2023 Staff and Roster?

[IM4X]

Ha, I am with you. And it might feel like a dream still for several games into the season depending on the timing of any punishment that may come down on Miller.

Exactly. I need to keep keep searching “Xavier Coach” every now and then to prove it wasn’t just a strange dream I had.

[xudash]

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently:

..........On March 18, Rhode Island announced it had hired Archie as its next head coach. A day later, Sean was revealed as the new coach at Xavier.

Each program offers its own challenges and comforts. Sean was a success at Xavier before, going 120-47 in his first stint and leading the Musketeers to an Elite Eight and Sweet 16 in his final two seasons there. The Xavier to which Miller returns is different from the one he left in 2009. Now a member of the Big East, the program isn’t the plucky underdog in the Atlantic 10 anymore. The university is financially committed to competing in the more difficult conference, though, and Miller will inherit a team that has been pegged by many outlets as a preseason top-25 squad for next season. In his introductory press conference last month, he referenced the university’s trust in and familiarity with him, two important traits given the convoluted conclusion to his Arizona tenure.

“These last 12 months really energized me, recharged me,” Sean said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be the coach at Xavier. The eight years we lived here as a family, that I coached here, were some of the best and happiest times of our lives.”

I was living in Pittsburgh in the 90's when Sean played at Pitt. "Send it in Jerome" Lane and those Pitt teams at Fitzgerald Memorial Fieldhouse. God, I love having Sean Miller back at Xavier.

[muskiefan82]

Jerome Lane was a freshman at Pitt two years before Sean arrived. I remember when Pitt came to the Gardens in 1985. It was such a huge thing. A Big East team in the Gardens. Twice! (Providence came that year too). Walked away winners from that game. Would have been fun if it had continued and Sean had played against one of those late 80's X teams....

[IM4X]

I was living in Pittsburgh in the 90's when Sean played at Pitt. "Send it in Jerome" Lane and those Pitt teams at Fitzgerald Memorial Fieldhouse. God, I love having Sean Miller back at Xavier.

That was a really fun team to watch back in the day, right? Technically, the “Send it in Jerome” game happened during the late 80’s. Pitt was my team back then (I grew up about a 5 minute drive away from Pitt’s campus) before I went off to college at X. Charles Smith, Demetrius Gore, Jerome Lane, Darelle Porter and Sean Miller were the Core from that Pitt team. A very athletic, top 10 team with Smith and Lane going on to play in the NBA.

[XU-PA]

Assuming this means Hercy is with us for team 101!!!
https://twitter.com/hercymiller15/status/1514742998604558347?t=-0y4GxPG5xyYjt1_o3zHcw&s=19

[atljar]

Saw on Twitter that Ben Stanley is transferring. Not much of a surprise, but sad to see him go. Big body with a huge spirit.

[xukeith]

I listened to Stanley on the Travis Steele radio show. He owned all aspects of personality, entertainer, and being extremely comfortable in his skin.

He has definite places to blossom in his future. That man is going somewhere special.

[XU-PA]

Best news yet today!
Side Show Bob's got nothin' on Cesar!!
https://twitter.com/AdamJBaum/status/1515422424350736386?t=zHz9NJ9dp8-AhPd48mS3PQ&s=19

[paulxu]

Neither does Artis Gilmore.

[whopper]

I would like to see a Farewell Ben Stanley article..not a world beater but he put in a lot of work and kind of got screwed with his St Johns injury last year after 2 productive games(SH, Creighton). Liked his attitude and feel that if we could have supplemented/replaced Carter 2021 we may have had another win or 2 and made the tourney.

[JTG]

Best news yet today!
Side Show Bob's got nothin' on Cesar!!
https://twitter.com/AdamJBaum/status/1515422424350736386?t=zHz9NJ9dp8-AhPd48mS3PQ&s=19

That's funny. My brother and I attended the UConn game. He's also an X grad but doesn't follow the team as closely as I do. He pointed to Edward's during the game and said "Who's Sideshow Bob out there?"

[XU-PA]

That's funny. My brother and I attended the UConn game. He's also an X grad but doesn't follow the team as closely as I do. He pointed to Edward's during the game and said "Who's Sideshow Bob out there?"

The Side Show hair-do is definitely a thing across the NCAA. Honestly, no one does it better than Cesar!

