Kevin Parrom (Offer)

[golfitup]

I gotta say, this off season has been AWESOME so far. If he goes to Arizona I might lose it.

[PM Thor]

I'm not surprised in the least. The guys who have left seemed to be interested in only being under Miller, and didn't buy into the whole concept behind the Xavier program.

I don't want this to sound bitter, because it really isn't, but if Kevin doesn't want to be at Xavier, I don't want him at Xavier. I wish him well and hope he finds a good fit for himself.

I HATE dayton.

[bobbiemcgee]

I'm not sure he would've played that much, unless D Brown goes to NBA. He was a top 150, so we need to get another one or a transfer. We're still two deep everywhere.

[PMI]

I'm not surprised in the least. The guys who have left seemed to be interested in only being under Miller, and didn't buy into the whole concept behind the Xavier program.

I don't want this to sound bitter, because it really isn't, but if Kevin doesn't want to be at Xavier, I don't want him at Xavier. I wish him well and hope he finds a good fit for himself.

I HATE dayton.

I've heard this argument a lot on here and I don't really agree. Would he be any less of a player for coming here for a coach than he would coming here for the "Xavier family" concept? I don't think so. I think most of the players who buy into the Xavier Way thing do so after having already been a part of it, not before. Stanley Burrell is a great example of someone who really shows that he believes in it and appreciates being a part of the XU family, but if he had gotten an offer from, say, Indiana, when he was 19, or could have been a lottery pick after his sophomore year, for example, I think his tone wold have changed. I believe that Xavier has a special program and that our players can see that, but they don't just come onto campus with a complete grasp of that. Anyone who does would be extremely mature and focused for his age, and like it or not not all of our players are (were) at that age. It's about SELLING this concept to a player and having him buy it. Miller sold it to him and then left, and took Book. Do we really expect Parrom to turn around after that and say, "Shame about Miller and Book, but I didn't come here for them, I came here for Xavier," and honor his LOI? It would be nice, no doubt, but it's not very realistic and it doesn't make me feel any less about him or about wanting him here.

I wish we could have Parrom still. If he wasn't crazy about the campus and thought the girls weren't hot enough and that the caf food wasn't that sweet and didn't want to go to house parties in Norwood, etc., then maybe after losing Miller and Book, Xavier just didn't interest him the same way. When I looked at Xavier there were a handful of things that I wasn't crazy about to go along with the things that made me choose it, but if one or two of those things (say the basketball program and Soupies) were cancelled before I made my decision, I'm pretty sure nobody could have sold me on the "Xavier Way" over some warm-weather school with lots of hot girls.

I know you don't seem bitter Thor, so this isn't directed at you, just at the general argument that we don't want a player unless he wants Xavier. Personally, I want any good player we can get because I'm confident that the XU program could grow on them and that they would realize how possible it is to succeed here. I would take Parrom back in a heartbeat.

[stophorseabuse]

I have said very little throughout this whole ordeal. I am fine with the hiring of Mack. However, the future of this program has now been completely dismantled by Miller. Mack has a hell of a job to do to rebuild it.

X looks to have no class in 09, and we are now WAY behind in 2010. This is a major problem. right now we have NO ONE on board to be true Jr's and Sr's in 12-13. Lyons and Walsh would be seniors that year so long as they stay.

Mack has not been dealt the same fortune Miller was with the incomings. Miller was able to keep Odia, Burrell, and Duncan. two of which led him to the E8. Mack has NO ONE right now. I gotta say, I wish X would have ponied up big $$ to keep Book. We would still be looking at Parrom and Latham. As it stands Sean Miller is destroying the foundation of Xavier basketball. Next year may be our last good shot at a final 4, assuming Brown comes back--and it's going to have to be done with an unproven coach.

Yeah, Im concerned.
________
FTX

[LadyMuskie]

I want to say that if Parrom doesn't want to be here then good riddance, but I really think he would have been an asset to our team, and if he changes his mind I think we should welcome him with open arms! With each passing day we seem to be losing more ground in the all important recruiting game. I'm not blaming Mack by any means, but something is not clicking with him and the recruits. I realize Book was our go to guy on the East coast, but its making me very nervous for our future that he can't convince the recruits to stay on board who had already committed. I'm not saying I have no faith in Mack, but stophorseabuse is right - he has a hell of a job ahead of him. I'm hoping that once he has his staff in place, things will turn around, but in the meantime, I don't think its wrong to be a little worried.

