Semaj's legacy

[markchal]

After seeing how many people in the other thread think we're going to miss the tournament (it's definitely going to take something impressive to get in), could it be possible that one of our most talented players in modern X history will never play in an NCAA tournament game? Unlike the daydreamers, I think Semaj is 100 percent gone no matter what happens in the next 9 games, but that would be a pretty disappointing two-year run for someone who is arguably one of the most talented guards to play at X.

When is the last time we had a standout player (who was here at least two years) never play in an NCAA tournament game? Brian Thornton? And even he would've gotten his chance against Gonzaga if he hadn't been hurt.

[Xavier]

I agree, Semaj is gone. But can we, you know, let him finish the year before talking legacy?

[STL_XUfan]

So we are going to skip the rest of the season and start talking about legacy...

http://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Boy-That-Escalated-Quickly-Anchorman.gif

[Muskie]

Interesting point. Id need to go back and take a look at some others. Did Posey play in a tourney game? I can't remember without looking.

[powerofX]

Interesting point. Id need to go back and take a look at some others. Did Posey play in a tourney game? I can't remember without looking.

Without looking...vs vandy. Vs ucla. Vs Washington. 1-2.

[Muskie]

I was wondering about Washington.... It's all a blur at this point. Good memory (clearly not all class of 00 grads like me can remember without the media guide).

[Milhouse]

The more PGs that enter the draft the more likely he stays. From what I hear it is looking more and more likely that Tyler Ennis will be entering. Daunte Exum helped his cause to stay as well. He has also fallen from top 20 pick to late 1st round/early second in many drafts.

I think he can compete at that level now but there are a lot of other factors that go into it. I trust for Mack to lead him in the right direction.

[ThrowDownDBrown]

The more PGs that enter the draft the more likely he stays. From what I hear it is looking more and more likely that Tyler Ennis will be entering. Daunte Exum helped his cause to stay as well. He has also fallen from top 20 pick to late 1st round/early second in many drafts.

I think he can compete at that level now but there are a lot of other factors that go into it. I trust for Mack to lead him in the right direction.

He's gone. Just accept it. We're not going to miss the tourney though to this thread is pointless

[Muskie]

We can still use it to talk about his legacy.

[BandAid]

He's going to be the guy who lead us through the transition into the Big East, won 1st All-Conference, MVP of the conference tourney, to a Sweet Sixteen and a lottery pick.

There's still a lot of games to be played and history left to be written.

[THRILLHOUSE]

I was wondering about Washington.... It's all a blur at this point. Good memory (clearly not all class of 00 grads like me can remember without the media guide).

It's ok, I choose to forget that Washington game too.

[THRILLHOUSE]

When is the last time we had a standout player (who was here at least two years) never play in an NCAA tournament game? Brian Thornton? And even he would've gotten his chance against Gonzaga if he hadn't been hurt.

Can't think of any others in the modern tournament era. Pre-1983 you could go with Nick Daniels as the last standout X player to not play in a tournament game.

[94GRAD]

I find this thread highly comical. Legacy about a player who's played a year and a half? HA

[vee4xu]

Is a 20 year old kid old enough to have any kind of legacy for anything other than how long it took to go from diapers to the potty, or from crawling to walking?

[ArizonaXUGrad]

I fully believe that Semaj is going to the NBA, but I have heard grumblings in recruiting circles that the possibility of him staying one more year is a lot greater than people believe.

I think he is gone, and I think the grumblings are more along the lines of Embiid staying. Kids will think about it but in the end they will hit the draft.

[markchal]

Well, I guess we can revisit this. Pretty underwhelming career for such a talented player. Unfortunate.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Well, I guess we can revisit this. Pretty underwhelming career for such a talented player. Unfortunate.

I dont think I would call his career underwhelming at all. His teams results? Yeah. Not his career. He was the second player in Xavier history to score 1,000 points in his first two years. He was the only thing that kept Xavier from being an absolutely abysmal team his freshman year.

Not his fault the team didnt have better results.

[Caveat]

He seems like a nice kid, but he didn't stick around long enough or accomplish enough in March to have a "legacy" as anything other than footnote in the media guide.

[SlimKibbles]

I can't think of another XU player in the last 30 years, that's on the short list of great players, who didn't win 1 game in the Dance. Larkin, Hill, Grant, Posey, West, Sato, D Brown, Crawford, Tu all were on a team at some point that won at least one game except Semaj. Then again all but Crawford stuck around for more than two seasons.

