Madness Starts Tonight

[Muskie]

I'm unable to attend. Hopefully those that do will post their thoughts?

[blueblob06]

Will do. Can't wait!

[BandAid]

Man, this snuck up on me! Any word as to who will be in the dunk contest besides Jalen?

[PMI]

I'm travelling this weekend and wouldnt be able to stream it even if I could, so anyone who can provide some details will be rewarded with beers if you are ever unfortunate enough to meet me in person.

[BMoreX]

Good weekend to be out here. Get to see the team back in action tonight and then the Ravens-Bengals game on Sunday.

[Olsingledigit]

Good weekend to be out here. Get to see the team back in action tonight and then the Ravens-Bengals game on Sunday.

One out of two isn't bad.

[waggy]

I'm travelling this weekend and wouldnt be able to stream it even if I could, so anyone who can provide some details will be rewarded with beers if you are ever unfortunate enough to meet me in person.


Don't you already owe everyone beers for some crazy bet you made a year ago?

[surfxu]

FAIR WARNING!!!!! There's going to be an OVI check point in Norwood tonight!!!!!
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/butlercounty/2014/10/24/butler-county-holding-friday-ovi-checkpoint/17821981/

[paulxu]

Chris Mack retweeted
Brian Hicks @XUmktgguy · 4h 4 hours ago

Who wants a t-shirt? We'll have 2,000 for giveaway at @Skyline_Chili #MusketeerMadness tonight.

I'm guessing these are not Grateful Dead X shirts.

[94GRAD]

FAIR WARNING!!!!! There's going to be an OVI check point in Norwood tonight!!!!!
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/butlercounty/2014/10/24/butler-county-holding-friday-ovi-checkpoint/17821981/

Read it this morning. Tweeted it out to all our followers. This should be its own thread so people see it on the main page.

[Cheesehead]

DUI checkpoint is from 10 pm to 1:00 am. I think madness will be over by 10 pm ?? It's on the 3900 block on Montgomery Rd between Domino's and auto parts store.

[OH.X.MI]

DUI checkpoint is from 10 pm to 1:00 am. I think madness will be over by 10 pm ?? It's on the 3900 block on Montgomery Rd between Domino's and auto parts store.

A lot of students drive that way for food late night on the weekends. Not that thats ever okay, but I hope everyone knows about this.

[xu82]

I'm travelling this weekend and wouldnt be able to stream it even if I could, so anyone who can provide some details will be rewarded with beers if you are ever unfortunate enough to meet me in person.
If you're a traveling salesman, you should probably stay home. That was one helluva a pitch that didn't sell me on anything. Unless the beer is really cold, I guess.

[Muskie]

Unofficial results: JP Macura wins 3point over Myles Davis. Sinks 22 in finals.

[spursy]

Any word on why we didn't see Sumner? He was in his sweats the whole scrimmage.

[Muskie]

He's injured I believe.

[spursy]

He's injured I believe.
Thanks. I was looking forward to seeing him in person...I think he could be the real deal once he gets some weight on him. Same goes for makinde. I know it was just a scrimmage but makinde impressed me and once he gets several more pounds on him I think he is going to be tough to defend. First time seeing Bluiett in person and he already has the body of a sophomore...excited to see him figure out the college game and be a big contributor.

[paulxu]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B0wXPUyIIAA0wYL.jpg:large

[muskienick]

In addition to Spursy's observations with which I agree, I was also impressed with Dee's defense, Sean O'Mara's willingness and ability to mix it up in the middle, Brandon Randolph's overall play, and J.P Macura who simply did not look like a college freshman D-1 player in October. He is one talented kid on both ends of the court and seems to be tremendously confident and equally competent! Also, those who have written Myles Davis' basketball obituary seem to have done so very prematurely. He drained a couple of routine (for him) treys and made a number of excellent defensive plays on the floor as well --- a particularly great sign from a guy who some had written off for that end of the floor. Jalen is a force in the middle (but that isn't exactly a newsflash!). Larry Austin also has a pretty well-developed body for a freshman and he showed some good floor generalship and a pass first - shoot second attitude on the court.

But let's be realistic about what tonight was. The two biggest things it showed was great camaraderie among all members of the team (including the coaching staff) and a great deal of POTENTIAL. The play was generally sloppy with a combination of careless turnovers spiced up with some fine defense. Pretty routine for this point of the season.

[bleedXblue]

There weren't any overwhelming highlights from the scrimmage tonight. I did however come away with the impression that all of the frosh are capable of contributing right away. Some more than others of course. But all seem like they are more mature than typical frosh. Sumner stayed in his warmups.......Abell looks quick and likes to slash.

[RealDeal]

I agree with nick, the guys really seem to like each other. M London in particular seems to be having the time of his life out there.

