Next years captains are

[awayfan]

Chris Mack ‏@CoachChrisMack 1h As voted on by their teammates, Xavier Team Captains for 2013-14 are Isaiah Philmore, Matt Stainbrook and Semaj Christon.

[muskiefan82]

That is an interesting group. Love to see some command out on the floor. Already stoked about next year!

[xu drew]

A little surprised not to see Dee involved in that group, maybe in place of Stain. Considering Dee was our starting PG last season and Stain has never even suited up for X....I'm not sure if that says more about Dee or Stain.

[Madfan]

There was more than one vote. Team voted until coach got what he wanted.

[DC Muskie]

There was more than one vote. Team voted until coach got what he wanted.

Nice!

[xufan02]

A little surprised not to see Dee involved in that group, maybe in place of Stain. Considering Dee was our starting PG last season and Stain has never even suited up for X....I'm not sure if that says more about Dee or Stain.

Dee is a great teammate and a great competitor, but I think you will see this year why he was not named as a captian. Xavier added a lot of depth, especially at guard, and the staff is not done yet.....

[Muskie]

Maybe Dee didn't want to be a captain?

[bleedXblue]

Dee is a great teammate and a great competitor, but I think you will see this year why he was not named as a captian. Xavier added a lot of depth, especially at guard, and the staff is not done yet.....

I dont think you need to be a leader on the court to be a team captain. Maybe Dee is just not a natural leader.

[XUOFM]

Dee is a great teammate and a great competitor, but I think you will see this year why he was not named as a captian. Xavier added a lot of depth, especially at guard, and the staff is not done yet.....

Just out of curiosity, this in reference to Willie Moore?

[FIGHTING MUSKETEER]

Somehow I like the idea of having 3 co-captains but I can’t stop wondering why the members of the team (apparently staff did not vote) selected 3 co-captains. Obviously there was not one clear winner to be our captain. I don’t know how often basketball teams have 3 co-captains. Sorry if this is the current trend and I missed it. This is total speculation but it makes me think that there was no clear majority to select two captains so we got 3 and that we may have 3 “tribes” in the team. I hope not. We need these kids to stick and stay together. Probably I’m just being paranoid and looking too much into it. What a week, I think I need a drink.

[SixFig]

I think I need a drink.

This

[GoMuskies]

If there are three tribes, I hope Semaj gets an immunity idol.

[smileyy]

Or maybe they'll all speak with the same voice?

[UCGRAD4X]

Dee is a great teammate and a great competitor, but I think you will see this year why he was not named as a captian. Xavier added a lot of depth, especially at guard, and the staff is not done yet.....

Can you elaborate?

[UCGRAD4X]

I would have like to see JMart - not that he necessarily deserved it - but...
It would give them a balance of captains / tribes
One front court - one back court - and on tweener
(maybe it would have the extra added bonus of motivation him)

[bigdiggins]

I would have like to see JMart - not that he necessarily deserved it - but...
It would give them a balance of captains / tribes
One front court - one back court - and on tweener
(maybe it would have the extra added bonus of motivation him)

Elect the laziest guy on the team as a captain? I would be dumbfounded if they had gone that route with their votes.

[GIMMFD]

Interesting with Stain considering he has never put on a jersey, but the teammates voted, he must work his ass off in practice, and we need that. I mean just look at his transformation since coming here, it's obvious that he cares. I've never seen Dee as a leader, just someone who will come in and bust his ass to the end of each play. I'm okay with him not being captain, hopefully Isaiah has the tools to be a leader on the court, and produces well, I want to see a Travis Taylor type of improvement, and he was showing signs of it towards the end of the season, and Semaj, what can we say? It's his team next year, he's the star, so hopefully he raises the level of play around him as well, interested to see how this team will look with Randolph and Richards in the mix, along with Reynolds and Davis. I'm quite excited, I think we may turn some heads in the Big East!

[paulxu]

I think MadX should be captain.
I've never met him, but I think him must be a crazy son of a (_)itch.
Plus, I like his avatar.

[JTG]

Elect the laziest guy on the team as a captain? I would be dumbfounded if they had gone that route with their votes.