[Masterofreality]

I find this thread highly comical. Legacy about a player who's played a year and a half? HA

This. #EyeBlink

[GoMuskies]

Not much of one. If he becomes an NBA star, fans of most teams probably won't even know that he played at Xavier.

[markchal]

Jordan Crawford only played one year for X but he sure did a lot of growing in that year and thanks to his March heroics he got us a lot of publicity after he left. Just a bummer that Semaj didn't get a chance to really make his mark on the program.

[Masterofreality]

Gotta tell you, along with his shot, he needs to be a better defender.

In the Providence game he was motivated because CMack put him on Bryce Cotton, he knew that it was a marquee matchup...and he played like it. There were many other times last year, however, where he took plays off-lots of them.

An NBA scout says that Semaj "can become a good on ball defender." That implies that he is not one now. He has the tools. We'll see.

[markchal]

Gotta tell you, along with his shot, he needs to be a better defender.

In the Providence game he was motivated because CMack put him on Bryce Cotton, he knew that it was a marquee matchup...and he played like it. There were many other times last year, however, where he took plays off-lots of them.

An NBA scout says that Semaj "can become a good on ball defender." That implies that he is not one now. He has the tools. We'll see.

Yeah, the Semaj going into the draft isn't radically different from the one that showed up here. What he does well will be on display better at the next level but eventually he will need better defense and a shot to become a starter.

[nuts4xu]

His legacy will be as one of the more talented and one of the most prolific scorer in our history, who only played one NCAA game. That one game on the biggest stage saw him with a career high 7 turnovers and his last shot in a Xavier uniform was an airball.

Semaj has been a lot of fun to watch, and I'd love to see a kid like him at Xavier more often. He reached 1000 career points faster than all but one player I our history, and will not be soon forgotten. Wish him the best of luck and thank him for his 2 seasons at Xavier.

[danaandvictory]

The only silver lining I can see is that without the security blanket this team will have to get back to moving the ball and moving without the ball. No more "sit around and watch Semaj" offense.

[BMoreX]

The only silver lining I can see is that without the security blanket this team will have to get back to moving the ball and moving without the ball. No more "sit around and watch Semaj" offense.

And even before that, sit around and watch Tu and Mark.

[Muskie]

And even before that, sit around and watch Tu and Mark.

That's not my memory at all. I felt like the offense moved much more with Holloway.

[Muskie]

As far as Semaj's legacy it'll be comparable to Derrick Brown's in my mind.

[paulxu]

Maybe he should have dunked on LeBron.

[markchal]

As far as Semaj's legacy it'll be comparable to Derrick Brown's in my mind.

Derrick Brown at least contributed on an E8 team and went to the Sweet 16 his last year. He was the only one making plays at the start of the UCLA game. Of course, Brown never had to shoulder as much of the offense as Semaj, so actually that's a fair comparison.

[Cheesehead]

Can't have legacy with only 2 seasons. I am sorry but Semaj is not ready but what's done is done.

[bleedXblue]

Can't have legacy with only 2 seasons. I am sorry but Semaj is not ready but what's done is done.

Yes, this.

Not many memories that won't be forgotten.

Sorry, but he could have gone down as one of the top 5 players to ever don the jersey.

Sad. I really hope he makes it big. I just don't see it happening for him.

[GoMuskies]

It's clearly not completely Semaj's fault that he won't leave much of a legacy, though. If he would have played in an era where there would have been more talent around him (almost any time in the '00s), his legacy would certainly be much different even if he was exactly the same player and only stayed two years.

[WCWIII]

Wish Semaj the best ... prior to the season, he was touted as leaving for professional basketball after the season - just as he is doing. I'll remember him for his play and especially for his unselfish play with this extra burden upon him. He could have played with some selfishness, I never saw that all season. He won't be on my favorite five all-time Xavier player's list, but I'll respect what he's done for the program and look forward to following his professional career.

[drudy23]

My guess is that he doesn't even get drafted.

[markchal]

Can't have legacy with only 2 seasons. I am sorry but Semaj is not ready but what's done is done.

Crawford was here one, Lavender two, but I think both left a pretty big mark on the program.