[wkrq59]

Several knowns:
1)Mack does have a helluva job ahead of him and he knew that when he took it. The 2010 de-commits were almost instaneous the day Sean left and Parrom after phone calls from Book and Miller --tampering????---jumped ship. And please don't try to tell me those calls weren't made. If Sean could flat out lie and say Xavier didn't try to match or come close to matching AZ's offer, he could also tamper with a signed recruit.
2.)Xavier will be alright. We'll have to tone back our unrealistic Final Four expectations to more realistic goals. The main thing is to keep all the players on the present roster.
3.) I'm confident Chris Mack and his new staff, which is one short, remember, will be able to replace the three lost, maybe even get Weatherspoon and Latham back in the fold. But I doubt Parrom.
4.) It would be nice to find a replacement for Parrom because the upcoming team may have some problems scoring and Kevin might have given XU a little more depth.
5.) I don't wish Sean any ill will, but I do think the NCAA needs to strengthen the LOI or get rid of it all--together. I have no idea on how to replace it, but right now an LOI is as good as a college coach's contract.
6.)There's no sense even discussing Sean any more because Xavier needs to move on and so do we. The bullsh!t of what might have been is just that, bull excrement. Forget it.
7.) Xavier will not always be the same Xavier as has been. Under the direction of Fr. Graham, Mike B. and Chris, Xavier basketball can and will improve.
8.) While some rumors might be fodder for speculation and concern, they can also be damaging to the program and grossly unfair. Forget 'em.
9.) Last year at this time, Terrell Holloway and Jordan Crawford were not on the horizon and today they are at Xavier.
10.) From what I have seen and know of Chris Mack, he's not going to sit idly by as Sean rapes his program, if that is what's ahead and I have my doubts that it is. Rest assured he'll find a solution. Who knows, those three kids may have a change of heart and they may not. Things were pretty grim a few years ago when Odia and Lucas transferred and even later Death Wish and Adrion Graves left, but Xavier survived.
We might have to temper our expectations but not out fealty and enthusiasm. And PMThor will still hate Dayton..:D

[GuyFawkes38]

Not surprised. Mack did the right thing (when Bruce Pearl took the Tennessee job, he forced a kid who signed the LOI to come to Tennessee. It's just the wrong thing to do).

I have to disagree with the Q (who I normally agree with). Strengthening the LOI when college coaches switch schools so much does not seem like a good idea (did Holloway sing a LOI for Indiana last year...I'm X has benefited somewhere in the past for kids getting out of it).

[AviatorX]

I want to say that if Parrom doesn't want to be here then good riddance, but I really think he would have been an asset to our team, and if he changes his mind I think we should welcome him with open arms! With each passing day we seem to be losing more ground in the all important recruiting game. I'm not blaming Mack by any means, but something is not clicking with him and the recruits. I realize Book was our go to guy on the East coast, but its making me very nervous for our future that he can't convince the recruits to stay on board who had already committed. I'm not saying I have no faith in Mack, but stophorseabuse is right - he has a hell of a job ahead of him. I'm hoping that once he has his staff in place, things will turn around, but in the meantime, I don't think its wrong to be a little worried.

How can you make this statement based of the fact that he "lost" an what was clearly an uphill battle in keeping Parrom signed and also that Spoon and Latham decommited BEFORE Chris was even hired.

Something must have clicked when Mack was the lead recruiter on some of our best contributing players...

[JimmyTwoTimes37]

I agree with you WKRC. its time to move on. Easier said than done, especially when Parrom, Weatherspoon and latham are all interested in Arizona now...all after Kyryl. just annoying. We'll be ok in the short term, but the 09 class is pretty much cleaned out, and were at a disadvantage with 10. Next year is crucial. Make another Xavier type run deep into the NCAA, and all that recruiting will come back...at least thats the hope. We've seen how easy it is firsthand for a team to fall from the top (UC). The margin for error is so small. We just have to support/trust mack and the program.