to the possibility of a Rochester hoops discussion.

A few more to add to the list. Ray McCallum  Jr. received scholarships from UCLA and Arizona. Instead, McCallum chose Detroit where he is playing for his dad. The younger McCallum has range. Trey Ziegler plays for his dad, Ernie, at Central Michigan. Doug McDermott is lighting it up for his dad and the Creighton Bluejays.

This week’s Game Day Thread

Last week we had a nice crew watching the Temple-Xavier game and adding in-game comments on The Pine. This week we are going for a Saturday brunch with two games: Temple-St. Joe’s 11 a.m. on ESPNU and Xavier-Richmond noon on ESPN2. Join in the analysis.

Friendly fire

When the Xavier Musketeers played at St. Bonaventure last week, the contest brought together a group of coaches who are more than familiar with each other. Bonnies’ coach, Mark Schmidt spent seven years as an assitant under the late Skip Prosser at Xavier. Schmidt was responsible for putting the likes of Brian Grant, David West and James Posey in Xavier uniforms. Musketeers’ current skipper, Chris Mack was XU’s director of basketball operations for the last two years Schmidt spent with the X-Men.  XU’s associate coach, Pat Kelsey was a backup point guard from 1995-98 at Xavier. SBU assistant, Jeff Massey played guard at Xavier from  1993-95.

“He’s my best friend in the business,” Mack said of Schmidt.  “A guy I really look up to and admire. It’s hard to play against him.”

“If we weren’t in the Atlantic 10, we wouldn’t be playing against each other,” Schmidt added. “We were friends after the game. We’ll be friends after the game.”

Familiarity breeds…

Teams are knee deep into conference play, and that means familiarity. Guys who have seen each other on a regular basis are less likely to be fooled on the court.

How else can one explain that Pittsburgh entered play Monday averaging 80 a game, and Notre Dame boasted 75.5 an outing. The final score between Big East rivals? 56-51.

Some other low-scoring conference games of note:

West Virginia 56 South Florida 46

Texas A&M 64 Kansas State 56

Arizona 65 Washington St. 63

Cincinnati 53 St. John’s 51

Florida 45 Auburn 40

Tennessee 59 Georgia 57

Rebounds & Putbacks

Take a tour of Western New York hoops with Bob DiCesare and Rodney McKissic.

Zach Hayes offers some love for Xavier’s Chris Mack in his Ten Tuesday Scribbles.

Mike DeCourcy offers his preview of the week ahead.

Who are your candidates for coach of the year? SI’s Seth Davis has his top ten.

They said it

Xavier coach, Chris Mack, on St. Bonaventure forward, Andrew Nicholson: “Probably talk to him about entering the draft early.”

Terrence Jones:  “My coach isn’t the first coach to cuss. That didn’t even bother me.”

Calipari:  “There are times when I just look at him and I go, ‘I love you, you know, and he says, ‘I know you do, I love you too.”

Fairfield Coach Ed Cooley on seeing the new press conference room at Canisius College: “Yeah, I like this room. That’s the first comment I like to tell y’all. Man, that’d look nice in some red with a little stag on it. Much love to your A.D. and administration there. I gotta catch my breath.”

Courtesy of Xavier athletics

1st Team All-Casey

G Kemba Walker – UConn

G Jimmer Fredette – BYU

SF Kyle Singler – Duke

PF Marcus Morris – Kansas

C Jared Sullinger – Ohio State

2nd Team All Casey

PG Tu Holloway – Xavier

SG Corey Stokes – Villanova

SF Kahwi Leonard – San Diego State

PF  Chris Wright – Dayton

C JaJuan Johnson – Purdue

Got any college basketball splinters? Share them here.

By Paul Casey Gotham

Setting: The Blackburn-McCafferty Trophy is on the line at the Cintas Center as Brian Gregory brings his Dayton Flyers (14-4/ 2-1) south on I 75 for a clash with Chris Mack and his Xavier Musketeers (10-5/ 2-0). The trophy honors former Dayton coach Tom Blackburn (1947-64) and Xavier coach and athletic director, Jim McCafferty (1957-63).

