The Pride is Back!

The A-10's past ten years A sincere congratulations to Jordan Crawford for becoming the first A-10 player drafted in the first round since 2006 (Temple’s Mardy Collins was the league's last first rounder). UD Pride’s obsession is now the exclusive property of the Hawks. Crawford was selected with the 27th pick by the New Jersey Nets before being traded to Atlanta . Fair thee well, Mr. Crawford. You were a pleasure to watch, one of those rare players that elevates his play at the most essential moments of a game. But, you can’t hurt us anymore.

Now before we proceed, keep in mind I am by no means a connoisseur of the National Basketball Association. I think professional basketball is essentially unwatchable, just a nearly endless series of guys going one-on-one between commerical breaks. Honestly, I’ve seen more of Betty White (quickly moving up the list of the world's most overrated humans) than real-time NBA action this past season, but I got opinions and observations anyway:

• First off, what is wrong with Evan Turnover’s voice?  I could barely understand what the fuck was coming out of Mushmouth Magillicutty’s trap. Chris Burke annunciates like Sidney Poitier in comparison to Turner.  He’s got a little Urkle vibe to him too, doesn’t he? Anyway, good luck to the kid. I’m sure not being able to dribble with your left hand will translate well on the next level.

• SHOCKED, just absolutely shocked, that the Jazz overreached for Gordon Hayward at number nine. Can we just check Utah’s financial records and verify that they are funded by the Aryan Nation? Put this in the back of your mind and recall it in about five years: Gordon Hayward was a lottery pick in the NBA Draft. Oh, and Jon Scheyer went undrafted, so...

• Does Kevin Durant have any friends? Every time I look up the dude is sitting in a crowd somewhere by himself like a priest at a playground. You gotta get out there, Kev. You are going to find this somewhat surprising, but females seem to like rich professional athletes. Sitting in the stands like a yahoo from Huntington at the NBA Draft is not the way an NBA star of your caliber should be passing his precious time. You are starting to give me Ricky Williams vibes. What is it about Austin, Texas that retards human development?

• The Atlantic Ten had more draft picks (1) than the Pac-10 (0). The Mayans were right, we are all doomed.
  
  
• Scottie Reynolds becomes the first AP All-American to go undrafted. Sherron Collins didn't get selected either. There are always countless stories of guys who should have stayed in school a year or two longer, these two are a lesson in why you should just take the money and run sometimes. Collins would have been a first-round lock during last year's draft and Reynolds would have likley been a late first-rounder/early second-rounder as well. Willie Warren was another guy that cost himself millions by coming back for another year.

• Kentucky placed five guys, including a sub, in the first round. Un-fucking-believable.  I can’t imagine this will ever happen again. John Calipari now has the easiest selling job in college basketball. “Kid, just breathe the same air that I do and I’ll make you a multi-millionaire in a year.”

• London Warren, undrafted.

• The A-10 has a decent shot of getting another draftee in the first-round next year, as Aaric Murray is likely to leave after the upcoming season. In addition, the league could get as many as four players in 2011's draft: Lavoy Allen, Chris Wright and Damian Saunders could all go mid-to-late second round next year.

• This is not going to get a lot of attention on the I-webs or the Twitters (thank you Obama!), but UC Riverside’s Kyle Austin has perhaps opened the door on yet another way to approach the draft process—turn pro during the draft.

UC Riverside forward Kyle Austin, the second-leading scorer in the Big West, will forgo his final year of eligibility to pursue a professional career, the school announced tonight.

The 6-foot-8 junior twice led the Highlanders in scoring after transferring from USC, averaging 17.6 points and 7.4 rebounds this season.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for the coaching staff and the program, and they all played a big part in helping me reach this point in my development as a basketball player," Austin said in a statement. "But at this time I believe that the best way for me to continue that development is to begin my professional career."

Sheer genius, Mr. Austin. You may soon become college basketball's version of Curt Flood. If you are John Wall or Derrick Favors, declare your intention to turn professional as soon as possible. Sign with an agent, get a nice car, some walking around money, organize an impressive entourage, etc. However, if you are on the cusp of the draft, meaning you have an outside shot of getting drafted somewhere in mid-to-late second round (and still have academic eligibility left), why not pull an Austin and declare during the draft? Granted this would be a viable option for only a small segment of college basketball players, notably the ones with professional ability that are tired of pretending to be students, but it would give those in the right situation an opportunity to "venue shop" and put themselves in their best possible situation. 

Let's say you are a marginal college talent just wrapping up your junior year of college. Let's say you have an outside shot at getting drafted late in the second round if you came out early. Let's say that you really want to leave school early and move on with your life. Let's just go ahead and give this hypothetical college basketball player a name, let's call him Kris Write.

What if Kris Write was sitting around last night watching the NBA Draft and got inspired. He sees a few players that he played against getting selected throughout the night, becoming rich men in the process. Hey, he thinks, there's no reason I can't drop out of school right now and start calling NBA teams to let them know I've decided to turn pro. In fact, it may be my best case scenario. I can find teams who could best use a player of my talents, thereby giving myself a decent chance of catching on with a pro team.