This

[KabeX]

Was wondering about Stenger as well. Prob won't play as much next year but obviously plays hard all the time. Good sign that Stain is one IMO.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

With Remy Abell on board and Dee not being a captain, what are the odds that Dee is the odd man out? I think Dee gets PT next year especially at the beginning, but I see that time diminish as the year goes on and maybe disappear in 2014-15 year with Sumner possibly coming.

[LA Muskie]

With Remy Abell on board and Dee not being a captain, what are the odds that Dee is the odd man out? I think Dee gets PT next year especially at the beginning, but I see that time diminish as the year goes on and maybe disappear in 2014-15 year with Sumner possibly coming.
I think the odds are pretty low.

[Muskie]

With Remy Abell on board and Dee not being a captain, what are the odds that Dee is the odd man out? I think Dee gets PT next year especially at the beginning, but I see that time diminish as the year goes on and maybe disappear in 2014-15 year with Sumner possibly coming.

Or.... he could get better and play a ton of minutes?
Not singling anyone out but I love the posts that always involve an upper classman getting passed over by the latest recruit before that recruit has laced a single shoe for the university. The analogy always assume the new guy will be awesome and that the upperclassman will either regress or not continue to improve.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

Or.... he could get better and play a ton of minutes?
Not singling anyone out but I love the posts that always involve an upper classman getting passed over by the latest recruit before that recruit has laced a single shoe for the university. The analogy always assume the new guy will be awesome and that the upperclassman will either regress or not continue to improve.

Fact of the matter, it's not just one recruit it's two. One is top 80 and the other is a fringe 100 guy. Next year for Dee's senior year, those two will have a year of seasoning and we will add a 6'4 shooting guard and 6'3 PG to the mix. Add to that the rumors of a transfer out and to me anyway he becomes the obvious choice. Grumble all you want, the off season and speculation go hand in hand.

[PMI]

Fact of the matter, it's not just one recruit it's two. One is top 80 and the other is a fringe 100 guy. Next year for Dee's senior year, those two will have a year of seasoning and we will add a 6'4 shooting guard and 6'3 PG to the mix. Add to that the rumors of a transfer out and to me anyway he becomes the obvious choice. Grumble all you want, the off season and speculation go hand in hand.

Actually, the fact of the matter is that rankings aside, nobody knows how the hell it will pan out, and Muskie's observation is legit. A lot of people are quick to write off guys in the program for unproven (albeit talented) recruits. Dee was a talented recruit who was nationally ranked too. There's no reason to doubt his best basketball is ahead of him. If he's passed over because the other guys are just way too good not to play ahead of him, great. But that's less likely than not.

[XUFan09]

On this board, people always seem to expect the stars to improve their game between seasons (i.e. Semaj's perimeter shooting and left hand), yet they don't expect the same from role players, despite their greater room for improvement. Mack has said that Dee is going to have to limit his turnovers in the future in order to improve his game. That's something that point guards generally improve from year to year, as they determine what defenses will let them get away with. I don't see why the same would be unlikely for Dee.

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[casualfan]

The funny thing about bringing up recruiting rankings when making the point that Randolph and/or Sumner could/should overtake Dee is that depending on what service you go by there were all rated very similarly.

For example rivals rated Dee the 23rd best PG and 123rd best player in his class.

Randolph is currently rated the 36th best PG and 146th best player in his class

Sumner is not rated at his position and is the 111th best prospect in his class.

On scout Dee Davis was rated the 19th best PG in his class.

Randolph is rated as the 15th best PG by scout.

Sumner is rated as the 23rd best SG

I personally don't put much stock in the recruiting rankings because I think they are way too subjective and have way too many nonbasketball related influences, but since the point being made was that Randolph and Sumner's ranking should show they'll easily overtake Dee I thought people would find those rankings interesting.

[Madfan]

The funny thing about bringing up recruiting rankings when making the point that Randolph and/or Sumner could/should overtake Dee is that depending on what service you go by there were all rated very similarly.

For example rivals rated Dee the 23rd best PG and 123rd best player in his class.