[BandAid]

My take on the freshman:

London is a guy you would hate to play against, kind of a pest - I don't like him shooting threes

Bluiett looks like a sophomore already

Macura better all around player than I was expecting - will have freshman growing pains

Nothing notable about Austin - just runs the team

O'Mara has a real high motor - battling the whole time against taller and bigger Stain and held his own - also surprisingly athletic

Others:

Dee gonna Dee
Stain gonna Stain
Abell will be the guy who tries to carry the team when the offense is stalling
I don't think Myles and Farr have anything new to show about their games - this year is all about consistency for them
Randolph will be surpassed on the depth chart by a freshman at least once this year
And then there's Reynolds...beast - hope this year is his coming out party

I'm guessing the offense will go as the three goes this year. I know they haven't had much practice time yet this year and both sides clearly know each others plays, but the half court offense needs work

[TUclutch]

Sorry, but I don't see Randolph getting passed on the depth chart at all. With Sumner's knee problems and LAJr ready to play, they could redshirt Sumner to even out the classes a little more. Also, get used to London shooting threes because that is what he is going to and should do as a stretch 4. The kid can shoot. This whole class can.

[xu82]

Sorry, I'm not as informed as many of you, but what's up with Sumner's knees? And how many big guys do we have shooting threes? (Now and next year.) How many do we have to bang inside?

[ballyhoohoo]

And pretty sure Omara and Stainbrook look eye to eye.

[muskienick]

Now: Stain, Jalen, and Sean = 5-bangers; Klinger and Makinde = stretch-4's
Next Year: Jalen and Sean = full-time 5-bangers; Klinger = Part-time 5-banger/part-time stretch-4; Makinde - stretch-4

But Makinde and Klinger should not be pigeonholed. Both may get opportunities to play the 3 when the proper match-ups exist.

[X Factor]

Really good Musketeer Madness event tonight!

Loved Chris Mack and his girls coming out and rapping with the Flavor Flav clocks around their necks. That was great.

Macura won the 3 point contest and Reynolds won the dunk contest. Not the best dunk contest, but Reynolds is more of a power dunker and O'Mara isn't known for his high flying dunks, although he is a lot more athletic than people probably think. He had a really nice windmill dunk that he took off of Dee's out-stretched hand. Makinde London is athletic and had some creative dunks, but nothing spectacular. He is very out-going and seemed to be having an absolute blast.

The scrimmage:

How is Mack going to divide minutes up this year? This team is deep and talented, albeit a lot of young talent.

This is one of the biggest teams I can remember Xavier ever having. You talk about big bodies, Xavier has them in spades. Stainbrook, Reynolds, Farr, O'Mara, London, and even Blueitt and Macura on the wing have good size. Blueitt is a hoss. Goodness. He looks like he is in excellent shape though.

Stainbrook looks like he has put even more work in getting his body in good shape this offseason. When he gets the ball on the block, it's over. He backed O'Mara down like Sean wasn't even there one time tonight and layed it in.

Reynolds is still a physical specimen. His jump hook didn't fall tonight, but that shot is just about impossible to guard. He elevates over his man and always gets a good look at the basket. He did have one monsterous two-handed dunk off an entry pass where he sealed his man, turned and flushed. He is going to be a force this year, imo.

Farr looked good tonight. He had a nice face up 17 foot jumper and hit a couple of threes. He is going to provide this team with solid minutes this year.

O'Mara didn't really do anything special, but he is a workhorse. For a freshman, he is definitely not afraid to mix it up and defend. He scored 2 points on a nice lay-in in traffic. He is more athletic than I thought and could definitely see some minutes in the front court if Stain or Reynolds gets into foul trouble.

Dee Davis was solid. He has command of the offense and his defense is good. He stripped Reynolds under the basket from his knees right as Jalen was going up to flush one home. He also made life really hard for Larry Austin on the defensive end. Dee could have rack up some serious assists this year.

Trevon Blueitt might have a baby face, but his body is full grown man. He looks every bit of 6'6 out there and filled out like an upperclassman. He had a really nice take and finished with his left hand in the lane and also hit a deep three. He battled on defense against Jalen on a couple of possessions and actually held his own. Very excited about him.

JP Macura is going to be a favorite of a lot of fans. He's also got nice size and looked to be at least 6'5. He has a super smooth stroke and isn't afraid to make plays. His defense will probably be what determines how many minutes he sees on the court this year. He's got plenty of talent though and is a smart player. Probably not the pure shooter that Redford was, but a lot more athletic and definitely more size.


Remy Abell is going to be a spark plug on this team I think. He is going to make plays by slashing to the bucket and getting out in transition. He kinda has a funky release which will probably prevent him from ever being a great shooter, but he will probably have some games where he gets hot and makes a few threes. He will make his living getting into the lane and then either scoring or going to the foul line.

Myles Davis looked pretty good tonight. He seems to be moving a lot better than he did last year, where at times it looked like his knee was really bothering him. He hit a couple of long threes and had a nice transition bucket.