[UCGRAD4X]

The Side Show hair-do is definitely a thing across the NCAA. Honestly, no one does it better than Cesar!

I call that a hair-don't.

Hail Cesar!

[muskiefan82]

I call that a hair-don't.

Hail Cesar!

No. Kowacie Reeves of Florida is a hair-don't. Edwards isn't even close.

[xudash]

No. Kowacie Reeves of Florida is a hair-don't. Edwards isn't even close.

So true. Someone needs to sit that young man down and tell him "HELL NO!".

[UCGRAD4X]

No. Kowacie Reeves of Florida is a hair-don't. Edwards isn't even close.

He either lost a bet or fell asleep at a frat party.

[xukeith]

He either lost a bet or fell asleep at a frat party.

Why did Kelsey leave X as an associate coach?

[XU-PA]

He either lost a bet or fell asleep at a frat party.

Whoever convinced Reeves that it looks good is the world's greatest salesman

[X-man]

Rivals just released their final (updated) top 150 players in the 2022 class. Craft stays at #39 and Claude moves up 9 spots to #74. Ward, who remains uncommitted, moves up 3 spots to #23. Don't believe he's coming though but we'll see. He announces his "top 6" this week.

[Backyard Champ]

Rivals just released their final (updated) top 150 players in the 2022 class. Craft stays at #39 and Claude moves up 9 spots to #74. Ward, who remains uncommitted, moves up 3 spots to #23. Don't believe he's coming though but we'll see. He announces his "top 6" this week.

Feel like that ship has sailed. I’d be shocked if we are still actively recruiting him- not that we don’t want him- just that he made it clear he was looking elsewhere. No inside information, but every time I see him mentioned on social media anymore, Xavier is not mentioned.

[Olsingledigit]

Feel like that ship has sailed. I’d be shocked if we are still actively recruiting him- not that we don’t want him- just that he made it clear he was looking elsewhere. No inside information, but every time I see him mentioned on social media anymore, Xavier is not mentioned.

Agree

[xukeith]

Some day between now and May 1, a transfer will announce his choice for Xavier.
Then some day between now and August, some 2023 recruit will announce his choice of Xavier.
Those hours of grnding and really finding OKGs (our kinda Guys) by the 3 assistants and Miller will bear fruit.

X gonna give it to ya. Ward or no Ward.

[xuwin]

Some day between now and May 1, a transfer will announce his choice for Xavier.
Then some day between now and August, some 2023 recruit will announce his choice of Xavier.
Those hours of grnding and really finding OKGs (our kinda Guys) by the 3 assistants and Miller will bear fruit.

X gonna give it to ya. Ward or no Ward.

I'm still very concerned that since Sean took over Xavier has lost 4 players and gained none. Being on somebodies final 8 list doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling. I love the nucleus that we have coming back but we need to supplement it. It's been too quiet for me.

[X-man]

I'm still very concerned that since Sean took over Xavier has lost 4 players and gained none. Being on somebodies final 8 list doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling. I love the nucleus that we have coming back but we need to supplement it. It's been too quiet for me.

I know only of Odom, Stanley, and (perhaps) Ward being "lost", as you put it. Who else is on your list?

[xavierj]

I'm still very concerned that since Sean took over Xavier has lost 4 players and gained none. Being on somebodies final 8 list doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling. I love the nucleus that we have coming back but we need to supplement it. It's been too quiet for me.

In this climate I think the hush is by design. No reason to let all the other coaches know who you are trying to land. They are being picky as well which also fine with me. We should also see one last rush of guys hitting the portal over the next week.

[D-West & PO-Z]

I know only of Odom, Stanley, and (perhaps) Ward being "lost", as you put it. Who else is on your list?

My guess is he was referencing Scruggs and Johnson who were "lost" to graduation.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

I tend to agree with some above, too often Steele made quick transfer splashes with mixed results. I think those even tended to lean to not working out.

Many of his recruits didn’t pan out either. He targeted the most stars, I think all too often. Some here called it off season wins which is all we got. The fact is recruit rankings are someone’s opinion. You have to be able to see talent that will translate to a high D1 level.

Miller know the game, he has seen success and failure all too often and knows how to put a team together and get the most out game of them. I trust in giving him time to evaluate the current talent and how any and all incoming freshmen and/or transfers might compliment it.

My point is, let’s not overly miss a recruiting or transfer win for late season wins because I am going to guess the late season ones will be more plentiful.