[BandAid]

Semaj's legacy will be unheralded, yet he will have left an inexplicable impact. He arrived on campus during a time of turmoil. The fierceness of Xavier basketball had taken a hit. The fallout from the brawl and the Wells fiasco resulted in a program looking to regain its footing and its identity.

He was all there was.

Semaj singlehandedly saved the 2012-2013 season from being a total embarrassment and provided hope. In 2013-2014 he directed the new nucleus of a competitive team to an NCAA tournament bid. Without Semaj we may not have bounced as strongly, as quickly, or maybe ever.

But his name won't be heralded among those of BJ, Stanley, or Chalmers - those who have led Xavier deep in the tourney. It won't be as flashy as Tu or Crawford. His legacy will not echo the steady program builders like Hill, Larkin, or West.

Semaj was great, but his legacy will be one of transitional greatness. Xavier transitioned from turmoil to the Big East. Semaj transitioned from college star to pro.

Semaj, we hardly knew ye. Good luck!

[Xman95]

My guess is that he doesn't even get drafted.

2nd Round, possibly late 1st if he has good workouts. But, my opinion, this is a mistake and he's not ready. I think he would benefit from another year of college ball. He'll need to be a PG in the NBA, something he hasn't proven he can be yet. So he's currently a SG in a PG body, can't shoot, has questionable decision-making...yeah, not the package most NBA teams are looking for.

I understand it's his choice and he has the right to follow his dream. But sometimes you need to be more realistic. And the reality is that he doesn't seem to be as highly thought of as one would hope. I read the quotes from Mack and at no point did he say he thought Semaj was ready or that he advised him that the time was right. Basically said that it's a choice Semaj made. (Honestly, I got the impression that Mack doesn't think he's ready.) Semaj said he talked it over with his mom. Well, a lot of parents will just feed the "follow your dreams" mentality even if it's not the right time. If Semaj is content with playing in the D League or overseas, then he's making a fine choice. Because those are very real possibilities for him. Could he be in the NBA next year? Sure. But there are no guarantees that, as a borderline 1st Rd pick, he will be.

If he came back for another year, developed a legit jumper and improved his decisions, chances are very good he moves into the top half of the 1st Rd. When that happens, teams are willing to give you more rope. Take a look at Anthony Bennett. If he wasn't the 1st overall pick, the Cavs probably would have cut him after about a month...if he even made the team. If a team has more invested in you then you'll get more chances. A 15th overall pick is usually going to get more opportunities to stick than a mid-2nd Rounder.

I really hope he does well and it works out for him. I just don't agree with the decision.

[Cheesehead]

Crawford was here one, Lavender two, but I think both left a pretty big mark on the program.

Mark and legacy are two different things and those other players transferred in so not sure it's quite apples to apples. The thread is on legacy and to me Semaj is not in the Sato, Cage, Duncan, Doellman, holloway, Larkin, Strong, Massey, Hill, Grant, West, Burrell, Lenny Brown, etc. level.

[LA Muskie]

Mark and legacy are two different things and those other players transferred in so not sure it's quite apples to apples. The thread is on legacy and to me Semaj is not in the Sato, Cage, Duncan, Doellman, holloway, Larkin, Strong, Massey, Hill, Grant, West, Burrell, Lenny Brown, etc. level.

I agree 100%. Although I'd have Derrick Brown in there too.

[Juice]

There are a lot people here who are real butt hurt that Semaj is going pro.

My view on his legacy? One of the most talented players ever at Xavier who didn't achieve the desired team results because the team around him wasn't very good.

[LA Muskie]

Just because folks don't put him in the same class as players who stuck around and got their degrees (which includes Derrick Brown) doesn't mean they begrudge his decision. This is a thread about "legacy" and I think it's legitimate to expect more than a few years of good stats to be put into the same category as West, Larkin, Grant, Sato, Brown, etc.

[D-West & PO-Z]

There are a lot people here who are real butt hurt that Semaj is going pro.

My view on his legacy? One of the most talented players ever at Xavier who didn't achieve the desired team results because the team around him wasn't very good.

This. We would have been abysmal his freshman year without him.

[Classof1985]

Promise unfulfilled.

He has a long way to go to succeed at the next level. But he needs to develop into a complete player. As MOR indicated, he frequently took plays off on defense.

I have no clue whether he gets drafted. It will be a shame if he does not. I think he needed another year. Good luck to him.