Brandon Randolph will probably back Dee Davis up at point guard. I could see him making a nice sophomore improvement and cementing himself in the back court rotation.

Larry Austin didn't have a great night. He turned the ball over a few times and didn't really look at the basket. I know that won't be his game though. Dee Davis really harassed him and made it tough on him tonight. I don't know if Larry will see many minutes in a crowded back court. Give him a year or two though and he could turn into a solid point guard.

Makinde London is looonnnngggg. Just another big body (height wise) for Xavier. He definitely needs to gain weight and get stronger, but he went above the rim a couple of times for rebounds and then actually brought the ball up by himself before giving it up to a "real" guard. He also had a nice defensive play where he came from the weakside and swatted a shot. He has tremendous upside, and in most years, might see minutes, but this Xavier front court is crowded and I just don't know if he will contribute. Snow has talked about a redshirt, and that seems like a good option for Makinde. I know he probably doesn't want to, and it will be interesting to see what they decide to do with Makinde.

There was a really nice crowd there tonight. The lower arena was pretty much full and there was a spattering of fans in the upper decks.

Also, I stopped by the All For One shop afterwards. I dropped some cash on some really nice Xavier gear. It is a great store. Really impressive.

Now we wait for the regular season to begin. I am really excited after watching tonight. This could be a really good team come Big East play.

[X Factor]

Sorry, I'm not as informed as many of you, but what's up with Sumner's knees? And how many big guys do we have shooting threes? (Now and next year.) How many do we have to bang inside?

Sumner is battling some tendinitis in his knees. The coaches are letting him rest and he's getting treatment to help with the tendinitis. I highly doubt he will redshirt. He is very talented.

The only big guys that will be shooting three's this year will be Farr and maybe Reynolds on occasion. Farr can definitely step outside, and if Makinde earns any minutes this year, he will put up some three's. He has a nice stroke for a 6'9 kid. He was 6'2 as a sophomore in high school before growing 7 inches over the course of 2 years.

[IM4X]

Does someone know how close the 3point competition was? I read the earlier post that JP Sunk 22 in finals and won. How many shots did Myles and the other players in the competition make? Does anyone who went remember?

[BandAid]

Sorry, but I don't see Randolph getting passed on the depth chart at all. With Sumner's knee problems and LAJr ready to play, they could redshirt Sumner to even out the classes a little more. Also, get used to London shooting threes because that is what he is going to and should do as a stretch 4. The kid can shoot. This whole class can.
I was operating under the assumption Randolph was ahead of Austin. And regarding London's shooting - I don't doubt he will shoot threes, but this year I think most of us wil dread it when he does. I think he'll rush a lot of them adjusting to the game speed. But damn, I hope I'm wrong

[BandAid]

And pretty sure Omara and Stainbrook look eye to eye.

Judging by the measurements, that is true. But Stain plays like a mountain even against a big boy like O'Mara.

[OH.X.MI]

Echoing what MuskieNick and Realdeal said, the team seemed to be having a lot of fun, great overall rapport on the court. And maybe more noticeably the staff seemed to be have a ton of fun. Some might disagree, but I think having a year without any members "slime nation" is going to do wonders for this team.

[Chalmers0]

I was operating under the assumption Randolph was ahead of Austin. And regarding London's shooting - I don't doubt he will shoot threes, but this year I think most of us wil dread it when he does. I think he'll rush a lot of them adjusting to the game speed. But damn, I hope I'm wrong

If London plays this year, and from my understanding that a VERY big if, him shooting 3's is exactly what you want him to be doing for the most part. I think the rest of his game right now is really under development (for lack of a better term). Between seeing him a few times at Deveroes and reading practice reports, he can absolutely stroke it from long range. His inside game though leaves a lot to be desired at this point.

[XfansinKy]

Thanks for all the analysis on MM, greatly appreciated here where good Xavier info is hard to find. Also, I hope all the freshman see some minutes as the year progresses. It's tough to be a freshman away from home and even tougher when you are a freshman away from home and not getting to play. It's really nice to have a season coming up that has more potential than doubt.

[xukeith]

Here are some highlights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFRQKsInrTA

[mohr5150]

One of the big problems for this team in recent years has been turnovers. Last night's scrimmage was full of them. Dee hasn't been the strongest with the ball, and his supporting class is very young or could be rusty (Abell). We could run great offensive sets, score at a high percentage, but turnovers could derail quality play everywhere else on the court very quickly. That would be my biggest concern with this team at this point.

[kyxu]

These are really the only highlights that matter...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FixR_fT3K5E

[LA Muskie]

Sorry, I'm not as informed as many of you, but what's up with Sumner's knees? And how many big guys do we have shooting threes? (Now and next year.) How many do we have to bang inside?

Chronic tendinitis. He has yet to practice, and likely won't practice through the end of the month (possibly longer).