[JTG]

I tend to agree with some above, too often Steele made quick transfer splashes with mixed results. I think those even tended to lean to not working out.

Many of his recruits didn’t pan out either. He targeted the most stars, I think all too often. Some here called it off season wins which is all we got. The fact is recruit rankings are someone’s opinion. You have to be able to see talent that will translate to a high D1 level.

Miller know the game, he has seen success and failure all too often and knows how to put a team together and get the most out game of them. I trust in giving him time to evaluate the current talent and how any and all incoming freshmen and/or transfers might compliment it.

My point is, let’s not overly miss a recruiting or transfer win for late season wins because I am going to guess the late season ones will be more plentiful.

This is the tough part of the Steele era. He was instrumental in recruiting most of the stars of the Mack era, then Mack molded them into a team. Steele was good at getting the ingredients from the store, but a lousy cook when it came time to bake the cake.

[noteggs]

Looks like we have a full staff. Guess he has a similar role as Brooks?

https://twitter.com/m12teranderson/status/1518292475701460992?s=10&t=sVvBAWm4FD17OgwywF72UA

[GIMMFD]

I tend to agree with some above, too often Steele made quick transfer splashes with mixed results. I think those even tended to lean to not working out.

Many of his recruits didn’t pan out either. He targeted the most stars, I think all too often. Some here called it off season wins which is all we got. The fact is recruit rankings are someone’s opinion. You have to be able to see talent that will translate to a high D1 level.

Miller know the game, he has seen success and failure all too often and knows how to put a team together and get the most out game of them. I trust in giving him time to evaluate the current talent and how any and all incoming freshmen and/or transfers might compliment it.

My point is, let’s not overly miss a recruiting or transfer win for late season wins because I am going to guess the late season ones will be more plentiful.

I'm 100% with you on that, I rather not rush and get a poor fit and break up chemistry of the team, Coach Miller has a proven pedigree and track record and is looking for certain guys that fit what he wants to do with this roster. I'm completely fine with him taking his time and finding the right pieces to complete our team, even if we do have a couple holes that we need filled. I like the core coming back, and think it can be built upon and improved, but I don't see any reason to rush right now either. I also don't think all the dominos are even close to falling in the portal, we'll probably see some more chaos after finals and what not.

[atljar]

Agree

Re: Ward. He posted this weekend with his final few schools. X not on the list. LSU, G-Town, VT the final few (From memory)

[noteggs]

Great interview with Sean. Two things I found interesting 1) said he would’ve never left if X was in BE 2) said Freemantle is returning. Granted, he could change his mind over the next week

https://soundcloud.com/compass-media/college-hoops-today-with-jon-rothstein-xaviers-sean-miller

[paulxu]

Speaking of Sean Miller, this guy clearly has a hard on for Thad Matta:


Where Miller has the advantage over Matta is that he isn’t a lying weasel.

https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2022/4/21/23035750/xavier-now-has-the-best-coach-in-the-big-east-sean-miller

[XU-PA]

Freemantle is in for team 101!!

https://twitter.com/XavierGrit/status/1518675741235372035?t=7uAxFjk8QVQZChpsFAJ1nQ&s=19

[SemajParlor]

Great interview with Sean. Two things I found interesting 1) said he would’ve never left if X was in BE 2) said Freemantle is returning. Granted, he could change his mind over the next week

https://soundcloud.com/compass-media/college-hoops-today-with-jon-rothstein-xaviers-sean-miller

Listened to this as well. Good way to spend 30 minutes.

[noteggs]

Another interview with Sean. Season can’t get here soon enough. Good interview with coach Neptune after.

https://www.ncaa.com/video/basketball-men/2022-05-04/sean-miller-discusses-returning-coaching-xavier

[xudash]

Another interview with Sean. Season can’t get here soon enough. Good interview with coach Neptune after.

https://www.ncaa.com/video/basketball-men/2022-05-04/sean-miller-discusses-returning-coaching-xavier

Thanks for sharing. You are so right - - it can't get here soon enough.

I just want to emphasize - my opinion, obviously - that Sean will be with us for the long haul. Jay Wright had his reasons for stepping down, most likely perhaps for reasons that include the entire NIL space and issues with building a culture while having to deal with the portal. A class act; I respect his decision.