I'm not sure if Austin's move is a good one for his future or not. I've never even heard of the kid until last night. However, the timing of his declaration is certainly not coincidental. Either he or someone close to him figured out this little loophole and decided to go ahead with it. Clearly, Kyle Austin is not the ideal guinea pig to utilize this particular method, but isn't it possible that future college players could use this avenue to their advantage? What am I missing here?

• A quickie about Chris Wright from Dooger's blog:

Wright has been trying to shore up the weak spots in his game, saying he’s concentrating on “jump shots, changing speeds, not rushing, slowing down. I’ve got to get my footwork down. I’ve been taking a lot of quality shots, not quantity. Some people get up 1,000 shots a day. That’s good to do, but not if they’re the wrong shots (poor form). It’s quality, not quantity.”

If Wright develops a quality jump shot in games, the Flyer coaches won’t quibble over the quantity.

I'm assuming Doug is just copying and pasting this from something he wrote last summer?

• Lastly, a quick clip of incoming freshman Brandon Spearman:

Chickens come home to roost (or to get paid)

Jordan Crawford won't have the A10 to kick around anymore. JC made the right move, opting out of his last two years of eligibility at Xavier in order to pursue his professional career.

Handed down from the bewitching Shannon Russell of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Xavier sophomore standout Jordan Crawford has hired agent Mark Bartelstein and will remain in the NBA draft. The 6-foot-4 guard had until Saturday to decide whether to remain in the draft or withdraw his name and preserve his college eligibility. He indicated at the team banquet April 13 that he wanted to pursue his NBA dreams, and now he will learn his fate at the June 24 draft in New York.

Good for Crawford, he was the best player in the conference last season (probably the best individual talent the league has had since Jameer Nelson) and really had nothing left to prove on the college level. He even hired a Jewish agent (redundant?), the guy just keeps making right call after right call. 

In other news, Richmond's Kevin Anderson will return for his senior season:

The university announced Friday that the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year will return for his senior season. Anderson declared for the draft last month but did not sign an agent, allowing him to withdraw and maintain his college eligibility.

Anderson said in a news release that the information he gleaned while exploring his options will be helpful in the future.

Of course Anderson said it through a news release. What kind of self-obsessed egomaniac would call a press conference to announce that he was remaining in school?

We still haven't heard anything official from Temple's Lavoy Allen or UMass' Tony Gurley, although I would expect that both would be back for their senior seasons.

The A-10 Rodeo

Unlike Donoher, I think I have some pretty good job security with The Rodeo.  Obviously this masterpiece could not be recreated by anyone other than Harry Baujan himself.  The complicated formula of Recapping Important Games + Top Performers + Upcoming Schedule = Rodeo Success, is quite extensive and difficult to master.  As I write this, I am lamenting over the USA loss and pretending that I have been a huge hockey fan for more than 14 days.  Having the US be so close and then lose it leaves me feeling the same as say, the 6 games that the Flyers have dropped by 4 points or less. 

In an article a while back, I had attributed the discrepancy between last year’s Flyers and this year’s Flyers to luck.  I decided to check up with my guy Ken Pomeroy and while the Flyers were previously the 322nd luckiest team in the country (or unluckiest at this point) they are now the 338th.  For the record, there are 347 D1 basketball programs.  Needless to say, the Flyers better get their four-leaf clovers and rabbit’s feet ready for Selection Sunday, because they will need all the luck they can get.  With that being said, let’s get it started:

News 

I was shocked that in a “must win” road game, that the Flyers decided to collectively leave their jumpers in Dayton.  There is not much to say about this game other than it was dismal at best.  I am fortunate enough to have been on my way home from work during the first half and missed it entirely.  I thought that my BlackBerry was frozen when I went to check the score and it said 19-13 at halftime.  I tuned in after halftime and realized that it was not my BlackBerry it was just the awful shooting by both teams that resulted in that score.  It was the same story line that has plagued the Flyers this entire season, poor shot selection and numerous turnovers.  How many times do “we” have to turn the ball over on the hand off pass on the wing, before we adjust?  It is ridiculous how many telegraphed passes are thrown by this team possession after possession, game after game.  CW kept the Flyers in the game with 12 points and 13 rebounds.  While we are used to seeing Ryan Brooks and Juan Fernandez at the top of the stat sheets for the Owls, the main weapon for them in this game was Lavoy Allen.  The junior forward posted only 9 points but hauled in a ridiculous 17 rebounds.  Allen also added 3 assists and 3 blocks while playing nearly the entire game (39 minutes).  Needless to say, every game is a “must win” for the Flyers after dropping 2 straight.

With Temple improving to 12-2 in conference with the win over the Flyers, it was on to Cincinnati to see who would keep pace with the Owls as Xavier hosted Richmond.  Both squads entered the game with an impressive 11-2 conference record and it took 2 periods of extra time to decide the winner.  For once, Jordan Crawford was not the shining light for the Muskies.  JC had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation as well as at the end of the first overtime, but missed a jumper both times.  Terrell Holloway on the other hand had a stellar game with 24 points, with 11 of them coming in the extra periods, and 5 rebounds.  The Spiders were also lead by someone other than their star, Kevin Anderson.  It was David Gonzalvez that paced the Spiders with an impressive 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 steals.  Look for this game to be very important when it comes to seeding for the AC Showdown. 