[LA Muskie]

I was operating under the assumption Randolph was ahead of Austin. And regarding London's shooting - I don't doubt he will shoot threes, but this year I think most of us wil dread it when he does. I think he'll rush a lot of them adjusting to the game speed. But damn, I hope I'm wrong
I don't think you'll see London play in a regular season game this year, barring injury to someone. So I think you're safe.

[MADXSTER]

My take on the scrimmage

Stainbrook looked very good. For as big as Omara is, he looked considerably smaller than Stainbrook. Stainbrook plays and coaches the younger players, both the bigs and the guards.

Reynolds does not look lost or confused on the court. He knows exactly what he should be doing and where he should be on the court. He will help Stainbrook out a lot on defense as he did in the scrimmage. The defense is improved with him on the court. Bluiett had a fast break, saw Reynolds closing in and decided to use his body to seal off Reynolds and do a reverse layup. Reynolds pinned the ball against the backboard and grabbed the ball.

Farr is solid and played like an upper classman. He talked quite a bit out on the floor. It will be interesting to see Reynolds and Farr out on the court at the same time.

Omara is athletic for a big. He will learn a lot by playing with Stain this year. No doubt he will be a lot bigger after a year in the weight room. He doesn't shy away from contact and gets after it on D. It will be unfair to compare him to Stainbrook who is a 5th year senior.

Dee Davis hit a nice three and played good D. He will have more options to distribute to this year. Can he cut down on the turnovers? We shall see.

IMO Trevon played like a freshman as he needed to be told where to be on the court. That's why freshman are freshman. He has the skills and showed off some very good court vision not typical of freshman. The game didn't seem to be too fast for him which was nice to see.

JP appears to be the shooter in the group. Played well and seemed to fit in with the team and the style. He will get minutes. Good court vision like Trevon. The only knock that I saw was that he seemed pretty tired by the end of the scrimmage. Welcome to college basketball :) JP also can rebound. When he goes up, he goes up pretty quick.

Remy is a slasher, always in attack mode and is quick. It was mentioned that he will be the spark off of the bench and that is absolutely correct.

Myles Davis played like a veteran and let the game come to him. Most freshman have a transition period their freshman year because practices are both longer and a lot harder than in high school. Also because the competition in practice is 5 times harder than in high school. Usually by the end of the season their legs are dead which means your shooting is dead as well. Combine all of that with coming back from a knee injury and IMO last year just wasn't a fair example with what he can bring to the team. In the scrimmage he looked much more comfortable in every aspect.

Brandon also looked more like a veteran and played well.

Larry Austin has some arms on him. He was forcing some things that you would expect freshman to do. Pressing a bit. He played well and will push Randolph for the backup position at PG.

Makinde brings great personality to the team. He will be a favorite among teammates. He will definitely bring a different dimension that will make other teams adjust their game plan. You could see the possibilities down the road. Outside shooting, rebounding, bringing the ball up the court - you usually don't see tall freshman bringing the ball up the court in a fast break situation.

The freshman played like freshman in some aspects like not knowing where to be on the court and conditioning. But overall they didn't play like freshman because the game was too quick for them. They didn't play like freshman because they were physically over matched. I have a feeling that by mid season they will have taken a big step forward. Just don't expect too much right out of the gate.

[xu82]

My take on the scrimmage

Stainbrook looked very good. For as big as Omara is, he looked considerably smaller than Stainbrook. Stainbrook plays and coaches the younger players, both the bigs and the guards.

Reynolds does not look lost or confused on the court. He knows exactly what he should be doing and where he should be on the court. He will help Stainbrook out a lot on defense as he did in the scrimmage. The defense is improved with him on the court. Bluiett had a fast break, saw Reynolds closing in and decided to use his body to seal off Reynolds and do a reverse layup. Reynolds pinned the ball against the backboard and grabbed the ball.

Farr is solid and played like an upper classman. He talked quite a bit out on the floor. It will be interesting to see Reynolds and Farr out on the court at the same time.

Omara is athletic for a big. He will learn a lot by playing with Stain this year. No doubt he will be a lot bigger after a year in the weight room. He doesn't shy away from contact and gets after it on D. It will be unfair to compare him to Stainbrook who is a 5th year senior.

Dee Davis hit a nice three and played good D. He will have more options to distribute to this year. Can he cut down on the turnovers? We shall see.

IMO Trevon played like a freshman as he needed to be told where to be on the court. That's why freshman are freshman. He has the skills and showed off some very good court vision not typical of freshman. The game didn't seem to be too fast for him which was nice to see.

JP appears to be the shooter in the group. Played well and seemed to fit in with the team and the style. He will get minutes. Good court vision like Trevon. The only knock that I saw was that he seemed pretty tired by the end of the scrimmage. Welcome to college basketball :) JP also can rebound. When he goes up, he goes up pretty quick.

