A-10 Summer Shootaround on ESPN

[BiggieXU]

Lots of love for X: http://espn.go.com/ncb/notebook/_/page/notebooksummershootaround100818/atlantic-10

1. Xavier: Xavier does not have good teams, it has a program. Chris Mack did an outstanding job in his first season at the Musketeer helm, and he made the point clearly that he didn't believe XU was a "mid-major." The Xavier program will again be healthy and competitive. Gone is Jordan Crawford, but returning are guards Terrell Holloway, Dante Jackson, Brad Redford and Mark Lyons. Jackson is one of the A-10's best individual on-ball defenders and Redford is one of its best open shooters. Up front, Mack can rely upon Kenny Frease and Jamel McLean to be physical defenders and finishers. The Musketeers will be good. Again. It is in their DNA.

[rove02]

Also best and worst case for the teams in A-10,

http://espn.go.com/blog/CollegeBasketballNation/post/_/id/14450/best-caseworst-case-atlantic-10

[smileyy]

The Best/Worst for Xavier could have been written by a dog who occasionally scans the headlines while he piddles on the newspaper. There's absolutely no analysis there.

The best case prediction is pretty cowardly, too. I mean, a realistic best-case is a top-20 or even top-10 team.

[xu15]

I never understand the praise that Gregory gets

[paulxu]

Is the world as we know it in trouble?

Jay Bilas (???) picks us to be #1 in the A-10.

[smileyy]

Is the world as we know it in trouble?

Jay Bilas (???) picks us to be #1 in the A-10.

Jay Bilas is smart. He's just a Big 6 homer. So sure, XU will be first in the A-10. But he'd probably pick them as the 40th best team in the country.

[X-band '01]

I never understand the praise that Gregory gets

I love the part where they allude to UD's "addition by subtraction" in regards to London Warren and Rob Lowery.

[rhyno2110]

Damn, I completely forgot how good this league is.

[PM Thor]

I love the part where they allude to UD's "addition by subtraction" in regards to London Warren and Rob Lowery.

Yeah. Those guys were awesome. They probably cost dayton 2-3 games a year when they started. I already miss them. Plus add in the idea that they are thinking incoming FRESHMAN guards are going to be a big plus to run their offense? Really? That hardly ever, and I mean ever, happens.

Picking X and dayton 1-2 though? No freaking way. Temple and St. Louis will finish well ahead of dayton. Hell I don't see them finishing above 7th. And that's not really because they suck, but that the rest of this league is going to be freaking strong.

Also, they lost TOTAL credibility when they said the midget was one of the finest coaches in the nation. I honestly have no idea what they are basing that upon. Nothing supports their statement there, nothing. It's absolute bunk.

I HATE dayton.

[rhyno2110]

Yeah. Those guys were awesome. They probably cost dayton 2-3 games a year when they started. I already miss them. Plus add in the idea that they are thinking incoming FRESHMAN guards are going to be a big plus to run their offense? Really? That hardly ever, and I mean ever, happens.

Picking X and dayton 1-2 though? No freaking way. Temple and St. Louis will finish well ahead of dayton. Hell I don't see them finishing above 7th. And that's not really because they suck, but that the rest of this league is going to be freaking strong.

Also, they lost TOTAL credibility when they said the midget was one of the finest coaches in the nation. I honestly have no idea what they are basing that upon. Nothing supports their statement there, nothing. It's absolute bunk.
I HATE dayton.

Yeah really. Oh nevermind, NIT Championships obviously show that Gregory really knows what he's doing.:rolleyes:

I must say though, I think Dayton will finish in the top 7. Although Gregory always figures out a way to minimize production out of his talented teams.

[rhyno2110]

Just went over to GayPride and found these posts. Gave me a chuckle.

"After reading Jay Bilas comments, I want to once again say Thanks BG for realizing the grass is not always greener on the other side. Glad your still a Flyer, and hope you are for many years to come."

"Yeah - I love this quote from Jay Bilas: "Of all of the important returnees around the nation, the most important may have been Dayton head coach Brian Gregory."

"We are lucky to have him."



Jay Bilas made himself look really stupid.

[D-West & PO-Z]

I never understand the praise that Gregory gets

Same. He was stroking Gregory pretty hard.

[MADXSTER]

I agree. Don't get the love for Gregory or the Flyers. Lutz, tailspins and is let go. Gregory tailspins, does great in the NIT and they throw him a parade. Obviously two different mindsets.