Plot: Position in conference standings is on the line. Along with the Musketeers, the Flyers trail three other unbeaten teams in the conference – Temple, George Washington and Duquesne.

There will be a plenty of energy on campus and plenty more on the court. Dayton will look to take advantage of Xavier’s short bench.  Ten Flyers average 10 or more minutes per game. Because of injuries, the Musketeers have nine scholarship players.

Sub-plot: Both squads enter play coming off a win. Chris Wright scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Flyers defeated the St. Joe’s Hawks 65-59. Tu Holloway led five Muskies in double figures as Xavier trounced UMass 79-50. Dayton has not won on Xavier’s home court since 1981.

Flashback: Holloway scored 22, and Jason Love corralled 10 rebounds as the X-Men advanced to the A10 semi-finals with a 78-73 triumph over the Flyers at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Dayton leads the series 82-63. Xavier has taken eight of the last nine meetings.

Xavier has earned 21 NCAA Tournament berths, including last year’s Sweet Sixteen run and Elite Eight showings in 2008 and 2004. Dayton’s resume includes 14 appearances in ‘The Dance.’ Brian Gregory took the Flyers to the tourney in 2009 and in 2004.

Foreshadowing: Sixteen Flyers have gone on to enjoy careers in the NBA, including Jim Paxson Jr. and Johnny Davis.  Seventeen Musketeers have played in the Association, including current stars Derrick Brown, Jordan Crawford, James Posey and David West.

Conflict: Both teams play games in the 60s. Dayton scores 66 while surrendering 62. Xavier scores 69 and gives up 64.  The Muskies hold a slight advantage in field goal percentage (44 percent to Dayton’s 39). Turnovers are a near wash. UD creates as many as they commit. XU has a slight advantage (.8). The Flyers take and make slightly more free throws per game than their adversaries as do the Musketeers.  But the Flyers have an edge on the boards. Their 5.6 rebounding margin ranks in the top 50 nationally.

Dayton’s Chris Wright and Xavier’s Jamel McLean could be the individual match-up of the night. Both average a near double-double (Wright 13.3 ppg/ 9.2, McLean 11.3 / 9.5).

Wright will end Dayton’s drought when he plays in the N.B.A. next year.  Wright can overpower with brute strength. He has developed a mid-range game that makes him difficult to guard. Opponents can not lay off him from 15 feet. Get too close though, and Wright will blow by a defender with one dribble and a dunk.

McLean’s back-to-the basket game has quietly matured. He is patient with the ball in the post allowing the play to develop and finding open teammates. At the same time, he can finish with either hand. When the ball goes in the air, McLean is difficult to keep in check.

Dayton’s freshman point guard, Juwan Staten, and Xavier’s Tu Holloway are primarily responsible for feeding the ball into the post.

Staten hands out more than six assists per game and he possesses a better than 2:1 assist to turnover ratio . For a freshman, he has an uncanny ability to play within himself.

Holloway has the talent to be the best point guard in the country, when he keeps his emotions in check. The Xavier junior could dominate Staten. But he also could lose sight of winning the game and turn the point guard battle into a personal confrontation.

Dante Jackson hit five of eight shots from long range when the Muskies beat Dayton at Cintas last year. Chris Johnson averages two threes a game for the Flyers. Jackson and Johnson could tip the scales in the game. Whoever of these guys gets hot will affect floor spacing and the length of passing lanes to be defended.

Xavier’s Mark Lyons and Kenny Frease have played inconsistently this year. Both are capable of big performances. It is also possible for them to be a liability.

At 7′, Frease is a difficult match-up. Add to that a baby hook he has developed and Frease can get 22 like he did against Wake Forest. The following game he accounted for zero at Gonzaga.