Remy is a slasher, always in attack mode and is quick. It was mentioned that he will be the spark off of the bench and that is absolutely correct.

Myles Davis played like a veteran and let the game come to him. Most freshman have a transition period their freshman year because practices are both longer and a lot harder than in high school. Also because the competition in practice is 5 times harder than in high school. Usually by the end of the season their legs are dead which means your shooting is dead as well. Combine all of that with coming back from a knee injury and IMO last year just wasn't a fair example with what he can bring to the team. In the scrimmage he looked much more comfortable in every aspect.

Brandon also looked more like a veteran and played well.

Larry Austin has some arms on him. He was forcing some things that you would expect freshman to do. Pressing a bit. He played well and will push Randolph for the backup position at PG.

Makinde brings great personality to the team. He will be a favorite among teammates. He will definitely bring a different dimension that will make other teams adjust their game plan. You could see the possibilities down the road. Outside shooting, rebounding, bringing the ball up the court - you usually don't see tall freshman bringing the ball up the court in a fast break situation.

The freshman played like freshman in some aspects like not knowing where to be on the court and conditioning. But overall they didn't play like freshman because the game was too quick for them. They didn't play like freshman because they were physically over matched. I have a feeling that by mid season they will have taken a big step forward. Just don't expect too much right out of the gate.

Blocked by The Man.... Nice read and some very good points. I'm getting excited!

[sirthought]

I got there late, but really enjoyed the event. Chris Mack's little girls wrapping was particularly fun to see. Xavier does a great job making this fun.

Some of the players played about where I expected them. (D. Davis, M. Stainbrook, J. Reynolds) I want these guys to control the team and dominate as much as possible.

Of the others I thought Macura was the most impressive. He really went after everything with a nice confidence. Didn't play perfect, but I thought the effort on both sides was fun to see.

I remember last year's Madness and Remy Abell was the best offensive player on the court. He didn't impress me nearly as much last night, but I wondered if that was the team's defense just not allowing him to do as much. I think we're going to need plenty of team work to get this guy open lanes, as he can finish.

The offensive play was much sloppier than expected. They didn't run half court well and they were racing back and forth a good deal due to all the missed shots. People here are complementing Farr and M. Davis for improvements, but I saw nothing about their game to make such claims. But again, I didn't see much of a system at work, so the expo game in October might not be the place to judge. (I know both scored some this game.)

I am excited about the team's overall size. League play will be much more physically competitive. If we're sending in a steady flow of our bigs producing points all night, other teams should find that hard to keep up with.

Defending the three and avoiding turn overs still have to be the big concerns heading into this season. I think once they practice offense a bit more, then the scoring will come.

[BBC 08]

Chris Mack's little girls wrapping was particularly fun to see.

How big was the present? Did they add a decorative bow?

[xu82]

How big was the present? Did they add a decorative bow?

I wasn't there, but most little girls love decorative bows.

[bleedXblue]

Chronic tendinitis. He has yet to practice, and likely won't practice through the end of the month (possibly longer).

Well that sucks. Looks like a redshirt.

[Milhouse]

Well that sucks. Looks like a redshirt.

Not likely at all unless he injuries something else. He's had tendinitis all throughout high school.

[casualfan]

Not likely at all unless he injuries something else. He's had tendinitis all throughout high school.

Hmm. I find it hard to believe that a frosh who missed significant time prior to the season would be ready to contribute this year.

This isn't high school where he can walk on the court and be the best guy out there. Once he's able to get back to playing he's going to have to get himself in playing shape and learn all of the offensive sets, not to mention the defense.

I'll gladly eat a big plate of crow if I'm wrong, but I find it hard to believe he won't redshirt unless he is back relatively soon.

[XUFan09]

With the bicycle and the pool, you can stay in pretty good shape while treating tendonitis, so I'm not too worried about that. A short-term injury doesn't eliminate someone from an entire season, even a freshman.

[Milhouse]

Hmm. I find it hard to believe that a frosh who missed significant time prior to the season would be ready to contribute this year.

This isn't high school where he can walk on the court and be the best guy out there. Once he's able to get back to playing he's going to have to get himself in playing shape and learn all of the offensive sets, not to mention the defense.

I'll gladly eat a big plate of crow if I'm wrong, but I find it hard to believe he won't redshirt unless he is back relatively soon.

He's not going to walk out and be the best guy on the court at all...but that doesn't mean he's going to redshirt either. If anyone redshirts as of today it will be London.

Sumner is going to surprise a lot of people. It would probably be beneficial to him to redshirt but having seen him play he's going to be hard to keep off the court. He also had the benefit of the Brazil trip so while he has missed some practice, he's still been through the sets and drills before.

Like I said unless something else develops I'll be amazed if he redshirts this year.

[bleedXblue]

Not likely at all unless he injuries something else. He's had tendinitis all throughout high school.