[gladdenguy]

I agree Drudy. Who knows if he even gets drafted at all. Kilpatrick probably will be drafted in the 2nd round after the year he just had since he came back (last year no way he gets drafted). Semaj had as average a year as Kilpatrick had last year and is not coming back. He will be somewhere in the 2nd round to not picked. Gotta figure he could do better than that after a really good year next year. Guess we will never know.

[james notsirhc 0]

He was a great player that helped Xavier through what could've been some down times. I would've liked to see him stay and lead us to a Big East championship next year. That would've done wonders for both his legacy and draft stock, but it is what it is. It'll be interesting to see what he can do when he doesn't have to carry the burden of being the number 1 scorer, especially considering that I never viewed him as a pure scorer

[PMI]

I have a tough time deciding exactly how I feel about Semaj's career. He is very talented and we relied on him to prevent a really bad year last year, and a tournament year this year. But he never seemed to develop that special factor that the great Xavier players had. I can think of a couple games he took over for sure, but it's hard for me not to think about the NC State game and shake my head. I really think he was exposed that game, and the only silver lining to the way he played at the time, was that I thought he might come back because of how unready he looked driving toward the rim against a long defense. It's not all his fault that he might not have seemed to have that "it" factor, or whatever it is, because he was never on one of the more talented Xavier teams, nor was he a shooter in a game where people tend to remember big shots, ala Jordan Crawford. But it is what it is, and he left before it was beyond obvious that he was NBA ready, again ala Jordan Crawford.

That said, I think there's a 100% chance he gets drafted, but making a roster is going to be much harder to do than figuring out how to penetrate the Wolfpack defense. He will make a lot of money playing basketball in his career, but he needs to really improve some areas of his game to see NBA minutes.

[james notsirhc 0]

I have a tough time deciding exactly how I feel about Semaj's career. He is very talented and we relied on him to prevent a really bad year last year, and a tournament year this year. But he never seemed to develop that special factor that the great Xavier players had. I can think of a couple games he took over for sure, but it's hard for me not to think about the NC State game and shake my head. I really think he was exposed that game, and the only silver lining to the way he played at the time, was that I thought he might come back because of how unready he looked driving toward the rim against a long defense. It's not all his fault that he might not have seemed to have that "it" factor, or whatever it is, because he was never on one of the more talented Xavier teams, nor was he a shooter in a game where people tend to remember big shots, ala Jordan Crawford. But it is what it is, and he left before it was beyond obvious that he was NBA ready, again ala Jordan Crawford.

That said, I think there's a 100% chance he gets drafted, but making a roster is going to be much harder to do than figuring out how to penetrate the Wolfpack defense. He will make a lot of money playing basketball in his career, but he needs to really improve some areas of his game to see NBA minutes.

At the next level he won't be required to score at the rim. A lack of outside shooters killed us versus NC state. They simply packed it in and dared him to kick it out. In the NBA, his role will change significantly

[Xman95]

At the next level he won't be required to score at the rim. A lack of outside shooters killed us versus NC state. They simply packed it in and dared him to kick it out. In the NBA, his role will change significantly

1. Unfortunately, scoring at the rim was his strength in college.

2. His role in the NBA will be that of a PG. The problem he'll have prior to the draft is that he hasn't shown that he can do that. He has always been more of a shoot-first guard.

Hopefully he can overcome any questions scouts/teams have about him. He just has to keep busting his rear, working on his jumper, getting stronger, etc. When given an opportunity he'll need to be ready to seize it.

[james notsirhc 0]

1. Unfortunately, scoring at the rim was his strength in college.

2. His role in the NBA will be that of a PG. The problem he'll have prior to the draft is that he hasn't shown that he can do that. He has always been more of a shoot-first guard.

Hopefully he can overcome any questions scouts/teams have about him. He just has to keep busting his rear, working on his jumper, getting stronger, etc. When given an opportunity he'll need to be ready to seize it.

I agree that his main strength at X was scoring at the rim, but in the NBA I don't see him as a score first player. His role should change to distributor. He's more likely to average 14 and 9 in the NBA, than 22 and 5. He has great court vision, but at times it seemed like he didn't trust his teammates. He'll have to work on his turnovers, but most "prospect" picks have this issue at PG. IMO, his shoot first guard status was out of necessity and not fit. He was simply too talented not to be our #1 scoring option during these past 2 years.