Top Performers

Terrell Holloway Xavier vs. Richmond

• As stated above, Holloway stepped his game up when the go-to guy, JC, was not responding in pressure situations.  While his 24 points are very impressive, the 11 points in OT that lead to the win are what really lands him on this list.  The Muskies will rely on Holloway to continue to step up as defenses focus all of their attention on JC.

David Gonzalvez Richmond vs. Xavier

• With Kevin Anderson having an off shooting night (8-21) it was up to Gonzalvez to step up.  He did just that by posting 18 points on 4-7 shooting from behind the arc.  Not only did he lead the team in scoring but the 6’4 guard also pulled a team high 9 rebounds.  As with the above example with Xavier, the Spiders hope to continue to get this production out of Gonzalvez as more defenses zone in on stopping Anderson.

Chris Gaston Fordham vs. St. Bonaventure

• JC loves JCI can’t skip over my boy up north.  Gaston continued his stellar freshman season as the Rams dropped their 19th straight.  Gaston posted his 17th double-double of the year as he poured in 18 points and added 13 rebounds.  Why has BG not rescinded Kav’s scholarship and offered it to Gaston yet?  I would love to get him as a transfer, because the kid can play.

Jordan Crawford Xavier vs. St. Louis

• Come on, you didn’t really think that we would get through a Rodeo without talking about JC as a top performer, did you?  He did it again.  JC posted 26 points on 11-20 shooting and 5 rebounds as the Muskies squeaked by with a 73-71 win.  With this performance, JC is now averaging 20 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 3 APG.  The Flyers can only hope that JC goes pro this spring so they don’t have to worry about stopping the defending A-10 POY next year.

Looking Forward to This Week

Temple @ SLU 3/3

• This is a much more important game for the Billikens than it is for the Owls.  Saint Louis looks to add another quality win to their resume as Temple tries to maintain their #1 position in the conference.  While SLU boasts a 15-2 home record this year, the Owls are a very good road team as they have gone 11-3 in contests away from Philly.  As always, look for guard play to dominate this contest as Fernandez and Brooks match up against Kwamain Mitchell.  I have the Owls winning this one 63-56.

Charlotte @ URI 3/3

• With both teams on the bubble and competing for 4th place in the conference standings, this is sure to be a good match up.  Both teams are coming off of losses and look to rebound as a 2 game losing streak during the home stretch would not be looked on fondly by the committee.  I see the Cookie Monster getting “his” in this game, as the forwards for URI will not be able to contain his size.  Charlotte takes this contest 81-76.

Dayton @ Richmond 3/4

• A must win for the Flyers in this one.  As always, the Flyers have struggled on the road and better not perform like they did in Philly last week.  Richmond does not have too deep of a bench so if they Flyers can get out and run in this game they will be able to wear down the Spiders.  Just because I can’t imagine how many things I will break if they lose this game, I have the Flyers taking home the W with a score of 67-63.

Richmond @ Charlotte 3/6

• With a short turn around for both squads, this will be an early indication of how these teams will fair in AC and possibly the big dance.  Although Richmond is only 6-6 on the road this year, I think their guard play of Anderson and Gonzalvez will be too much to handle for the 49ers.  I’ve got Richmond winning this game, 64-56.

SLU @ Dayton 3/6

• As both team’s big dance hopes hang in the balance, this is sure to be a headed battle.  The Flyers look to avenge their overtime loss at Saint Louis as Slick Rick brings the Billikens to UD Arena.  On senior night the Flyers will not lose at home.  UD rides a 3 game win streak into AC as they take this match up 68-56. 

Be sure to tune in early and often this week, as there are a lot of Hexagon match ups.  This week will determine all of the seeding for AC as well as some team’s tournament chances, whether that is the NCAA or NIT.  Please Flyers do not fuck this up for me.  You have already caused me to lose my hair at a more rapid pace than previously and your play, coupled with my lack of exercise, has made me develop an irregular heartbeat.  If for no other reason than to salvage the little sanity that the Gem City's finest has left, finish the regular season with two wins and head into AC with some momentum.  As with my tweets that Paul Williams reads on a regular basis and takes offense to, I hope BG reads this and posts it on the cork board of the locker room as a form of motivation.  Once again, thanks for tuning into The A10 Rodeo.

The A-10 Rodeo

After a week’s hiatus, I am happy to be back with The A-10 Rodeo.  I know that you all were sitting on the edge of your chairs waiting for The Rodeo last Monday, only for it not to come (that’s what she said).  I apologize for leaving you hanging as I took a page out of the Flyer’s book and came down with a mystery ailment.  We are getting down to crunch time in the A10 and without further ado, let’s get it started:

News 

Still riding the high of their overtime win over Dayton the previous week, the Billikens welcomed URI to the Lou for a showdown.  The game resulted in a Billiken victory 62-57.  SLU spread the love among all of their starters with 4 of the 5 scoring in double figures and the other finishing with 9.  Just when you thought you could count out the Billikens as they dropped 3 of 4 conference games in late January, they have surged back to win their last 6 contests and sit alone in 4th place.  The Billikens will need to continue to ride this wave of success that they’re on if they want to make a case for themselves come Selection Sunday.  The next two weeks will be very telling for this squad as they host Xavier, Duquesne, and Temple and then finish off their regular season with a trip to UD Arena. 