Randolph is currently rated the 36th best PG and 146th best player in his class

Sumner is not rated at his position and is the 111th best prospect in his class.

On scout Dee Davis was rated the 19th best PG in his class.

Randolph is rated as the 15th best PG by scout.

Sumner is rated as the 23rd best SG

I personally don't put much stock in the recruiting rankings because I think they are way too subjective and have way too many nonbasketball related influences, but since the point being made was that Randolph and Sumner's ranking should show they'll easily overtake Dee I thought people would find those rankings interesting.

Let's also keep in mind that Dee only played in two AAU events after his senior year and didn't play the circuit and dropped in his rankings. This year should be a good year for Xavier and Dee. Dee and Semaj were asked to play a lot of minutes this year with no backup help, having some help should only make everyone more efficient.

[kyxu]

I remember Dee being ranked as high as #72 overall on rivals. He was not a neglected prospect.

I'm a bit leery of talk of Dee being passed over. Never underestimate a veteran point guard.

[bleedXblue]

I remember Dee being ranked as high as #72 overall on rivals. He was not a neglected prospect.

I'm a bit leery of talk of Dee being passed over. Never underestimate a veteran point guard.

After watching Dee for 2 years, I can say without any hesitation that he's not the high level PG that we need to win in the BE.

He'll be nice to have his senior year if Semaj goes pro after next year (which I say is about a 95% chance he will).

He can help bridge the gap and spell Randolph at times. Sumner will also be in the fold, but as a frosh I dont see him getting many minutes....they may even redshirt him.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

After watching Dee for 2 years, I can say without any hesitation that he's not the high level PG that we need to win in the BE.

He'll be nice to have his senior year if Semaj goes pro after next year (which I say is about a 95% chance he will).

He can help bridge the gap and spell Randolph at times. Sumner will also be in the fold, but as a frosh I dont see him getting many minutes....they may even redshirt him.

This I agree with, however, if you are Dee Davis do you want to be a bridge or do you want to start. If he is looking more for a better shot it might be elsewhere. I am just speculating. Davis is smaller than each guard we have coming in. From watching him play, he does not have that elite top level speed yet that you need from shorter PGs. Davis is also shorter than any of the other guards we have and will have on the roster and pretty light at 161#.

Take a look at other BE rosters and look at the guards they start. I found one in the 6'1 165# that had moderate success at around 8pts 3 assists per game. That rest of the shorter guards (not many) all weighed 20# more or the guards were flat out taller and heavier.

I am not writing him off. I am merely combining my own speculation with the rumors of one player transferring out of the program.

FYI on Randolph, Rivals is the only site that has him that low. The consensus of most other recruiting sites is that he is in the low 80s. With how sketchy each of these sites are you really need to get a cumulative average as opposed to just one.

So far, we haven't brought in any smaller guards. Myles Davis is the shortest at 6'1 and he is somewhat thicker at 205# although our site lists him at 6'2. Otherwise Randolph is listed at 6'2, Sumner is 6'3 and already 165# and should pack in a bit, and Remy Abell is 6'4.

[Muskie]

I remember Dee being ranked as high as #72 overall on rivals. He was not a neglected prospect.

I'm a bit leery of talk of Dee being passed over. Never underestimate a veteran point guard.

See Lionel Chalmers?

[ArizonaXUGrad]

See Lionel Chalmers?

Chalmers weighed 20# more and had above average speed for 180#.

[gladdenguy]

Let's hope Dee pulls a Raymond. On a good Xavier team (or the Big East team we strive to be) Dee would get maybe 10 minutes for defensive purposes.
And who cares about recruiting rankings. Just because Dee was a 4 star doesn't mean he is gonna turn it around and become a suitable guy to run a team whose goal is to win a Big East championship and advance beyond a sweet 16. Dee has a long way to go. Now he has competition. Lets see how many minutes he gets the next two years. If Myles and Randolph are good as advertised its gonna be tough.