Tendonitis can be tough. There's no magic pill and rest is usually the best medicine. I don't like the fact that he's not practicing and is going to have to play catch up.

[IM4X]

I got there late, but really enjoyed the event. Chris Mack's little girls wrapping was particularly fun to see. Xavier does a great job making this fun.

Some of the players played about where I expected them. (D. Davis, M. Stainbrook, J. Reynolds) I want these guys to control the team and dominate as much as possible.

Of the others I thought Macura was the most impressive. He really went after everything with a nice confidence. Didn't play perfect, but I thought the effort on both sides was fun to see.

I remember last year's Madness and Remy Abell was the best offensive player on the court. He didn't impress me nearly as much last night, but I wondered if that was the team's defense just not allowing him to do as much. I think we're going to need plenty of team work to get this guy open lanes, as he can finish.

The offensive play was much sloppier than expected. They didn't run half court well and they were racing back and forth a good deal due to all the missed shots. People here are complementing Farr and M. Davis for improvements, but I saw nothing about their game to make such claims. But again, I didn't see much of a system at work, so the expo game in October might not be the place to judge. (I know both scored some this game.)

I am excited about the team's overall size. League play will be much more physically competitive. If we're sending in a steady flow of our bigs producing points all night, other teams should find that hard to keep up with.

Defending the three and avoiding turn overs still have to be the big concerns heading into this season. I think once they practice offense a bit more, then the scoring will come.

Thanks to everyone who posted their thoughts about how the team as a whole and each player played at Madness.

I know the season hasn't started but this team already sounds more like a cohesive unit than any I can remember in recent history. No dissension. No attitudes or egos. The team all seems to be enjoy playing together.

It will be exciting to see how the talented group of freshmen melds with the veterans. It could be a special season. But then I hear those words (in bold) above and it hits me in the gut. I sure hope the coaches and players prove that neither of these issues (nor the struggles in the past with half court offense) will be their Achilles heel this year. Got to put some extra hours in at practice to work on any weakness.

[kyxu]

I know the season hasn't started but this team already sounds more like a cohesive unit than any I can remember in recent history. No dissension. No attitudes or egos. The team all seems to be enjoy playing together.

I would first like to see this team win (and lose) before making any such assumption. There is absolutely nothing meaningful that can be gleaned about this team from what we have seen so far.

[TUclutch]

I would first like to see this team win (and lose) before making any such assumption. There is absolutely nothing meaningful that can be gleaned about this team from what we have seen so far.

Yes, there really is. From Musketeer Madness you can see they are having fun as an entire group, rather than just a couple guys. This team had more fun at Muskie madness than any team in recent years. That shows they are a close group

[Milhouse]

Yes, there really is. From Musketeer Madness you can see they are having fun as an entire group, rather than just a couple guys. This team had more fun at Muskie madness than any team in recent years. That shows they are a close group

This. This team had more fun at Muskie Madness than I think any Mack team ever had really. He's had all star guards lead the last 5 years, Crawford, Holloway, and then Maj. He doesn't have that this year, there is no absolute go to guy right now and I think that makes the group better in some ways. But yeah I've never seen one of Mack's team have as much fun out in public as they did the other night.

Was pretty good to see.

[kyxu]

Yes, there really is. From Musketeer Madness you can see they are having fun as an entire group, rather than just a couple guys. This team had more fun at Muskie madness than any team in recent years. That shows they are a close group

Fair enough. Teams can act and seem close when they're having a good time at an informal practice in front of adoring fans. We'll know more about this team's cohesion when they actually hit the floor.

[94GRAD]

We'll see how close they are when they face adversity during the season. My prediction is they'll get through it with flying colors!!

[LA Muskie]

Not likely at all unless he injuries something else. He's had tendinitis all throughout high school.
I know what Rick and Brian are saying, but I think the longer he's held out of practice the more a redshirt year may become unavoidable. Once the season starts, practices shift mostly to game prep. If he misses the entire preseason it will be very difficult for him to learn the system and sets. And (at least as of right now) we have the luxury of being able to let him take the year, if that's the way it works out.

[xu82]

We'll see how close they are when they face adversity during the season. My prediction is they'll get through it with flying colors!!

Let's hope that's the case. Despite great talent, guys like Crawford and Lyons take a toll on a team. Let's hope great chemistry develops and survives the inevitable rough spells.

[TUclutch]

Fair enough. Teams can act and seem close when they're having a good time at an informal practice in front of adoring fans. We'll know more about this team's cohesion when they actually hit the floor.

Well past teams haven't been able to even do this at Muskie Madness. I think that speaks to this group having fun and being a close group.

[GoMuskies]

Maybe Midnight Madness was just more fun this year.

[kyxu]

Well past teams haven't been able to even do this at Muskie Madness. I think that speaks to this group having fun and being a close group.

Ok...