The collapse of Charlotte that everyone thought was coming, is here.  The 49ers were making an improbable run through the A10 and it was only a matter of time until they were stopped.  The skid started with the thwarting they took at UD and then continued as they dropped home contests against Duquesne and Xavier.  The 49ers should be able to snap their losing streak as they welcome the dismal St. Joseph’s Hawks to Charlotte.  The true tests for this Charlotte squad will come as they close out the regular season at URI and then face off against conference leader Richmond at home. 

I don’t think I even have to get into it because if you’re here and reading this website then you’re most likely a UD fan.  The Flyers shit the bed once again on the road.  I knew “we” were in trouble in the first half when it was a tie game and Damian Saunders had yet to get on the board.  Once Saunders removed his head from his ass and realized that if he stops chucking up threes and starts driving to the basket, he will score at will, the Flyers were in trouble.  The difference between Duquesne and UD is that Duquesne, namely Saunders, adjusted their game and UD didn’t.  Despite the fact that he played fairly well, Huelsman on Saunders was a match up from hell for the Flyers.  BG should have made the adjustment to put Benson in on Saunders, once CW picked up his 4th foul with 12 minutes to go.  For those of you who love moral victories: The Professional scored in double digits, P Dub made not one, not two, but FOUR shots.  On the flip side, “we” had a dismal 9 points off the bench and turned the ball over 21 times.  BG and the Flyers better figure out what went wrong in Pittsburgh as they travel to Philly on Wednesday and hope to right ship against the Temple Owls.

Top Performers

Damian Saunders, Duquesne vs. UD

• Saunders started the game by throwing up absurd threes and after missing 3 of them he realized that wasn’t working.  That is when Saunders took the game over.  He finished the contest with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals, including a highway robbery of Rob Lowery in the backcourt that lead to an easy dunk.  Saunders did most of his damage in the 2nd half as the Flyers encountered foul trouble and could not figure out a defense to contain him.  Look for Saunders to be a vital piece as the Dukes look to derail the surging SLU Billikens this Saturday.

Chris Johnson, UD vs. Duquesne

• Unfortunately for the Flyers, Johnson regained consciousness with 4 seconds left in this contest as he spent most of the game unconscious from 3 point.  CJ finished the game with 21 points on 6 of 13 from behind the arc.  The Flyers will look for CJ to continue this shooting display as For-three-zius is still saddled with his knee injury.  CJ will need to have a big game on Wednesday night if the Flyers hope to upset Temple on the road. 

Kevin Anderson, Richmond vs. GW

• Anderson continues to make his personal case for A10 POY.  The Spider guard had a great offensive output against GW as he scored 24 points while pulling down 5 boards and dishing out 7 assists.  Anderson can be pointed to as the main reason why the Spiders are sitting atop the A10 and as of today, are the 24th ranked team in the nation.  Watch out for Anderson to disappear though as he has scored in single digits in 3 of the Spiders last 7 victories. 

Jordan Crawford, Xavier vs. St. Joseph’s/Charlotte

• It just wouldn’t be The Rodeo if I didn’t give a shout out to JC.  Of course he had multiple top performances this week.  In the two games combined JC went for 43 points (17 of 33 shooting), 10 assists, 8 rebounds, and 6 steals.  That, ladies and gentlemen, is why Jordan Crawford IS the A10 Player of the Year.  Lets see if JC can keep it going as the Muskies travel to SLU on Wednesday and host the conference leading Spiders on Sunday.

 Chris Gaston, Fordham vs. URI

• I feel bad for this guy, I really do.  There is not much more that the A10 Freshman of the Year can do than what he is for the god awful Fordham Rams.  Fordham traveled to URI this week only to get their asses handed to them, but not before Gaston could put up 32 points and 10 rebounds.  There is no way that this kid sticks around in NYC, I mean is there? 

Looking Forward to This Week

If the Hexagon has taught us anything, it is that matchups between the top six are crucial wins, and losses against the bottom 8 are UD’s specialty.  We have 3 Hexagon matchups this week:

UD @ Temple 2/24 

• After the Flyers shit the bed @ Duquesne, they have set themselves up for an essential must win against the Owls.  Temple posts an 11-1 record at home this season, while the Flyers come in with a 4-6 road record.  If the UD team that showed up for Xavier and Charlotte comes to Philly then the Flyers can expect a victory.  But if the UD team that traveled to St. Louis and Pittsburgh shows up in Philly, send your RSVP to Blackburn for the NIT party at Marion’s. 

Xavier @ SLU 2/24

• While the Muskies have a pretty good resume for the committee, this is a game they are going to want to win to continue their momentum going into their weekend tilt with the Spiders.  SLU boasts a 14-1 home record, as the Muskies are an average 5-5 on the road.  I think JC goes for 30 in this game as the Muskies snap the Billiken’s win streak at 6.  