[Titanxman04]

Let's hope Dee pulls a Raymond. On a good Xavier team (or the Big East team we strive to be) Dee would get maybe 10 minutes for defensive purposes.
And who cares about recruiting rankings. Just because Dee was a 4 star doesn't mean he is gonna turn it around and become a suitable guy to run a team whose goal is to win a Big East championship and advance beyond a sweet 16. Dee has a long way to go. Now he has competition. Lets see how many minutes he gets the next two years. If Myles and Randolph are good as advertised its gonna be tough.

Competition breeds excellence. Now that we have younger guys coming in with talent and ability (so we're told), I would like to believe that these competitive individuals will push each other to improve in every way imaginable. None of these guys want to be a senior that rides the bench. That's not the kind of people Mack seems to recruit. Thats my thought with Martin as well. Now that he has some young bucks coming in, maybe he'll push himself to succeed even more.

Time can only tell.

[PMI]

After watching Dee for 2 years, I can say without any hesitation that he's not the high level PG that we need to win in the BE.

He'll be nice to have his senior year if Semaj goes pro after next year (which I say is about a 95% chance he will).

He can help bridge the gap and spell Randolph at times. Sumner will also be in the fold, but as a frosh I dont see him getting many minutes....they may even redshirt him.

This line really cracks me up, because you can replace Dee Davis with so many other former Xavier stars it's not even funny. Dee has never had even the slightest hint of any issues, lack of work ethic, or lack of desire to get better. He has plenty to work on, no doubt. But he's also an upperclassman who improved a lot from year one to year two. Last year, he turned the ball over too much, was too vulnerable trying to get to the hole, and had to play too many minutes. But he also shot the ball well, defended extremely well, and showed that he is a very good ball handler. He's a tough little guard who will be better this year than he was last year. He's not going to be buried in the rotation. He may well play fewer minutes, but anyone who thinks he's going to be a Brian Walsh is out of their minds.

He needs to develop the Drew Lavender teardrop. It was a thing of beauty and was the best weapon to offset his lack of size. Dee got blocked way too often last year because he was too predictable taking the ball to the rack. An effective little teardrop shot could do wonders for his game. As it stands right now, he is our best proven on ball defender in the backcourt. That alone will be enough for him to get many minutes, and most likely be a starter. If Myles Davis, Brandon Randolph or someone else proves to be too talented not to start, great. That's awesome news for Xavier. But Dee will get his minutes, and will be better than he was last year. There are honestly a couple of guys who I think the jury is still out on from a complete commitment standpoint, and Dee is most certainly not one of them.

[mistabeecee41]

This line really cracks me up, because you can replace Dee Davis with so many other former Xavier stars it's not even funny. Dee has never had even the slightest hint of any issues, lack of work ethic, or lack of desire to get better. He has plenty to work on, no doubt. But he's also an upperclassman who improved a lot from year one to year two. Last year, he turned the ball over too much, was too vulnerable trying to get to the hole, and had to play too many minutes. But he also shot the ball well, defended extremely well, and showed that he is a very good ball handler. He's a tough little guard who will be better this year than he was last year. He's not going to be buried in the rotation. He may well play fewer minutes, but anyone who thinks he's going to be a Brian Walsh is out of their minds.

He needs to develop the Drew Lavender teardrop. It was a thing of beauty and was the best weapon to offset his lack of size. Dee got blocked way too often last year because he was too predictable taking the ball to the rack. An effective little teardrop shot could do wonders for his game. As it stands right now, he is our best proven on ball defender in the backcourt. That alone will be enough for him to get many minutes, and most likely be a starter. If Myles Davis, Brandon Randolph or someone else proves to be too talented not to start, great. That's awesome news for Xavier. But Dee will get his minutes, and will be better than he was last year. There are honestly a couple of guys who I think the jury is still out on from a complete commitment standpoint, and Dee is most certainly not one of them.

I was probably the #1 Dee hater of all, his inconsistency killed me. To be fair - I think he will benefit the most of the improvement of our backcourt this year. Some players have the kind of game where they can carry heavy loads (Semaj carried the team on his back last year). Dee isn't one of those - I think the inconsistency came from him being forced to try to do too much. Some big "ifs" here, but IF Randolph is as good at attacking the rim as advertised, IF Myles can shoot the lights out and IF Stainbrook is the low post threat we hope he is, Dee can return to the shadows as a PG instead of having to go out of his comfort level and create too much.