Lyons averages 12 a game. He scored 11 in a loss to Cincinnati and two in a loss to Florida. His assist to turnover rate is one to one, but those numbers do not include shots that Lyons forces.

Paul Williams provides a deep threat for the Flyers. The junior guard hits almost 49 percent from long range.

Dayton’s Josh Parker, Devin Searcy and Josh Benson combine for 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Conflict: After limping through the end of December and an emotional game at Cincinnati, the Musketeers seemed to have found their just in time for conference play. The Flyers will take this game to final minutes, but Xavier’s play-makers will be too much. Staten will put up a struggle, but Xavier’s experienced back court will outlast the freshman. Xavier will come away with with a five-point victory.

AP Photo/Al Behrman

By Paul Casey Gotham

Setting: NCAA tournament contenders collide when Chris Mack brings his Xavier Musketeers (7-2)  to Spokane, Washington for a battle with Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs (6-5).

Plot: Atlantic 10 meets the West Coast Conference with tournament resumes on the line.

Sub-plot: The game is the second of four in thirteen days for the Muskies. Xavier knocked off Wake Forest over the weekend. Xavier hosts Albany on Tuesday and Florida, New Year’s Eve. Gonzaga trimmed Baylor on Saturday. The Zags take on Oklahoma State on the 31st.

Background: The match-up is part of the Jesuit Spotlight project using basketball to promote Jesuit education across the United States. Xavier and Gonzaga are two of 28 Jesuit universities in the country.

Flashback: The schools have split a pair of meetings in the past. Gonzaga defeated Xavier in the first round of the 2006 NCAA tournament 79-75. The schools first met in 1960 with Xavier laying claim to an 87-82 triumph.

Coach Few has led Gonzaga to 11 of its 13 NCAA tournament appearances including Sweet Sixteen showings in ’00, ’01, ’06, and ’09.   Seven different coaches have led the Musketeers to 21 NCAA tournament appearances including Eight Eight showings in ’04 and ’08.

Foreshadowing: Eight Bulldogs have gone on to play in the National Basketball Association including current players Austin Daye and Ronny Turiaf. Seventeen Musketeers have suited up in the National Basketball Association with Derrick Brown, Jordan Crawford, James Posey and David West holding down current roster spots.

Conflict: Gonzaga scores nearly 79 points per game while giving up 70. Xavier fills it up at a rate of 70 per contest but keeps opponents to 68. The Bulldogs finish 48.7 percent from the field and allow a rate of 42.2 percent. The Muskies hit 43.5 percent and give up 40 percent.

Gonzaga’s schedule is ranked 21st in the country. Xavier weighs in at 26th.

What gives?

On the surface, Gonzaga earned a big win over a ranked opponent in Baylor. But the Bears have not played much of a schedule and lacked an edge. Baylor came out and used a two-three zone to defend the Zags. Gonzaga took advantage of the comfortable space afforded on the perimeter for the win.

Gonzaga’s Steven Gray left Saturday’s game with back spasms. The 6’5″ shooting guard averages 15 points per game.  He leads the Zags in three point attempts (70) and makes (29). Gray will be hard pressed to continue his 41 percent rate from behind the arc with Xavier’s Tu Holloway up in his grill. Holloway will not allow Gray any comfort on the perimeter. Gray will be forced to go off the dribble, and Holloway is the quicker of the two. On the other end, Gray will have his hands full trying to limit Holloway. With Duke’s Kyrie Irving out because of injury, Holloway is the best point guard in the country. His performance Saturday might have been a turning point as the junior from Hempstead, New York accumulated more assists than points. He became a point guard’s point guard distributing to his teammates. Holloway scored five of twelve points late in the game as the Wake Forest defense was forced to extend on his teammates.

