D's earn Degree's

I feel as though the best posts are the ones that basically say what you would like to say, but in someone else's words.  Enter Eamonn Brennan's assessment of the offseason coaching carousel.  Thankfully he rates GT's hire of BG a lot lower than UD's hire of Archie, which gives us some sort of lingering hope that the next 8 years will be better than the last.

Brennan states:

Dayton
Hire: Archie Miller
Replaced: Brian Gregory
Grade: A
Comments: Dayton fans deserve to be excited about more than hosting the First Four. This loyal, passionate fan base -- which has seen an economic downturn devastate an already struggling local economy, and seen its team limp to too many NIT berths under former coach Brian Gregory -- deserves to be excited about its Flyers, too. Enter Archie Miller. At 32, Miller will be one of the youngest coaches in Division I hoops, but he doesn't lack for experience, and even a hint of his older brother Sean's success would count as a major boon to UD fans.

Georgia Tech
Hire: Brian Gregory
Replaced: Paul Hewitt
Grade: D
Comments: In case you thought this class was an easy A, allow me to present the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and their new coach, former Dayton head man Brian Gregory. Gregory has had some success as a head coach, but he was one of the least inspiring hires in recent memory. When Dayton fans are cheering a coach's move to another school with snarky on-campus signs, you know something's not quite right. Tech doesn't deserve an F here, if only because its budget was hamstrung by Paul Hewitt's still-incredible $7 million buyout. Belt-tightening or no, though, Tech could have scoured the mid-major ranks for any number of more exciting candidates with arguably higher upsides.

It is just about that time for Blackburn to interview the top incoming prospect, errrrr...when's part II with Katie Butler happening?

Eamonn Brennan's Hoopsbag is Leaking Red & Blue Fluid

ESPN'er Eamonn Brennan answered a query regarding our Gem City cagers in the most recent edition of his "Hoopsbag" :

Ryan from Dayton, Ohio writes: Eamonn, what are your predictions on the Dayton Flyers for this year?

Brennan: The Flyers have an extremely interesting returners/departures dynamic happening this season. They return their most talented players: Chris Wright, who might be the favorite for A-10 player of the year honors this year, eschewed an NBA jump to return for his senior season. Chris Johnson, the team's second leading scorer in 2009-10, took a big step forward last year. And Paul Williams, the team's best defender, is still around. But Dayton also lost five seniors from last year's NIT-title team, and while that sort of core attrition can be hard to quantify, it can also be hard to overcome. (For example: Does Dayton man up and streak to an NIT bid if those five seniors aren't around? Maybe, but maybe not.)

Fortunately, there's a pretty great recruiting class arriving this season. That class includes one player ranked in the ESPNU 100, point guard Juwan Staten, the No. 12-ranked player at his position in 2010. That's a big addition as Staten could start immediately. How he plays, and how coach Brian Gregory incorporates the rest of his young guys around the talented mainstays will be the difference between another NIT season and a top-two finish in the Atlantic-10 and NCAA tourney berth. In other words, I don't know! Like I said, it's a strange dynamic. But if I had to lay a bet, I'd say Dayton makes the tournament. There's still an awful lot of talent there.

Brennan hits the nail on the head here. The most compelling storyline for this year's Flyer club is the uncertainty surrounding its potential. Compare that to last year, when UD was slotted to not only win the A-10 (how did that one work out for the BG apologists?) but also make some noise in the NCAA Tournament. Obviously, neither happened and UD had to close out its season in the Not Important Tournament, playing glorified scrimmages in front of fan bases desperate for a positive spin on disappointing seasons.

I'm anticipating this season more than previous ones simply because I have absolutely no expectations. We have no clue how UD's freshmen will perform, no idea if we have any production coming from our big men and certainly no indication whether or not this year will be a success or not. UD could win the A10 or finish tenth and I wouldn't be even slightly surprised. We literally have no idea what this season holds for the Flyers, and that's a very good thing.

Xavier's Uniforms are ELITE! & the Chris Mack Story will Inspire

When you post for the sake of posting, you end up with something like this. Eamonn Brennan, who is clearly looking harder for things to write about than us, wrote this quick blurb about Our Overlords to the South's new uniforms:

From a purely visual standpoint, Xavier's new Nike uniforms -- announced by the school Friday -- are pretty awesome. The white, blue, and grey combination of Xavier's jersey, if I may say so myself, a rather fetching colorway, regardless of design. But the best part of Xavier's new threads are the shorts, which feature a big X that goes from the waist to the knee. It's a very cool look, and anyone who agnostically buys college basketball shorts (ahem, guilty as charged) on the regular should keep their eye out for the Musketeers. That's good stuff.

I will admit, I have a bit of a basketball short fetish. So when these things officially go on sale I'm going to snag a pair or at the very least print out a picture of the shorts and pay a Chinese person to make me a cheap replica.