How long have the freshmen even been on campus? Three months? Four? The season is longer than that. Players will learn a lot about each other when we start winning and losing. I would give these guys some time to actually know each other before labeling them a "close" group.

[xu82]

Time will tell, but we're all hoping for the same stuff. I just wish it would start!

[drudy23]

Go back to last year...and the year before...and the year before...and the year before...and you will see posts about how great the chemistry "seems" to be at Muskie Madness. It doesn't mean jack.I mean, it may be great...but it really hasn't been tested, and thats when it matters most.

There is NOTHING to be concluded from Muskie Madness...from chemistry, to playing time, to anything. It's a celebration to start the season...the reviews of the beer selection, the hotness of the cheerleaders, and how many male cheerleaders throw like girls is really all thats relevant.

[IM4X]

Time will tell, but we're all hoping for the same stuff. I just wish it would start!

Amen.

[IM4X]

I have a feeling O'Mara will be key to a few victories this year. I'm picturing Jalen and Farr getting into foul trouble during games and Stain needing his usual rests on the bench. O'Mara seems more than capable of giving some quality minutes down low. I remember (as I'm sure many of you do) watching Sean hold his own in March against Jahlil Okafor, the best player in High school at the time. Sean held Okafor to 8 points and 6 rebounds... and just recently I read that Okafor put on a clinic during Duke's Count Down to Craziness (that school's version of Musketeer Madness), scoring 27 points. I'm really looking forward to seeing O'Mara in action when the season begins and seeing how much more he can develop.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/24769775/jahlil-okafor-dominates-in-dukes-countdown-to-craziness-scrimmage

[bobbiemcgee]

Anybody got tickets to the Secret Scrimmage with Cleveland St. on Saturday? lol

[XfansinKy]

We have been calling this freshman class Xavier's version of the Fab 5. After MM we are wondering who redshirts and who will or won't get many minutes. I'm as guilty of it as anyone too. For me, I'll be happy if 3 of these guys wind up being major contributors. I don't know who that would be after Blueitt though.

[Milhouse]

While they've only been on Campus for 4ish months I think many of you are SEVERELY underestimating how important that Brazil group will be to this team and especially these freshmen. The 10 practices before the trip and the 10 day trip itself have helped bond the team much much sooner than ever before.

[bleedXblue]

I know I'll probably get hammered for this, but as soon as I saw Lyons and Martin their freshman years, I didn't like the way they carried themselves and it seemed as though they had attitude issues. For the most part that's exactly the way it played out. I didn't see any of that with the current crop of freshman or Abell......I'm expecting a much closer and cohesive TEAM.

[LadyMuskie]

For the most part that's exactly the way it played out. .

How so?

[OH.X.MI]

I know I'll probably get hammered for this, but as soon as I saw Lyons and Martin their freshman years, I didn't like the way they carried themselves and it seemed as though they had attitude issues.

You are not alone thinking this.

[JTG]

You are not alone thinking this.

I would put Crawford in the same group. He played much better than the other two, but I had the feel we were making a "deal with the Devil", so to speak

[Masterofreality]

We have been calling this freshman class Xavier's version of the Fab 5..

You do remember that it is the "Spectacular Six", Right? (Larry Austin, Jr)

[muskiefan82]

You do remember that it is the "Spectacular Six", Right? (Larry Austin, Jr)

The Sinister Six to borrow from the Marvel Universe.

[Masterofreality]

The Sinister Six to borrow from the Marvel Universe.

Why the negativity? :biggrin:

[muskiefan82]

Sinister as in "Badass", sir, not criminal.

[bobbiemcgee]

We have been calling this freshman class Xavier's version of the Fab 5. After MM we are wondering who redshirts and who will or won't get many minutes. I'm as guilty of it as anyone too. For me, I'll be happy if 3 of these guys wind up being major contributors. I don't know who that would be after Blueitt though.

JP is my "sleeper". Something very intriguing about a 6' 5" fearless shooter. Think he will have people out of their seats a lot over the next few years.

https://twitter.com/jpmacura

[drudy23]

I know I'll probably get hammered for this, but as soon as I saw Lyons and Martin their freshman years, I didn't like the way they carried themselves and it seemed as though they had attitude issues. For the most part that's exactly the way it played out. I didn't see any of that with the current crop of freshman or Abell......I'm expecting a much closer and cohesive TEAM.

Valid point.

[Masterofreality]

JP is my "sleeper". Something very intriguing about a 6' 5" fearless shooter. Think he will have people out of their seats a lot over the next few years.

https://twitter.com/jpmacura

But can he block shots like BRad?

[MADXSTER]

I know I'll probably get hammered for this, but as soon as I saw Lyons and Martin their freshman years, I didn't like the way they carried themselves and it seemed as though they had attitude issues. For the most part that's exactly the way it played out. I didn't see any of that with the current crop of freshman or Abell......I'm expecting a much closer and cohesive TEAM.