Elias Harris was hampered by early injury early in  the late. Harris scored 19 in Gonzaga’s loss to Notre Dame. He followed with anther 19-point output against Lewis-Clark State. His best asset is the ability to put the ball on the deck and take his man to the rim.  At 6’7″ he creates mis-matches for opposing forwards that have to defend him on the perimeter. Xavier’s Jamel McLean is more than athletic enough to neutralize Harris on the offensive end.

Baylor let Robert Sacre catch the ball in the post all day. The 7′ center is adept and catching and scoring. He has the tendency to put the ball to floor and cause turnovers. Kenny Frease poses a formidable adversary. For the first time this season, Sacre will find an opponent just as big as he. The difference is the Frease can finish around the rim. Sacre spent most of Saturday’s game in foul trouble. Frease scored a career high 22 points against Wake Forest. The emergence of Frease as a scorer could be the missing link for the X-Men. Frease will need to deny Sacre the ball as much as possible and play straight up when the Gonzaga center gets the ball.

Xavier’s Dante Jackson will match-up with Matthis Monninghoff. Monninghoff has a size advantage but that is it. Jackson is accustomed to playing in the post. Mack will go to his bench when needed, and 6’9″ Jeff Robinson will tilt the advantage back to the Muskies.

Mark Lyons will have the responsibility of defending Gonzaga’s point guard, Demetri Goodson. This might be Xavier’s biggest advantage. Lyons is capable is putting immense pressure on the ball. If he forces Gonzaga to start their offense further from the basket, he will neutralize any advantage Sacre might have in the paint.

Both coaches aren’t afraid to go to their benches. Kelly Olynyk, Sam Dower, and Mangisto Arop give the Zags a boost. Robinson, Andrew Taylor, and Jay Canty provide the Muskies will valuable minutes.

Resolution: Xavier’s having to travel cross-country would usually cause problems, but classes are not in session. The Muskies should be able to adjust to the different time zone. With that, Xavier’s defense will make Gonzaga play at an uncomfortable pace. The Muskies have shown the ability to change speeds easily. They can get out and run full court. At the same time, with the ball in Holloway’s hands, he is making decisions as to when Xavier needs to run half-court. Gonzaga’s injury woes will continue to plague them, and Xavier will get an important victory.

By Paul Gotham

Thursday night’s west regional semi-final at Energy Solutions Arena lacked the sex appeal offered by so many of the games in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Fans looking for magnetic story lines about a shepherd boy and a Philistine giant need not bother. The game offered not a one or a double digit seed.

Instead, Frank Martin’s Kansas State Wildcats and Chris Mack’s Xavier Musketeers carried the common tags of two and six seed – not much cause for excitement amongst casual fans.

Outside Cincinnati and Kansas City, CBS relegated the game to the occasional glimpses decided upon by a  producer.  Fans outside those regions relied upon a live stream online.

The match offered no catchy personalities. Fans can search both rosters. There is not much hype to be found. Kansas State has Jacob Pullen. He inspires denizens of the Fred Bramlage Coliseum to wear mock beards. Xavier’s Jordan Crawford created a stir last summer when he posterized a king.

Other than that, bracket aficionados could dismiss this game as another line on their sheet.

What the game lacked in allure, it made up for with substance.

Pressuring the ball, contesting every shot, and pounding the glass K-State sprinted to an early lead. Wally Judge tapped in a Jamar Samuels miss, and the Wildcats led by 15 after eight minutes of play.

Then, almost as consequence of their aggressiveness, the Wildcats’ lead dwindled. Fouls mounted as the Musketeers got up from the canvas and took a one-point lead at half-time.

Kansas State found their second wind during half time.

Denis Clemente’s layup less than 20 seconds into the second stanza marked the first of seven lead changes over the twenty minute span. K-State stretched their lead to seven with less than nine minutes remaining.

Xavier fought back and reclaimed the lead on Crawford’s three pointer with 2:20 to go.

Free throws by by Pullen and Curtis Kelly along with a three pointer from Pullen gave the Wildcats a three-point in the final minute.

Xavier was not to be denied.