But my point is that I don't see Sean burning out having to deal with NIL and the portal. His father was a high school basketball coaching legend in Western PA. As all of you know, Sean appeared on Johnny Carson one evening to exhibit his skills when he was about 9 or 10. He was a star player for Pitt. IT IS IN HIS BLOOD AND BONES. He'll MAKE it work at Xavier at a high level of success.

Finally, as a truly whacko thought with where we're headed, imagine Xavier in the E8 next year. Tied game. Seven seconds left. Colby can't get it to Jack Nunge this time around, but he finds Jerome Hunter open behind the arc. The ball is passed in. A few dribbles to create a more open shot. The shot goes up. And it is nothing but net for the F4. I would simultaneously laugh and cry with pure joy if such a crazy thing were to happen.

[Jumpin_Jamal_Forever]

Another interview with Sean. Season can’t get here soon enough. Good interview with coach Neptune after.

https://www.ncaa.com/video/basketball-men/2022-05-04/sean-miller-discusses-returning-coaching-xavier

In the above interview and in an interview or presser when he was first hired, Miller talked about changing things up at Arizona and building a roster in a whole new way. When I first heard him say it, I thought it was likely just a reference to looking past a player's basketball and physical skills and also trying to assess values, character, etc. But that's not really anything new for most coaches.

In the above interview Miller mentioned it again and pointed out that it takes time to see the effects of this new process. I'm now starting to wonder if he has some type of model, recipe or secret sauce to which he is referring. Anybody have insight into this?

[XUGRAD80]

In the above interview and in an interview or presser when he was first hired, Miller talked about changing things up at Arizona and building a roster in a whole new way. When I first heard him say it, I thought it was likely just a reference to looking past a player's basketball and physical skills and also trying to assess values, character, etc. But that's not really anything new for most coaches.

In the above interview Miller mentioned it again and pointed out that it takes time to see the effects of this new process. I'm now starting to wonder if he has some type of model, recipe or secret sauce to which he is referring. Anybody have insight into this?

In a past interview that I either read or heard he talked about not “chasing stars” and said that he would recruit for fit. He wants players that have not just the desire to win, but have the desire to do all the work and prep that it takes to win. He wants players that will sacrifice and put the team first. I think that he got burned by some players that came to Arizona with a “me first” attitude and some of his teams never developed as well as they might have because of that.

Personally I find this approach refreshing.

[IM4X]

Another interview with Sean. Season can’t get here soon enough. Good interview with coach Neptune after.

https://www.ncaa.com/video/basketball-men/2022-05-04/sean-miller-discusses-returning-coaching-xavier

Thanks for posting. I gotta say, I really wish these people interviewing Sean would do a little more homework and watch his previous interviews. Maybe they’d come up with some new questions to ask him so we aren’t all hearing the same few responses again and again. It literally feels like the previous guy who interviewed Sean just emailed his questions to Andy Katz to ask again.

[xukeith]

Thanks for posting. I gotta say, I really wish these people interviewing Sean would do a little more homework and watch his previous interviews. Maybe they’d come up with some new questions to ask him so we aren’t all hearing the same few responses again and again. It literally feels like the previous guy who interviewed Sean just emailed his questions to Andy Katz to ask again.

I imagine the best interview will be the AFO fundraiser where fans can ask lots of questions

[D-West & PO-Z]

My dad met a guy the other day decked out in Xavier gear. My dad brought up Sean Miller and asked the guy how excited he was, the guy was not too enthusiastic. Didn't know that was possible!

[muskiefan82]

My dad met a guy the other day decked out in Xavier gear. My dad brought up Sean Miller and asked the guy how excited he was, the guy was not too enthusiastic. Didn't know that was possible!

There are a few out there who are still dwelling on what happened at Arizona or that he left X before. They aren't seeing the big picture and what this has already done for X as far as perception among recruits and the vast majority of fans. Winning will fix the enthusiasm level.

[Xavier]

Didn’t want to start a new thread, does anyone know when Sean’s hearing is? I know it’s this summer. Didn’t know if there was an actual date. Hopeful he can coach early season tournament but I’d doubt it.

[xukeith]

Didn’t want to start a new thread, does anyone know when Sean’s hearing is? I know it’s this summer. Didn’t know if there was an actual date. Hopeful he can coach early season tournament but I’d doubt it.

I don't believe it is a date but rather a time between July-August.