[SixFig]

When Dee busted out of the gate with that 24 point, 15 assist game vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, where were the these posts? The kid can play, and he was only a sophomore asked to carry a big load. He showed a ton of heart as well. I think Dee will be fine and so will Xavier.

[kyxu]

I was probably the #1 Dee hater of all, his inconsistency killed me. To be fair - I think he will benefit the most of the improvement of our backcourt this year. Some players have the kind of game where they can carry heavy loads (Semaj carried the team on his back last year). Dee isn't one of those - I think the inconsistency came from him being forced to try to do too much.

I think Travis Taylor carried much of the weight last year on an unimpressive team, so Semaj was hardly alone.

But going back to Dee, he was pretty critical in the VCU game to the point where our chances of an upset hit the shits at around the time he was concussed.

[1757Williams]

I think Dee's biggest problem is his lack of quickness. Someone his size needs to have elite quickness or athleticism, like a Shane Larkin or Aaron Brooks, etc. While Dee may have good quickness, it is not enough to overcome his other physical skills. We saw this year he had difficulty creating his own shot or shots for others, and that will continue to be a problem if he does not get significantly quicker.

[bleedXblue]

Davis is going to play where next year ? He's a point guard exclusively. He's very small with average quickness and not much of a shot We have a plethora of talent coming in. If he gets 10 mpg I would be surprised.

[PMI]

Davis is going to play where next year ? He's a point guard exclusively. He's very small with average quickness and not much of a shot We have a plethora of talent coming in. If he gets 10 mpg I would be surprised.

Yes, point guard. And he does have a good shot. 10 minutes a game? You really don't know what you're talking about here. At all. But I'd love to wager with you on it.

[bleedXblue]

This line really cracks me up, because you can replace Dee Davis with so many other former Xavier stars it's not even funny. Dee has never had even the slightest hint of any issues, lack of work ethic, or lack of desire to get better. He has plenty to work on, no doubt. But he's also an upperclassman who improved a lot from year one to year two. Last year, he turned the ball over too much, was too vulnerable trying to get to the hole, and had to play too many minutes. But he also shot the ball well, defended extremely well, and showed that he is a very good ball handler. He's a tough little guard who will be better this year than he was last year. He's not going to be buried in the rotation. He may well play fewer minutes, but anyone who thinks he's going to be a Brian Walsh is out of their minds.

He needs to develop the Drew Lavender teardrop. It was a thing of beauty and was the best weapon to offset his lack of size. Dee got blocked way too often last year because he was too predictable taking the ball to the rack. An effective little teardrop shot could do wonders for his game. As it stands right now, he is our best proven on ball defender in the backcourt. That alone will be enough for him to get many minutes, and most likely be a starter. If Myles Davis, Brandon Randolph or someone else proves to be too talented not to start, great. That's awesome news for Xavier. But Dee will get his minutes, and will be better than he was last year. There are honestly a couple of guys who I think the jury is still out on from a complete commitment standpoint, and Dee is most certainly not one of them.

So you got Davis starting at SG ? It's going to be a hell of a long year if that's the case.

[GoMuskies]

I'm trying to come up with a scenario where Dee would NOT play at least 10 minutes per game. Drawing a blank.

[bleedXblue]

Yes, point guard. And he does have a good shot. 10 minutes a game? You really don't know what you're talking about here. At all. But I'd love to wager with you on it.

Davis is simply not that talented. I'm not sure what you're basing your opinions on ? I've never, ever heard anyone say he's a good shooter? Look at his stats, they all point towards an average shooter. Whatever. If Randolph or Myles don't come in and contribute right away, we'll struggle early in a big way. No doubt Dee will get some time early, but by the end of the year I expect his minutes to drop off as more talented guys emerge.

[PMI]

So you got Davis starting at SG ? It's going to be a hell of a long year if that's the case.

I'm not sure where the hell you drew that conclusion, but no, I don't think he's a starting SG.