Richmond @ Xavier 2/28

• If the Muskies can win at SLU, they will enter this matchup with at least a share of the conference lead with Richmond, and possible Temple.  With the conference lead on the line, this matchup is sure to be a good one.  I am excited to see JC and Anderson go head to head in a shootout.  Xavier is undefeated at the Cintas this year going 13-0, while Richmond is 6-5 on the road.  I’m calling a Jordan Crawford fade away for the win, much like the one he hit in London Warren’s eye at the end of the UD game in Cincy.

The A-10 Rodeo

I apologize to all of our dedicated BR readers.  I know you all look forward to reading The Rodeo as you sit in your cubicle on a shitty Monday morning and do anything you possible can BUT actual work.  Unfortunately, I had a ton of work to do yesterday and surprisingly enough, my real job pays slightly more than the check that Blackburn cuts me every week.  So without further ado, why don’t we take a look at this week’s installment of The A-10 Rodeo.  Let’s get it started.

News

Wow.  That is all I have to say.  Whether it was because The Champ showcased his knock out skills before the game or because they all hate Xavier just as much as I do, UD came out inspired.  Nothing says we’re ready to make a run quite like bending X completely over and running away with a 25 point victory.  The key to the game was composure.  X from the very beginning showed that they were not composed when Love throws a shoulder into a cutting CJ to pick up his 2nd foul in as many minutes.  This display continued as Dante Jackson walked up and got in CJ’s face with his team down 15.  Despite the fact that the Flyers shot lights out, they were taking smart shots.  This was the first time I saw UD make the extra pass on a fast break and it came in the form of a London kick to the corner to P Will, swing to CJ, swing to the top of the key for Mickey to knock down a 3 in rhythm.  The key to the phenomenal shooting was rhythm.  For once we did not see a slew of off balanced runners and fade away jumpers.  Finally our shooters continually got their feet set and took quality shots.  The one exception to the quality shots was Marcus pulling up from 20 feet on a 1 on 3 break, luckily he knocked it down.

The Flyers were paced by the Chris’s as Johnson posted 18 points and 6 rebounds and Wright put up 17 points and 9 rebounds.  Marcus Johnson and Rob Lowery came off the bench for the Flyers and combined for 26 points on 7 of 11 shooting.  The lone shinning star for the Muskies was, you guessed it, Jordan Crawford.  JC continued his dominance of the A-10 with a 24 point, 5 assist, and 4 rebound performance.  I am still trying to figure out the answers to 2 of my questions: Why didn’t JC take the ball and tell everyone to get the fuck out of the way and what did Nourse, Zesty, and Kav do to BG that found them sitting on the bench for the final minute of a 25 point blow out?

The other piece of noteworthy news comes in the form of a 17 point drubbing that the Spiders dropped on Temple.  With Juan Fernandez out for the game, the Owls just never showed up.  Richy jumped out early and secured an 18 point halftime lead and continued their dominance throughout.  I guess my prediction last week of it being a battle of the guards was both correct and incorrect.  It was correct in the fact that guard play is what led to the win (Anderson and Gonzalvez combined for 42 points and 12 boards).  I was incorrect in the fact that the guard play was going to be comparable.  I guess Brooks is just a little lost when Fernandez is out, as he went 1-8 from the field for a whopping 2 points.  It will be interesting to see how Brooks bounces back in the Owls next match up against URI.

Jordan Crawford- XU vs. UD

• JC did it yet again.  He so effortlessly put up 24 points on 57% shooting.  As I have stated several times before, Crawford is the Alpha and Omega of A-10 basketball.  I think it is absurd that X fans complain about his shot selection.  If they need a tutorial on poor shot selection,  they should go back and watch Rob Lowery in the first UD vs. XU meeting.  I would gladly accept a player who will consistently put up 20 PPG on 45% shooting.  If I haven’t made it abundantly clear already, Crawford is the man to beat for A-10 POY.

Chris Johnson- UD vs. XU

• With 4 UD players in double figures and Chris Wright posting a double-double, it was a tough choice for a top performer.  That is until I took another look at the stat sheet and saw that CJ put up his 18 points on 75% shooting from the field and 100% from the charity strip.  CJ put up a total of 12 shoots in the game and made 10 of them.  Normally if you were to see a shooting night like that, it would be coming from a post man who doesn’t roam more than 5 feet from the basket, 75% shooting from the field is unheard of for a wingman.

Kevin Anderson- Richmond vs. Temple

• Anderson has been reading The Rodeo the last couple of weeks and took offense to my opinion of A-10 POY.  Instead of sending the email that he had drafted up, he decided to shove it in my face with his 29 point (11-17 shooting) 5 rebound performance in the Spiders’ upset of Temple.  It is about time that the Kevin Anderson, that was chosen 2nd overall in the 1st annual Blackburn vs. O’Brien A-10 Fantasy Draft, decided to reappear.  Anderson entered this matchup having scored 9 and 6 points respectively against St. Joes and SLU.

Lavoy Allen- Temple vs. Richmond

• With Juan Fernandez out and Ryan Brooks nowhere to be found, it was on Allen to step up for the Owls.  Despite the fact that Temple got their asses kicked by the Spiders, Allen was able to be the lone shining star on the Owl team.  Allen shot 50% from the field and finished with 17 points and a Chris Johnson-esque 19 rebounds. 

