late season collapse begins.

[Xavier]

Per usual over the last three years UC starts out good and collapses at the end. Welp, WVU begins the late season collapse tonight by beating the cats at UC (without WV best player)

[vee4xu]

Late season collapses is one thing that UC and ud have in common. Both are on that road at the moment.

[whitesox]

UC is a lot closer to missing the tournament than people seem to realize. As they start to pick up some losses, it will become more and more apparent how empty their resume is.

[Xavier]

By all means. After the cross-town I made the case Xavier was still in a better position to make the tournament. The selection committee will throw out UC's OOC record and simply look at how they did in the Big East. I will say- UC is lucky the tournament is 68 now as I see the last team from the Big East (who ever it may be) being in that 12 seed play in game--its kind of a cop out to put more BE teams in then deserved.

[whitesox]

Agreed. UC will have to beat someone in the top half of the Big East to have a shot at getting to 9-9; if they finish 8-10, they have little chance.

I think the Big East will start to separate. The top 8 are in fairly comfortable position right now. St. John's is fading quickly. Marquette and Cincinnati are both going to be on the bubble. I think Marquette ends up getting in (beating Syracuse today was enormous for them), but I am skeptical UC will. I could definitely see Marquette or Cincinnati playing if the "first four" games.

[X-band '01]

The stink of it for UC was that they were 5-3 going into last night's game with a road win at St. John's (another bubble team). With a win they would have had a week's rest going into Pitt and a 6-3 BE record. If they win that game, they go 7-3 and basically punch their first NCAA ticket in 6 years.

Now, they have a loss to another bubble buddy and have to hope that at a minimum they can still salvage a 10-8 record in Big East play. Sure they'll still have a road game at DePaul to get another road win, but they also have a game at Providence that is anything but a gimme at this point. Just ask Louisville (who managed a win at UConn) and Villanova about the perils of Providence. Marquette is another road game that looms.

And that's just on the road - UC still has Louisville, Georgetown, St. John's and UConn coming home.

Ultimately, the second that UC decided to have another pregame tribute to Huggins they put themselves in the hole. Rather than close the book on that chapter of their program, the perception still lies in the fans, players and coaches that they're still a peon in the Big East. Until they close the book on Huggins they will NEVER get over the hump. Period.

[XU-PA]

UC tank in the 2nd half of the season is directly related to it's habit of scheduling a near ridiculous pre-conf schedule. Out of the top 40 rpi, UC has the highest SOS number, and they have the highest number in all the Big East. It's not really a tank, more than a leveling out.
It's a no brainer, but a no brainer like Cronin just won't get it.

[Xavier]

St. Johns beating duke makes it all the worse for UC. Thats a team bubble team that frankly I thought UC would be ahead of, beating Duke puts them in a better spot then UC now. whata weekend!

[coasterville95]

Wait - are you telling me that UC had yet another "Thanks Huggs!" night? Officially? Really?

No wonder they sold their arena out, they werent there to watch UC they were there for their golden (well mustard suit) idol named Huggins. Hey add a few pounds and he would look like the Budha.

I agree - the program will still feel inferior in their own conference until they can stand up and say "It's just another game, and another visiting coach"

If we for whatever reason, booked in tOSU or Arizona into Cintas in the next few years do you think we'd be doing a "Thanks Sean" or "Thanks Thad" tribute with a video on the scoreboard, commemoative poster/signs given out to the fans and all that? Yeah we recognized Gillen and Prosser, but both, for various reasons, after they were out of the college basketball coaching scene.

(And becuase I like to throw in some more Smack Sauce at UC - if UC were to book in either Arizona or tOSU - would we waste the time and energy to buy that schools gear and go to Fith Third (or US Bank) Arena dressed as fans of a program we only care about because of the coach) - As Joe and Byron said - "Hey guys those purple shirts can still be used to help clean up the spilled beer after the game"

I mean I admit if that game at UC were to theoretically happen, I might (would probably) go to it, but not to the obnoxious end that some of their fans went.

[XU 87]

Sure they'll still have a road game at DePaul to get another road win, but they also have a game at Providence that is anything but a gimme at this point. And that's just on the road - UC still has Louisville, Georgetown, St. John's and UConn coming home.

Ultimately, the second that UC decided to have another pregame tribute to Huggins they put themselves in the hole.

As for your first paragraph, it's a real possibiliy that UC could lose it's last 6 games of the season. If that happens, hello NIT.

As for your second paragraph, did they really have another pregame tribute? I didn't see anything in the paper about it. But if they did, that's pathetic.

[Power]

Wait - are you telling me that UC had yet another "Thanks Huggs!" night? Officially? Really?

No wonder they sold their arena out, they werent there to watch UC they were there for their golden (well mustard suit) idol named Huggins. Hey add a few pounds and he would look like the Budha.

I agree - the program will still feel inferior in their own conference until they can stand up and say "It's just another game, and another visiting coach"

If we for whatever reason, booked in tOSU or Arizona into Cintas in the next few years do you think we'd be doing a "Thanks Sean" or "Thanks Thad" tribute with a video on the scoreboard, commemoative poster/signs given out to the fans and all that? Yeah we recognized Gillen and Prosser, but both, for various reasons, after they were out of the college basketball coaching scene.

(And becuase I like to throw in some more Smack Sauce at UC - if UC were to book in either Arizona or tOSU - would we waste the time and energy to buy that schools gear and go to Fith Third (or US Bank) Arena dressed as fans of a program we only care about because of the coach) - As Joe and Byron said - "Hey guys those purple shirts can still be used to help clean up the spilled beer after the game"

I mean I admit if that game at UC were to theoretically happen, I might (would probably) go to it, but not to the obnoxious end that some of their fans went.