Davis is simply not that talented. I'm not sure what you're basing your opinions on ? I've never, ever heard anyone say he's a good shooter? Look at his stats, they all point towards an average shooter. Whatever. If Randolph or Myles don't come in and contribute right away, we'll struggle early in a big way. No doubt Dee will get some time early, but by the end of the year I expect his minutes to drop off as more talented guys emerge.

Again, you can sit there and make the incorrect claim that he's not talented or that he doesn't belong at Xavier or whatever it is you are trying to say. I'm basing my opinions off a hell of a lot more logic than you are. I said he has a good shot. His stroke was pretty good last year and I expect it to get better. No, 37% from three is not a sniper, but it is more than fine for a point guard who will not be called upon to try to create too many shots for himself. Do you think Dee is going to regress? Do you not remember other players with clear deficiencies coming back better? I mean how short-sighted are you? You have no idea what kind of player Dee Davis is going to be this year.

I think I gave a fair opinion of him that is based off actual substance, citing his strengths and weaknesses. You have simply not done that. You just want to believe that he will always be below what you expected of him and that his freshmen teammates will take all but 10 of his minutes. You are living in a complete fantasy land if you think two freshmen are going to essentially send our best defensive guard to the end of the bench. Your scenario is simply an extremely unlikely one.

[XUFan09]

Basically what PMI said. I bet Dee is playing 25+ minutes per game this next season. I also think his turnover rate will be down from a rough 28.0%, maybe even down to under 20%. His 2-point percentage will also improve from 42.2% and will instead be closer to 50%. His minutes will be down because he will not need to be on the court as much next season (neither will Semaj), but his usage rate when on the court will stay near the same, give or take a couple percentage points from 19.9% (right at the border of "role player" and "significant contributor" per Kenpom).

These are not crazy improvements. We're talking about a young guy (straight out of high school, unlike fellow rising junior Justin Martin) who didn't see much playing time as a freshman behind a backcourt of an All-American and an All-A10 player, who was then thrust into a role bigger than he was ready to handle as a sophomore. This next season will be one where he now has serious experience and he won't be relied upon as much, overall leading to more effective play.

[bleedXblue]

OK, so Semaj and Dee on the floor at the same time gives us two guys who are true PG's who aren't known for their 3 pt shooting. I simply just see Mack trying to get more minutes out of guys who can play the SG position, extend defenses and open things up a bit for us offensively. 10 minutes a game is likely too low, especially early in the year. I would not be surprised to see him around that level later in the year as some of the guys progress and get accustomed to the system. I guess we'll wait and see how it pans out. Either way, it's finally nice to have some options and have guys pushing each other for PT.

[XUFan09]

1. A 37% 3pt shooter will extend defenses and open up the floor. Not on the level of Redford, but still. Dee's man knew it was a mistake to leave him open on the perimeter this past year.

2. Mack has shown in the past he likes two point guards on the floor at once. It's actually something he sells to recruits.

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[Madfan]

Dee has been at an invite only Nike training camp at St. Vincent's this week. I guess they think he might do ok next year. Don't know how to link it but he instagramed a picture of him and Wayne Blackshear yesterday. His instagram is deedavisx in case you want to see/follow.

[bleedXblue]

1. A 37% 3pt shooter will extend defenses and open up the floor. Not on the level of Redford, but still. Dee's man knew it was a mistake to leave him open on the perimeter this past year.

2. Mack has shown in the past he likes two point guards on the floor at once. It's actually something he sells to recruits.

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Agree with #2 Randolph is a true PG as well. We'll see if he can come in contribute right away. Some kids can and others struggle.

[ballyhoohoo]

Isn't Randolph is more of a combo?

[paulxu]

Mack has spoken at (at least) two Nike coaching clinics this year. His topic was "Transition Offense."

I hope that's a sign of things to come, and that we've got the players to execute it.

[smileyy]

Mack has spoken at (at least) two Nike coaching clinics this year. His topic was "Transition Offense."


I would hope so, because Semaj is frightening in transition.

[XUFan09]

Isn't Randolph is more of a combo?

Yes. Actually, one of his negatives on his Scout profile was (maybe still is) "not a true point guard."

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