Looking Forward to this Week

2/10- Charlotte @ Dayton

• Hopefully the Flyers can continue the stellar performance that they had against X as the 49ers come to UD Arena.  I can’t wait to hear what trick BG has up his sleeve as a pregame routine.  It’ll be interesting to see how the Flyers match up against The Cookie Monster, who at 6’6 245 will most likely be guarded by Kountry Chris 6’8 226.  The 49ers will ride a 7 game winning streak into the Gem City and are looking to crush the Flyer Faithful’s hopes of an at-large bid.  The Flyers will need this victory if they hope to maintain their status on the inside of the bubble.

2/10- Richmond @ URI

• This week is sure to be the week from hell for URI as they face off against 2 Hexagon opponents in a 3 day span.  Both teams are riding 4 game winning steaks into this matchup.  The edge definitely goes to the Rams as they are 10-1 at home and the Spiders boast a subpar 4-5 record on the road.  Both squads are currently tied for 3rd place in conference at 7-2 and 1 game back of the conference leader, Charlotte.

2/13- URI @ Temple

• It will be interesting to see if A) Juan Fernandez is ready to go for the Owls and B) how Ryan Brooks bounces back from an awful performance.  With both teams sitting at 7-2 in conference play, the loser can potentially drop towards the bottom of the Hexagon.  Look for URI to score early and score often.  The Rams average 14 more PPG than the Owls do.  While Temple is a tough place to play (10-1 at home) the Rams are road warriors and have posted an 8-2 road record up to this point.

Bring Your Furniture to the Road, and Let's Light it on Fire.

Before Dan Curran poured his first glass of warm milk and began molding the campus into his private little day camp for rich kids, the University of Dayton was ever so slightly more blue collar.  And in those days of hedonism, it wasn't uncommon to celebrate by igniting the nearest available armchair and tossing it into the middle of the street.  And for those of you asking, "Why?" It's clear to me that you'veGood, clean fun. never set cheap acrylics afire.

As high schoolers, we'd regularly make the trip to UD for the weekend.  Did we look out of place?  Like a minority at a Glenn Beck rally.  Did we drink enough Jagermeister to bring a full grown heifer to its knees? Youbetcha.  But, goddamnit, we cherished the opportunity to carry one corner of a couch to a street and witness the ensuing bonfire.  Because one good burning coffee table deserves a love seat, and so on.

That, my friends, was a shellacking. We led by 13 at the half, and then proceeded to make 18 of our 25 shots in the second half. The numbers tell the story.  We shot 56% from the field, 54% from 3 and hit on 21 or 29 from the free throw line. When we shoot like we did yesterday afternoon, we're capable of beating damn near any team in the country.

Chris Wright's mom is sitting on her living room floor with a stack of 30 VHS tapes and making copies of the game film as quickly as possible. That was Chris Wright the NBA prospect on Saturday.  He was all over the court; scoring, blocking shots, and rebounding. But what makes him so baffling as a player is how easy he made it look. You watch and think he's got a gear that most others don't.  But as easy as it looked for Christ on Saturday, he could look equally as frustrated on Wednesday.  And that's the difference between good and great, consistency.

We dominated the game at the PG position. Rob and London were at their peak of effectiveness. They stymied Holloway all afternoon (no assists and 4 TOs) and were the catalyst for our efficient offense. Between the 2 they put up 23 points, 8 boards, 8 assists, and 4 steals.

As an avowed London fan, I'm getting ready to miss him already. I realize his absence will likely be overshadowed quickly by the arrival of Juwan Staten, but once he's gone we're unlikely to witness The Shamari Stopperanything of his ilk again. All heart and hustle and absolutely nothing resembling a jump shot (6 3 point attempts in the past 3 years), he's been setting the tone for the Flyer's the past two seasons.

As expected, Jordan Crawford got his.  24 points on 14 shots.  He's hands down the best player in the A-10.  I'd say he's probably the best player the conference has seen since Jameer Nelson's stocky ass was dominating on Hawk Hill. Here's to hoping he goes pro this offseason. Something about his demeanor makes me think he may be the type to bolt for the cash.

Huge game against A-10 leader(!) Charlotte on Wednesday. Fortunately, they're coming to the Arena.  I propose someone bring an emergency bucket of fried chicken and if Shamari Spears begins to dominate, lure him off the court with some deep fried goodness.

Xavier vs. Dayton

Effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG%): adjusts for the fact that a 3-point field goal is worth one more point than a 2-point field goal.
Turnover Percentage (TO%): is an estimate of turnovers per 100 plays.
Offensive Rebouning Percentage (OR%): measures a team's ability to get offensive rebounds.
Free Throw Rate (FT Rate): is a measure of both how often a team gets to the line and how often they make them.