On a related matter, I took a quick look around Xavier's online store and was shocked (shocked! I tell you) at the quality of their merch. Legitimate Nike apparel and clothes that looked like they were manufactured with actual taste and comfort in mind. For a UD fan, it was fucking mind-blowing.

If you want to compare UD and XU, and why would you ever want to stop participating in that particular exercise in futility, start with each university's bookstore offerings and work backwards. UD's gear looks like the type of clothing poor Slovaks wear to shave their sheep and slaughter cattle. Turrrible. Xavier's online store even has the girl's shorts with the school's name plastered on the ass. Those are the type of shorts that women should have to step on a scale before they are even allowed the opportunity to peruse. They should keep those shorts in a glass case behind the counter so only the most confident of lasses would even consider purchasing them. They should only make those shorts in the following sizes: small and extra small. I think you get my point, fat girls are the fucking worst.

Anyway, there's more than meets the eye with these particular basketball shorts.

According to the school's release, the new uniforms are part of the Nike NTS Contract. What does this mean? Apparently, it's the "highest level of Nike contract [a school] can obtain without winning a basketball national championship." There's a reason that seemingly innocuous information was included in Xavier's release. That's because it dovetails perfectly with Xavier's attempts to change its reputation from a strong mid-major to a member of the national elite.

I'm not sure a pair of basketball shorts are going to change the nation's perception of Xavier's program, only denim cutoffs would do that, but I guess it's all about the company you keep.

The 30-35 schools at this level currently include Texas, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh and Florida State. Xavier is one of only six schools without BCS football that are at the NTS level, joining Gonzaga, Marquette, Saint John’s, Georgetown and Villanova.

“This is another important part of what sets Xavier apart as an elite basketball program,” said Xavier head coach Chris Mack. “Our players love the new uniforms and I know our fans will as well.”

Well done, Xavier. Well done. These unis are sleek and sensual, and I will get my aristocratic hands on a pair of those shorts at some point this season.  

Lastly, 4 REALZ??:

I realize Xavier had a decent year last season, and they played in arguably the best game of the NCAA Tournament, but was Chris Mack's "journey" something that had to be captured in book form?

I'm much more excited to read the book on the right, all about UD's 2009-10 season. I know Donnie worked hard on the book all summer, so please go out there and support him. The story of the 2010 NIT Championship -- with Donoher's keen insights and sentence fragments!

No, but seriously, there's a book about Chris Mack and last year's Xavier team. Can you say stocking stuffer?

Best Case, Worst Case

ESPN.com blogger Eamonn Brennan, who in my opinion looks just like hunky BR blogger Harry Baujan, revealed his take on the best case/worst case scenario for the Atlantic 10. Nothing mind-blowing, just a straight-forward and predictable take on the conference as a whole.

A few choice nugs:

Dayton

Best case: A 2010-11 NCAA tournament appearance shouldn't be the best case for Dayton. It should be the only case. The Flyers dropped a host of close games on their way to an NIT berth (and eventual title) in 2009-10; all told, they were a bit unlucky to miss out. With forward Chris Wright back for another season, it'd be a shock to see the 2010-11 Flyers suffer the same fate.

Worst case: 2009-10 all over again. This is an NCAA tournament team. Or, at least, it should be.

Have to take exception to what Brennan believes would be a "shock." Even the most ardent Prider wouldn't be surprised to see the Flyers miss the Dance again this season. Yes, UD does bring back enough talent to put itself in the post-season discussion, but there are certainly enough holes to put that possibility in doubt.  Relying on freshman is usually a recipe for disaster unless you are Kentucky or Duke. It's hard to imagine that Staten, Parker, et al. will hit the ground running and transition smoothly into Gregory's system. (Not saying it can't or won't happen, just that it's not reasonably foreseeable.) Consider that UD will have next to no interior presence, and it's hard to imagine that an NCAA berth is to be expected.

If the worst case scenario means another appearance in the NIT, I can accept that. I would like nothing more than to replace my current "NIT Champion" car floor mats with a "Back-to-Back NIT Champion" set. 

Rhode Island

Best case: Featuring the best returner from a potent offensive lineup -- the Rams finished No. 37 in the country in offensive efficiency last season -- in senior forward Delroy James, the Rams incorporate new 7-foot-3 project Blake Vedder alongside seven-foot center Will Martell to dominate A-10 teams on the interior. If so, the Rams compete for the A-10 title again, and you hear from them in March.

Worst case: Vedder doesn't pan out and guards Marquis Jones, Steve Meija, and Akeem Richmond can't make up for the backcourt losses of Keith Cochran and Lamonte Ullner, leaving the Rams imbalanced and unable to repeat their 26-win 2009-10 season.