With time winding down, Terrell Holloway came off a high-ball screen set by Crawford. The play gave Crawford a chance to roll into space for a game-tying three. Instead, Pullen followed the Xavier shooting guard, and his teammate, Chris Merriewether reached to stop Holloway. It did not matter that the Xavier point guard was 25 feet from the basket. As soon as the contact was made, Holloway went into his shooting motion. Xavier’s point guard followed one of the game’s oldest rules of thumb: if you have the ball and get fouled, take a shot. The sophomore calmly sank three free throws to send the game into overtime.

The dizzying pace continued in the extra round.

Xavier scored first. Holloway found Crawford on an alley-oop.

K-State responded. Kelly hit an open jumper from the free throw line. A minute later, he converted two from the charity stripe. The Wildcats maintained the lead for the next three minutes.

Xavier, though, had more dramatics in them.

Down three, Crawford caught the ball at the top of the key and dribbled to the right side of the floor. K-State’s defense gave him nothing, so he took it – a thirty foot jumper that hit nothing but net. The Wildcats played their best defense, and Xavier was just better.

The flurry continued from there as the combatants traded leads in the second overtime.

Pullen’s second consecutive trifecta gave K-State a three-point lead with 35 ticks in the game. Pullen executed a perfect L-cut. Clemente handled the ball on the opposite foul line extended, Pullen cut to free throw line before stepping back on the perimeter. With the ball in flight, Pullen nimbly set his feet in perfect timing with ball’s arrival – step, catch, step, lift, and release. It was a polished move created by hours of practice.

Xavier got its chance to tie, but an open look rimmed out. Kansas State secured the rebound and converted free throws to win.

Martin and Mack met at mid court. The words they exchanged were inaudible. It does not matter. Their body language said it all. The two coaches knew the importance of what they just accomplished. Their teams played the game to its fullest.

Dr. James Naismith gets credit for creating the game. A physical education teacher in Massachusetts, he was given the task of creating an indoor game to help students cope with the long winters. What at first was a simple activity designed to help students make productive use of their time became more than that. Naismith, a minister, saw the game as an opportunity for spiritual growth. Human beings bonded by a common interest and growing through competition. Opponents giving their best, and, as a result, everyone improving together.

The game has changed a little since Naismith’s introduction. Iron rims and nets replaced peach baskets. A shot clock dictates flow. Tattoos have become commonplace. But the game can still have the same impact. Thursday night, the Xavier Musketeers and Kansas State played the game the way it was intended.

By Paul Gotham

Setting: Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City is the site for the West Regional semi-final tilt between Chris Mack’s No. 6 seed Xavier Musketeers (26-8) and Frank Martin’s No. 2 seed Kansas State Wildcats (28-7).

Plot: Atlantic 10 clashes with the Big 12 for a spot in Saturday’s regional final.

Sub-plot: Revenge is in the air. K-State thumped Xavier, 71-56, back on December 8th.

Flashback: Xavier holds a 4-3 advantage in a series that dates back to 1961. Jacob Pullen dropped 16 and Curtis Kelly added 14 when the foes met at the Fred Bramlage Coliseum earlier in the ledger. Tyrone Hill, Derek Strong, and Aaron Williams led the Muskies as they topped K-State 87-79 in the first round of the 1990 tournament.

Xavier has earned 21 NCAA Tournament berths, including last year’s Sweet Sixteen run and Elite Eight showings in 2008 and 2004. K-State punched their 24th dance ticket this year. With a victory over BYU, the Wildcats advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 17th time in school history.

Foreshadowing: Sixteen Musketeers have played in the Association, including current stars Derrick Brown, James Posey, and David West. Twenty-one Wildcats have earned paychecks in the NBA. Current stars include Michael Beasley, Cartier Martin, and Bill Walker.