		S	MIN	PTS	FGM	FGA	FG%	2PA	2PA	2P%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	OR	DR	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF
	T. Holloway	*	35	12	3	8	37	2	4	50	1	4	25	5	5	100	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	2
	D. Jackson	*	32	9	3	8	37	0	0	0	3	8	37	0	0	0	1	1	2	2	2	0	2	3
	J. Crawford	*	32	24	8	14	57	5	8	62	3	6	50	5	7	71	2	2	4	5	2	0	4	4
	J. Love	*	27	7	2	8	25	2	8	25	0	0	0	3	5	60	0	6	6	0	1	1	1	2
	J. McLean	*	26	7	3	5	60	3	5	60	0	0	0	1	1	100	3	4	7	1	0	0	2	4
	M. Lyons		16	3	1	5	20	1	3	33	0	2	0	1	2	50	0	1	1	1	0	0	2	1
	A. Taylor		14	0	0	2	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	3
	K. Frease		10	0	0	3	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	1	0	0	1	2
	B. Redford		8	3	1	3	33	0	0	0	1	3	33	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
		S	MIN	PTS	FGM	FGA	FG%	2PA	2PA	2P%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	OR	DR	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF
	C. Wright	*	31	17	6	13	46	5	11	45	1	2	50	4	7	57	4	5	9	1	0	3	2	2
	P. Williams	*	23	7	3	6	50	3	5	60	0	1	0	1	1	100	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5
	C. Johnson	*	22	18	6	8	75	4	5	80	2	3	66	4	4	100	3	3	6	3	1	1	2	1
	K. Huelsman	*	18	4	2	3	66	2	3	66	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	2	0	1	1	0	4
	L. Warren	*	18	7	3	5	60	3	5	60	0	0	0	1	2	50	0	4	4	3	2	0	4	3
	M. Johnson		21	10	3	4	75	3	4	75	0	0	0	4	6	66	0	4	4	0	0	0	3	2
	R. Lowery		21	16	4	7	57	1	2	50	3	5	60	5	6	83	1	3	4	5	2	0	1	2
	D. Searcy		20	4	1	5	20	1	5	20	0	0	0	2	2	100	3	5	8	0	0	1	0	1
	M. Perry		13	7	3	4	75	2	2	100	1	2	50	0	0	0	0	2	2	1	0	0	2	0
	J. Benson		10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	0
	D. Fox		1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	M. Kavanaugh		1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
	L. Hendrick		1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Recon: Xavier University

WHAMMY!!There are circumstances out of your control which dictate your lot in life. You are born to a single mother in Roxbury, Mass.? Well, you are pretty much fucked. It's not your fault, but you are still completely and hopelessly fucked. Likewise, being born on the Upper West Side to Jewish doctors likely guarantees that you and pocket squares will not be complete strangers. You did nothing to earn a life of 500 thread-count sheets, but there you are anyway. In a way, life is basically a colossal, mostly untelevised, game of Press Your Luck.  

For those of you who were not allowed to watch TV at a young age because your parents were afraid of exposing you to Jim J. Bullock and minority culture, Press Your Luck was the game show that featured “whammies” (little red creatures that looked like aborted fetuses which would appear on the TV screen whenever a player’s spin landed on a predetermined “whammie” space). Quoting the infallible Wikipedia, “contestants collected "spins" by answering trivia questions and then used the spins on an 18-space game board full of cash and prizes. The person who amassed the most in cash and prizes at the end of the game won.” It was a basically a mindless game show that helped housewives pass time while they wondered why they couldn't have married a guy like Harry Hamlin.

Dunphy's got all the spinsAlthough there was little to no strategy involved in Press Your Luck, perhaps serving as a precursor to game shows that were based on people picking random suitcases or monitoring people’s heart rates, there were some maneuvers to be made during the latter portion of the show. Players could pass their spins onto their opponents, thereby forcing their competition to spin and risk landing on a whammie. To put it simply, the more spins a contestant earned during the trivia portion of the show, the more pressure they could put on their opponents during the wheel-spinning section of the program.

This is what the upper-tier of the conference (X, Temple, Richie, Rhody, and Charlotte) have done to the rest of the league. (Xavier would be notorious contestant/”cheater” Michael Larson, as the Musketeers seem to have everything figured out before they even step on the stage. Larson was an idiot savant who figured out the board patterns and was able to bilk the show out of over $100,000. An under appreciated genius if there ever was one). The top teams in the league have been able to avoid whammies. The U of D? Not so much. After having already suffered three losses, the Flyers have built themselves quite a hole. The Xavier game? Excusable. Defeats at the hands of Rhode Island and St. Joey's? Complete and utter whammies. For those of you that don't think tomorrow's game is a "must-win," think again. How you could fool yourself into thinking that a 4-4 Dayton squad could close out the year going 8-0 or 7-1 is beyond me. If UD loses to Xavier on Saturday, the attention immediately shifts to Atlantic City, where the Flyers can be reborn (theoretically, of course).

Beating a dead horse, burying it, digging up its corpse and beating it again. Received this email from Donald Donoher the day after the UD/Rhody tilt. As with everything he writes on this site, it is unedited and in its original form:

So my parents sit next to a scout for an NBA team every now and then at the UDgames.  I can't tell you the name of the team because I don't want to get this guy in trouble.  However, he works for a Western Conference team and covers the Midwest college teams (he lives in Louisville).  He talks to my dad about random shit.  My dad is obsessed with Shaq and asks him every game if the Cavs will win it all and the answer is always, "No, he is too old."  Anyway, this scout says that Chris Wright is no longer on his radar, but instead is now focusing on Chris Johnson.  In what should make Swampy Meadows drool, the scout says that Chris Wright DOES have the skills to be an NBA player, but does not put them together and therefore, couldn't cut it right now.  The scout says that Chris Johnson is very high on his list, and if he has the same type of year next year as he is having this year, he could find himself on a lot of draft boards.