The Rams, on paper, present a curious case. With Martell and Vedder, URI boasts the A-10's only Twin Tower combination, albeit a post 9/11 version, but still, those are some tall motherfuckers. (Whenever a seven footer is listed as a "project" you know that means he has the mobility of Stephen Hawking in a closet.) Still, with Jones, James, and Richmond, the Rams have a solid nucleus. If they can get some production, especially defensively, from their mongoloids, Jim Baron's group could compete for a tourney spot.

More than likely, the worst case scenario takes place: a solid, but unspectacular season. URI always seems destined for a late-season swoon, and this year will likely serve up more of the same.

Richmond

Best case: Kevin Anderson is back. That's great news for a Richmond team that broke out in 2009-10, winning 26 games and making the NCAA tournament for the first time in coach Chris Mooney's tenure. If all goes well, Anderson will star again, and the Spiders will justify their considerable preseason hype with an A-10 title.

Worst case: The loss of senior guard David Gonzalez, Richmond's most efficient offensive player last season, leaves Anderson exposed in the backcourt. Senior forwards Justin Harper and Dan Geriot can't make up for the loss of Gonzalez's ability, and the Spiders, instead of surging into the national scene, take a step back into the middle of the A-10 muck.

The more I look at Richmond, the less I like their chances. I say that with all due respect, because I really like Anderson, HC Mooney and the cagey Geriot. However, next to Crawford, Gonzalez will be the hardest player to replace in the conference. Although Harper is solid, and Geriot should be able to contribute more this season, the onus falls squarely on Anderson to carry the Spiders to another NCAA tournament run. While Anderson is certainly one of the most talented, and more importantly clutch, players in the A-10, it's hard to imagine him doing it all by himself.

I still think the Spiders have more than enough to finish top three in the league, but someone needs to step up and take the scoring burden off of Anderson to make this team a consistent performer next season.

Saint Louis

Best case: Were it not for three late losses to three of the league's best teams (Xavier, Temple, and Rhode Island), Rick Majerus' surprising Billikens would have made the NCAA tournament. With most of that talent returning (and, theoretically, maturing), St. Louis's best case features an Atlantic-10 title.

Worst case: The 2009-10 Billikens' defense was never a problem. Their No. 190-ranked adjusted offensive efficiency was. If St. Louis doesn't rebound its own misses or get to the free throw line more frequently than last year, Majerus could have another good-but-not-great season on his hands.

This is it for the Rick, a season that could change the entire culture of the SLU program. The Bills have everything you need to win a title: experience, depth, size, contempt, a healthy understanding of the male form in its natural state. The worst case scenario for Majerus is anything but a trip to the NCAA tournament. There is no silver lining if Saint Louis fails to get it done this year. Just the taunting reminder of what could have been, and towels that never seem to smell fresh, no matter how hard you scrub them.

Temple

Best case: Temple wasn't supposed to win the A-10 title in 2009-10; most thought Fran Dunphy'syoung team needed a year to grow into the role. Not so much: Temple featured one of the nation's best defenses last season, and with all of the key players returning, that shouldn't change. Best case is another title, but this time, with a few NCAA tournament wins to complement it.

Worst case: It's hard to envision Temple taking a step back, but if it does, it will have the loss of Ryan Brooks' efficient point guard play to thank. For as good as its defense was, Temple can't afford to worsen on offense.

Temple is going to be in the field of 68, mark it down. They got the coaching, the defense and enough pieces to dominate the conference again this year. The worst case scenario for this program would be an erratic A-10 performance, one that leads to a 8+ seed in the NCAA tourney.  The Owls will be looking to play into the second weekend this season. Ramone Moore steps in for Brooks, and Temple doesn't miss a beat.

Xavier

Best case: The Musketeers lost a lot this offseason. Star guard Jordan Crawford, one of the country's most exciting scorers, is off to NBA pastures, and anchor forward Jason Love, the team's most efficient offensive player, graduated. If Jamel McLean can make up for Love's absence and Terrell Holloway can assume some of Crawford's scoring load, Xavier should be able to do what it always does: win in the A-10 and make the NCAA tournament.

Worst case: This is easier to envision, though not necessarily more likely. Crawford was incredibly high-usage last season -- he took the 12th-highest percentage of his team's shots in the country -- and if Xavier struggles to plug that hole with Holloway and crew, Xavier could break its impressive streak of NCAA tournament runs.

Xavier is Xavier. The worst case scenario never seems to happen to programs like theirs. I'm not confident that Xavier will win the league this year, no one seems to be, but I'd bet good money that they will once again make the postseason. Xavier, like Dayton, may need some of its freshmen to step up and produce immediately to enjoy a successful campaign.

You can't fully judge the Musketeers until they start playing their conference slate. Although they may take some lumps in the OOC schedule, X should have no problem winning 10-12 conference games this year. Xavier, and Temple, are always the most mentally prepared teams coming into league play, so don't be surprised if Xavier is competing for the league crown come mid-February.