Conflict: K-State’s 1,055 trips to the free throw line ranks number one in the nation. It’s no coincidence that their lightning-fast guards, Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente lead the way with 447 and 485 respectively. Nobody on the rest of the roster comes within 200 free throw attempts. Xavier averages nearly 19 fouls per game.

Against BYU, Pullen and Clemente combined to hit all 13 of their free throws. The tandem also hit 10 of 21 shots from behind the arc. The strategy is nothing new. The Wildcats want to stretch the floor and drive into open spaces. Xavier’s guards will need to keep Pullen and Clemente in check.

Usually, Dante Jackson draws the assignment of defending a player bigger than himself. Thursday, Jackson will need to keep up with Pullen and get a hand in his face.

Martin goes 10 deep on his bench. Eight Musketeers play 16 minutes or more with Andrew Taylor playing just under 10 minutes.

Jamar Samuels and Curtis Kelly do the damage inside for the Wildcats. The two contribute 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Both teams hold a +5 in rebounding margin.

Jordan Crawford leads the Muskies with 20 points. He adds almost five rebounds and three assists. The shooting guard leads the X-Men with 76 from behind the arc and hits 40 percent from long range. Crawford mixes his game well for a deadly combination. He can hit from 20 feet and go off the dribble depending upon the situation.

Terrell Holloway has ignited the Xavier offense all season. The sophomore point guard maintains a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio. Holloway finishes 85 percent of his free throws.

Jason Love is nothing short of dominant in the paint. When on, the senior’s jump hook can be indefensible. Love scores 11.8 and grabs 8.5 boards.

Jamel McLean averages eight points and seven rebounds. The junior plays his best against the best. McLean has four double-doubles this season, including performances at Wake Forest and Charlotte. McLean has six double-digit rebounding nights and eight double-digit scoring games.

Dante Jackson rounds out the starting five for Xavier. The junior scores six and grabs three rebounds. Jackson draws the toughest defensive assignment.

Kenny Frease, Mark Lyons, and Brad Redford log valuable minutes off the bench.

Resolution: K-State got the better of Xavier earlier this season. That was then. This is now, and this game is on neutral court. The Wildcats out-rebounded Xavier 39-30 in the win. McLean played 17 minutes and Taylor logged four.  That game came during a time when McLean needed to re-focus. McLean grabbed 14 boards in the opening round win against Minnesota. Pittsburgh tried to neutralize the junior’s impact, but that cleared the way for Love who scored 14 and grabbed eight boards in Sunday’s win. Taylor does not post the numbers, but his presence has paid dividends over the last month. Xavier’s guards will contain Pullen and Clemente. The Musketeers punch a ticket to the Elite Eight.

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By Paul Gotham

Here come the Irish

What was once thought to be an aberration is looking more and more like reality.

The Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish knocked out a pair of Big East contenders: Pittsburgh 68-53 and Georgetown 78-64. A quick look at the box scores shows that the Irish are doing more with less. Notre Dame shot 22 of 44 from the field, including 10 of 18 behind the three point arc to win at Pittsburgh. Against Georgetown, the Irish hit 28 of 49. In comparison ND shot 28 of 68 in a one-point loss at Rutgers earlier this year.

Notre Dame is taking fewer shots but increasing the scoring margin. The formula is not real complicated. The Irish are developing a rhythm on offense. Players moving off the ball create passing and driving lanes. The result is five players prepared when a shot goes up.

Not only is the Irish scoring margin increasing, so, too, is their rebound margin. There is no coincidence that Notre Dame out-rebounded both the Hoyas and Panthers. By the way, Rutgers out-rebounded the Irish 43-30. Teammates will give approval to a shot when they have faith in the shot selection. That means guys are more willing and able to crash the boards.

Meanwhile, former Big East Player-of-the-Year, Luke Harangody is on the bench with an injury. Reports have it that the power forward might be down longer than originally expected. His teammates have picked up the slack in his absence. Here’s hoping Harangody has learned to trust his teammates. Too often over the last year and a half, Harangody has made poor decisions on the court. He is taking shots that suggest a lack of confidence in his teammates. The recent winning streak should change that.