Last night was not a Thank Huggins night. It was a normal game.

[CinciX12]

Last night was not a Thank Huggins night. It was a normal game.

Yep, they lost a big east game. Really, really badly. Seems on par for normal.

[Benxman]

Ultimately, the second that UC decided to have another pregame tribute to Huggins they put themselves in the hole. Rather than close the book on that chapter of their program, the perception still lies in the fans, players and coaches that they're still a peon in the Big East. Until they close the book on Huggins they will NEVER get over the hump. Period.

X-band '01, you are so right! I will never understand the mentality of those people who still hold Huggins up as the UC Savior. Get over it, people and move on! He is gone and will never return, except to whip your butt.

The Big East is a mine field. Frankly, I am glad we are in the A10. We have a much greater percentage chance to go the the NCAA each year, and we take advantage of it.

GO MUSKIES!

:logo:

[The_Mack_Pack]

UC fans are now on their late season "anyone can win the A-10" rant. They can't fathom how Xavier is ranked ahead of them because they beat us head to head. I can name 20 teams who lost badly last week to teams below them and are still rated ahead of those teams.

[Snipe]

Boy does that team love to fold on Mick.

UC is collapsing again? Must be February!

Screw Them! When was the last time they made the dance?

[DC Muskie]

Right now we are their best win.

And we aren't even in the BE.

They are totally screwed.

[JimmyTwoTimes37]

Typical whining from UC fans.

Mo Egger said it best

"Now I know fellow UC fans make up the majority of this blog's readership, and some (not all) will play down XU's recent run by pointing to the quality of the A-10. But I don't think that even an improved UC team wins the seven games Xavier has, I certainly don't think they score as many points as XU has in those wins (almost 81 a game), and pointing to the weakness of the Atlantic 10 as a means of knocking the Muskies down a peg doesn't work in light of their recent NCAA Tournament success.

The Atlantic 10 might not be the Big East, Big Ten, or the SEC, but it doesn't keep Xavier from beating teams from those leagues in March."

[gladdenguy]

Also from Mo

You also can't ignore the improvement of Kenny Frease. A program hallmark has always been that players continue to get better during their XU career. Kenny is the latest example. In three years, he's gone from useless to usable to pretty good. In the last ten games, he's shooting 63% from the field and 72% from the line. He's committed three fouls in a game just once in that span, and while he's not,and probably never will be a great rebounder, he at least hold his own enough on the glass so that his deficiencies in that area don't kill them.

He's a better player than he was a year ago. He's a better player than he was a month ago. And he's hardly the first Muskie we've said that about.

The Muskies are hot, and at just the right time. It's hardly the first time we've said that.

[coasterville95]

Maybe a good off-season topic would be: "Has the Big East benefited UC? Really?"

Short answer - I don't think it has as much as they would like us to believe. The basketball program was hosed either way with Huggins departure, but I think they would have bounced back a lot faster under C-USA. At least then they would have had a shot (after the first horrid Cronin year) of doing respectable in conference and getting a Dance invite.

Football, the other revenue sport, caught lightning in a bottle with Brian Kelly, jury is still out on if they can continue that. Now if being Big East is what attracted Brian Kelly is a major factor than you may have an argument.

Wasn't the extravagant expenditure for Varsity Villiage part of getting up to Big East standards, and look how that has helped them in the pocketbook. Mind you, the students did get a pretty sweet rec cetner out of the deal.

and so on.

FWIW: I did have a trusted friend confirm that no official Huggins recognition was made Saturday, but there was big unofficial standing O to honor him. So the school might be over him, but the fanbase sure isn't.

[whitesox]

Also from Mo

You also can't ignore the improvement of Kenny Frease. A program hallmark has always been that players continue to get better during their XU career. Kenny is the latest example. In three years, he's gone from useless to usable to pretty good. In the last ten games, he's shooting 63% from the field and 72% from the line. He's committed three fouls in a game just once in that span, and while he's not,and probably never will be a great rebounder, he at least hold his own enough on the glass so that his deficiencies in that area don't kill them.

He's a better player than he was a year ago. He's a better player than he was a month ago. And he's hardly the first Muskie we've said that about.

The Muskies are hot, and at just the right time. It's hardly the first time we've said that.

Agree with all of this except: Frease is a very solid defensive rebounder- he is about as good as Love was last year and better than Love was as a junior. Frease's (relative) weakness is as an offensive rebounder. Love and McLean are great offensive rebounders; Frease is not.

[PMI]

Agree with all of this except: Frease is a very solid defensive rebounder- he is about as good as Love was last year and better than Love was as a junior. Frease's (relative) weakness is as an offensive rebounder. Love and McLean are great offensive rebounders; Frease is not.

I've got to disagree with this. I love Kenny but he is not as good a defensive rebounder as Jason Love. He does not box out as quickly or as smoothly as Love. He's streaky in that regard. Rebounding is about effort for the most part, especially when you're 7 feet. Kenny is playing very hard this year and is definitely getting there, but he still does not bring the consistency that Love does quite yet. I've been saying for awhile that Kenny is that next level of mean streak away from being truly dominant. The King will get there and we will be even better. 100% effort all the time on the boards is my only constructive criticism of Kenny right now, because offensively he's been great and he's playing very hard on the other end without fouling. I love the big guy, but when we get Jason Love-like rebounding from him, he will be even more of a beast.