[MuskieCinci]

Has Gregory ever been seriously pursued by anyone though? Sean was pursued by a bunch of teams his last 2 years and Arizona had to contact him about a dozen times and the AD bent over backwards to meet every single one of Sean's demands to save his job, which still didn't happen because he got fired anyways.

[danaandvictory]

I have to think Gregory was at least a candidate for the Iowa and DePaul jobs this summer.

Why, I have no idea.

[drudy23]

The majority of years, it's usually predicted to be Xavier followed by Dayton...only one team holds up their end.

[Masterofreality]

I love the part where they allude to UD's "addition by subtraction" in regards to London Warren and Rob Lowery.

Add stickman Huelsman to that list.

[Masterofreality]

I never understand the praise that Gregory gets

He's still living off the fact that he was "groomed" by Tom Izzo.

That "potential" , however, is still unrealized.

[Titanxman04]

I sometimes still wish I lived with those Dayton guys again. Maybe I should get in contact with them. Last year, they were bragging about how they were picked to win the A-10. Then they finished .500... This year, they are picked second, but hey, it's only a "paper championship".

Plus, if finishing as they did last year in conference after being pick first. Then if that trend holds, clearly Gregory will triumphantly lead them to a 7-9 record.

On the flip side, I'm glad Bilas is at least "buying" into the fact that we only reload.

The definition of rebuilding is known at other universities.

[X-band '01]

I'd be more worried if other programs really believed that they could take the next step with Brian Gregory. He is in effect a "dream coach" for Xavier fans in that his team is relevant just enough to occasionally make the NCAAs, maybe win a 1st round game once in a blue moon, but never be able to finish above Big Brother.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think hot seat programs like Arkansas and Virginia Tech will have Gregory on their speed dial in the event their programs implode. I'd be more worried when Gregory does leave and the AD at Dayton hits, I dunno, a ground rule double and gets a half decent coach?

[mohr5150]

On the Dayton topic, I have a student in my class this year with the first name of Dayton. What should I do? I'm really nervous because I don't know how many times during class in the winter I say how much I dislike Dayton. I don't want the kid to form a complex. Of course, the name alone will should cause major trauma.

[NY44]

On the Dayton topic, I have a student in my class this year with the first name of Dayton. What should I do? I'm really nervous because I don't know how many times during class in the winter I say how much I dislike Dayton. I don't want the kid to form a complex. Of course, the name alone will should cause major trauma.

Go along as you would and just explain to the kid that its not his fault...its his parents for giving him such a horrendous name.

[MADXSTER]

Time to give the kid a nickname

[Muskie73]

On the Dayton topic, I have a student in my class this year with the first name of Dayton. What should I do? I'm really nervous because I don't know how many times during class in the winter I say how much I dislike Dayton. I don't want the kid to form a complex. Of course, the name alone will should cause major trauma.

I would ask for a parent conference and ask them ....
:D
WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY THINKING!!!!!!!

[bourbonman]

On the Dayton topic, I have a student in my class this year with the first name of Dayton. What should I do? I'm really nervous because I don't know how many times during class in the winter I say how much I dislike Dayton. I don't want the kid to form a complex. Of course, the name alone will should cause major trauma.

Pass the kid through now. Can't hold the kid back b/c you may get the kid again. Keeping the kid in class may cause a complex for the kid if you get carried away or for you if you don't.

[XUOHTX]

On the Dayton topic, I have a student in my class this year with the first name of Dayton. What should I do? I'm really nervous because I don't know how many times during class in the winter I say how much I dislike Dayton. I don't want the kid to form a complex. Of course, the name alone will should cause major trauma.

Question. Does he have a severe superiority complex and smell like piss and old beer? Be careful during your class picnic, I would keep the watermelon far from him.

[muskiefan82]

On the Dayton topic, I have a student in my class this year with the first name of Dayton. What should I do? I'm really nervous because I don't know how many times during class in the winter I say how much I dislike Dayton. I don't want the kid to form a complex. Of course, the name alone will should cause major trauma.

Call him Kentucky and tell him the only way you can deal with him is to believe he is named after Dayton, KY

[XURunner85]

Why are you guys giving ud all that flack, Gregory won them a National Title last year...the National Invitation Tourny...baaaaahaaaaa...

Mohr, just nickname the kid Xavier...Or you can't win in my class.....Or paper champion....I could go on but will leave to others...

[SixFig]

If he accomplishes anything small throw him a parade.