Of Notre Dame’s 10 losses this season, six have come by a combined total of 11 points. Under Mike Brey, the Irish have made five appearances in the NCAA Tournament, with a record of 5-5.

Life after Hummel

One week ago, Purdue’s Boilermakers looked prime to for a number one seed. Seven days later, the Boilermakers are circling the wagons.

With Robbie Hummel on the pine for the rest of the year with an ACL injury, Matt Painter and his Boilermakers will need to redefine themselves…quickly.

Hummel averaged just under 16 points and nearly eight rebounds for the Big Ten team. Hummel led the Boilermakers with 43 three-pointers. He hit 36 percent from long range.

Purdue is still a Sweet Sixteen team. They play stiff defense. In their last ten games, only two teams have scored 60 or more against them. Problem is that without Hummel they only scored 44 against Michigan State.

Mack gives power to the people

Rockin' the Cintas Center

Xavier’s administration might need to reconsider the school calendar. Scheduling Spring Break during the final weeks of basketball season is questionable. With much off the student body away on vacation, head coach, Chris Mack, took matters into his hands. CBS’s Gary Parrish reported that Mack used the Musketeer message board to encourage enthusiasm at Sunday’s A10 first-place showdown with Richmond. Mack went so far as to impose a curfew on fans, so that the Musky faithful would bring plenty of energy to the Cintas center. Mack’s efforts paid off. Xavier won in double overtime, and Parrish called it the game of the weekend.

Temple wins the Big 5

With their 65-53 victory over LaSalle, the Temple Owls pitched a shutout in this season’s Philadelphia Big 5 city series.

Temple opened the series with a 75-65 triumph over Villanova. The Owls continued with victories over St. Joe’s (73-46 and 75-67) and Penn (60-45).

The Big 5 series began play in 1955 and has continued every year since. Until only recently, all the Big 5 games were played at the Palestra.

Player to watch-Willie Veasley, Butler

March is the time for heroes, and Willie Veasley has all the makings. The senior forward has one more go around and what better way to finish than taking the Bulldogs to the Final Four. Over the weekend, Butler played at Horizon League rival, Valparaiso. On the Butler bench with an injury was leading scorer, Gordon Hayward. No problem. Veasley picked up the slack with a 20-point, six-rebound performance. Veasley averages ten a game with nearly five rebounds and one steal.

Hazell reminds me of…

…Ray Allen. Seton Hall’s Jeremy Hazell might not garner many post-season awards. He probably won’t make any All-American teams. Hazell’s team might not get an invite to the Dance. But Hazell will eventually hear his name called in the NBA draft. If there is one player Hazell reminds me of, it is Ray Allen. Hazell moves without the ball as well as anyone in the country. When he gets the rock, he can square up and pull the trigger just like Allen. Another year in college could allow Hazell to improve his ability to go off the dribble.

1st Team All Casey

PG Jon Scheyer – Duke

SG Jordan Crawford – Xavier

SF Evan Turner – Ohio State

PF Damion James – Texas

C Greg Monroe – Georgetown

2nd Team All Casey

PG – Scottie Reynolds – Villanova

SG  Andy Rautins – Syracuse

SF  Wes Johnson – Syracuse

PF  Patrick Patterson – Kentucky

C Cole Aldrich – Kansas

All-freshmen

John Wall – Kentucky

Xavier Henry – Kansas

DeMarcus Cousins – Kentucky

Dane Miller – Rutgers

Mason Plumlee – Duke

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AP Photo/Al Behrman

By Paul Gotham

Setting: Atlantic 10 heavyweights collide when Chris Mooney brings his No.23 Richmond Spiders (22-6 / 11-2) to the Cintas Center to face Chris Mack’s Xavier Musketeers (20-7/ 11-2).