Did they have attitudes...yes. Was it an issue...that will be forever debatable. However, they(Holloway, Lyons, Crawford, and even CJ) were what Xavier needed at the time. Xavier was considered a somewhat soft team and that perception needed to be addressed. These players helped change that perception.

[casualfan]

Did they have attitudes...yes. Was it an issue...that will be forever debatable. However, they(Holloway, Lyons, Crawford, and even CJ) were what Xavier needed at the time. Xavier was considered a somewhat soft team and that perception needed to be addressed. These players helped change that perception.

Yep.

Funny to hear people complain about the chemistry being an issue on some of the most successful Xavier teams of all time.

If bad chemistry = sweet 16 sign me up.

[LadyMuskie]

Did they have attitudes...yes. Was it an issue...that will be forever debatable. However, they(Holloway, Lyons, Crawford, and even CJ) were what Xavier needed at the time. Xavier was considered a somewhat soft team and that perception needed to be addressed. These players helped change that perception.

Exactly. Playing without attitude and swagger is what we saw last March in Dayton. Boy, I hope we get more of that . . . said no one ever.

[casualfan]

Exactly. Playing without attitude and swagger is what we saw last March in Dayton. Boy, I hope we get more of that . . . said no one ever.

Glad I'm not the only one thinking this way.

That's great they all jumped around and danced and had a merry old time at midnight madness. Gleaning anything from that about how the season goes is beyond ridiculous though.

I thought it was bad enough people were making conclusions on this team based on the open scrimmage, but now we're making conclusions based on their player intros?

Let's see what happens the first time this team gets punched in the mouth on the road. Say what you want about the chemistry of some of the teams people are referencing, but I knew that no matter what happened we were going to get their best regardless of the situation.

[Milhouse]

JP is my "sleeper". Something very intriguing about a 6' 5" fearless shooter. Think he will have people out of their seats a lot over the next few years.

https://twitter.com/jpmacura

Not sure how JP is even a sleeper honestly. Could end up being the biggest contributor out of this crop of freshmen easily.....

[paulxu]

Sinister as in "Badass", sir, not criminal.

Is that anything like gansta?

[bleedXblue]

Yep.

Funny to hear people complain about the chemistry being an issue on some of the most successful Xavier teams of all time.

If bad chemistry = sweet 16 sign me up.

Well what's to say with better team work and togetherness we couldn't have gone further in the tourney? Two sides to that debate.

I never had an issue with Tu or CJ. I thought they always played extremely hard and were very unselfish.

[nuts4xu]

Is that anything like gansta?

Yes, but not anything like a "thug" that is for sure.

[XUMIOH12]

I would put Crawford in the same group. He played much better than the other two, but I had the feel we were making a "deal with the Devil", so to speak
That is a deal I would do again and again if it means getting a player like Jordan Crawford

[MADXSTER]

Let's see what happens the first time this team gets punched in the mouth on the road.

Are you talking about the basketball team or the fans on this board? Certain posters implode when there is a loss even if the team played well. Fire the coach, xxx should be on the bench, can't run a play out of a timeout, etc. I think a poor team chemistry Xavier team is 100 times better than many on this board. Glass houses.

(not directed at you casual)

[IM4X]

There's a difference between a player having "an attitude" as in having a certain swagger or being intriguingly bold... and a player having "an attitude" as in someone who's disrespectful, uncooperative, selfish, negatively disruptive or even antagonistic within his own clan.

I'd imagine we'd all welcome the former (a badass player who takes charge, making big time plays when all of his teammates are struggling in a game) and not the latter (a player who acts like he's above everyone else on the team or someone who coldly ignores his coach when the coach takes him out of the game to discuss something).

Tu was in the good attitude category.

Unfortunately, Lyons fell into both categories.

Maybe Lyons simple didn't buy into Mack's way of coaching (being a Miller recruit). Or maybe he was just selfish and expected everyone would want to do things his way. Whatever the main issue, it created bad energy on the team. It's a shame. If everyone could have played nice and Lyons (with his game changing abilities on the court) stayed his senior year, some great things could have happened. Though, I do believe he wanted to play PG (to improve his chance for the NBA) and Mack was not going to let that happen.

[drudy23]

Speaking of Lyons...whatever happened to him? I'm guessing he's playing somewhere.

[XU 87]

Are you talking about the basketball team or the fans on this board? Certain posters implode when there is a loss even if the team played well. Fire the coach, xxx should be on the bench, can't run a play out of a timeout, etc. I think a poor team chemistry Xavier team is 100 times better than many on this board. Glass houses.

(not directed at you casual)

You left out, "Mack had that blank look on his face because he didn't know what to do", "we made no adjustments", "the team played with no emotion", and my personal favorite- "Mack showed no emotion. He needed to get a technical to get the team fired up".