Plot: A piece of first place is at stake. The Spiders and Musketeers sit atop the A 10 with the Temple Owls.

Sub-plot: Richmond is undefeated in the month of February and brings an eight-game winning streak into the contest. The Spiders have been ranked back-to-back weeks for the first time since the 1957-58 season. Xavier has won their last four and finishes February with only their second home game of the month.

Xavier is undefeated at home this season.

The A 10 has 18 victories over BCS schools. Nine different teams have posted non-conference triumphs over the BCS conferences. Temple leads the way with four victories. Richmond, Rhode Island, and Xavier each have three.

Flashback: Richmond and Xavier closed the regular season a year ago. Kevin Anderson scored 29, Justin Harper Harper chipped 20 off the bench as the Spiders took an 80-75 decision.

Xavier leads the series 10-3.

Xavier has earned 20 NCAA Tournament berths, including last year’s Sweet Sixteen run and Elite Eight showings in 2008 and 2004. Richmond has been invited to the Dance seven times, including most recently in 2004.

Foreshadowing: Two Spiders have laced them up in the National Basketball Association: Johnny Newman and John Schweitz.  Sixteen Musketeers have played in the Association, including current stars Derrick Brown, James Posey , and David West.

Conflict: In five seasons under Mooney, Richmond has allowed 70 or more points just 37 times. The Spiders rank in top 20 nationally in field goal percentage defense (38.7), scoring defense (60.2), and 3-pt. percentage defense (28.6).  Richmond is also 14th in the nation with a turnover margin of 4.4. The Spiders play a stingy match-up zone that confuses opponents and limits open opportunities.

Xavier averages over 79 points per game. The Muskies have only lost twice this season when hitting the magic mark of 70. One of those defeats came in double overtime at Wake Forest. The Muskies have a rebound margin of +4.7 while the Spiders struggle at -4.6.

Kevin Anderson leads three Spiders in double figures. The junior point guard scores 17.5 while handing out 2.7 assists. Anderson is joined in the back court by senior, David Gonzalvez. The senior scores 13.6 a game and leads the Spiders with 56 threes.

Justin Harper leads the Spiders with 5.8 rebounds. The junior adds 10 points a game.

Ryan Butler and Darrius Garrett combine for 10 points and six and  a half rebounds.

Dan Geriot provides valuable minutes off the bench for the Spiders. The junior scores seven and grabs four boards.

Jordan Crawford leads the Muskies with 20 points. He adds almost five rebounds and three assists. The shooting guard leads the X-Men with 60 from behind the arc and hits 40 percent from long range. Crawford mixes his game well for a deadly combination. He can hit from 20 feet and go off the dribble depending upon the situation.

Terrell Holloway has ignited the Xavier offense all season. The sophomore point guard maintains a 2.2:1 assist to turnover ratio. Holloway finishes 84 percent of his free throws.

Jason Love is nothing short of dominant in the paint. When on, the senior’s jump hook can be indefensible. Love scores 11.8 and grabs 8.4 boards.

Jamel McLean averages eight points and seven rebounds. The junior plays his best against the best. McLean has four double-doubles this season, including performances at Wake Forest and Charlotte. McLean has six double-digit rebounding nights and eight double-digit scoring games.

Dante Jackson rounds out the starting five for Xavier. The junior scores six and grabs three rebounds. Jackson draws the toughest defensive assignment.

Kenny Frease and Mark Lyons log valuable minutes off the bench. Brad Redford has been hobbled of late with a bad hip.

Resolution: Richmond will try to slow down this game. The Spiders want to keep the Musketeers in the 60s. This will only work if Richmond can stymie Xavier in transition. Mooney’s club already struggles on the glass. Can they afford to give up offensive rebounding chances to stop Xavier from getting easy buckets?

Xavier has too many ways to score. The Muskies will win the battle of the boards and in particular on the offensive glass. Love, McLean, and Frease will lead the way as Xavier takes a close one.

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