You can tell it's a Donoher email because he begins with the word "so." Anyway, here’s what you should take away from this passage: Not that Kountry Chris is ill-prepared for an early jump to the league, that’s been affirmed repeatedly.  Instead, try wrapping your head around what unspeakable sins this scout must have committed in a previous life to wind up scouting a Dayton/Rhode Island game for pro prospects. Here is what every e-mail from this scout to his superiors must look like:

Dear Sir: As I have been telling you for close to two decades now, there are no professional prospects at the University of Dayton. If you send me to Dayton one more time I will drive to your fucking house and light myself on fire as your children look on in horror. Also, you will soon be hearing details about some illicit activities involving myself and highway restrooms. Just wanted to give you a heads up.  Yours in Christ, Scouty McScoutsalot.

Meet and Greet. Jordan Crawford needs a name change. Jordan Crawford is either the name of a hot girl who sneaks diet pills, or a closeted lacrosse player that goes to prep school like St. Mark's or Andover. It is not a name befitting the A10's best player. Because I am a sucker for alliteration (and due to the fact that I was watching a Knicks game while I wrote this), I would propose "Clyde." Clyde Crawford. Or maybe Cookie. Cookie Crawford.

Crawford’s dubious reputation has been discussed at length on this site, and our verdict is… not guilty. The numbers tell the tale: 20 points, five boards and three assists per game. His percentages are equally impressive: 45%-41%-78%. Although there is certainly some credence to the criticism over his shot selection, Clyde puts it all on the line when it matters most. His shots down the stretch against Dayton sealed the deal and proved a point, which is, Crawford is a psychotic basketball player. That’s not to say that he will eat his opponents’ face while battling for a rebound, he is just not wired like most players. Crawford is one of those rare talents that will actually raise his game when the pressure is highest. And yes, he is only a sophomore. I rarely give a verbal taint-job as blatant as this, but Crawford’s play has more than matched the hype.

Terrell Holloway continues to struggle with his outside shot, but his foul-shooting and protection of the ball make him an invaluable asset for the Muskies. Holloway comes into Saturday’s game shooting 86% from the line and with a 2.4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. If Crawford’s shots pushed Xavier past UD three weeks ago, Holloway’s 13-of-14 from the stripe kept X in the game when the offensive was lacking. Holloway’s controlled attack set the stage for Xavier’s half-court offense.

The unsung hero of the last matchup between these two programs was Dante’ Jackson. Dayton threw everything but the kitchen sink at Crawford back in January, begging someone else to beat them on the offensive end. Jackson essentially said, “If you insist.” The Catholic Church would have been proud of the way Xavier played against UD in Cincinnati, as the Musketeers repeatedly penetrated deep into UD’s defense only to pull it out at the last second. Jackson was the benefactor of many kick outs to the perimeter, finishing the contest with 19 points (including five three-pointers). Obviously, BG and Co. will emphasize closing down on the perimeter, as they were repeatedly burned during the first contest. You can throw Brad Redford into the discussion too, as his game is stationed around the arc as well. We already know the deal with Redford, he will hit a three or two during the game and nod at Paul Williams after doing so. He will not cause opposing coaches to have sleepless nights.  

Asian barber: "You want the one on the left or right?"Everyone knows that I have a soft spot for X’s Kenny Frease, and the big man is starting to produce, albeit sparingly. Frease had a 13/12 night against Duquesne, and registered a 14/8 against the hapless Fordham Rams. The real man to watch down low is Jason Love. Love is as predictable as an Asian man’s haircut (you got either the “Moe Howard” or the “Spike”), mark him down for 10 points and 9 rebounds and don’t tell your mother we had this talk. Although Jamel McLean had a rather quiet game against UD the first time around (2 points, 3 rebounds), I’d expect we hear his name more frequently on Saturday. McLean is averaging 14 and 7 over the past four games and is looking forward to being matched up with Luke Fabrizius again.

Mark Lyons was banged up and played sparingly against the Flyers in Round One. He has a decent outside stoke but focuses his attention on getting people the ball (specifically guys named Crawford) and playing defense. Andrew Taylor will play, make no mistake about it. He reminds me of ex-UDer Teddy Fitz. If I had to put money on it, and because of my gambling addiction I do, I’d wager that Taylor ends up in local government and cheats on his fat wife with a Hispanic woman. You can just see it in his eyes, he looks like the type.

The Numbers Game. "Torture numbers, and they'll confess to anything." 

		PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
	XU	80.1	47.0	70.5	39.7	39.1	11.6	27.5	14.7	12.8	6.6	4.3	19.2
	UD	69.5	43.9	67.2	32.5	38.5	12.4	25.6	14.8	14.5	6.0	3.5	19.8
	XU Opponents	68.2	40.4	64.7	27.8	35.9	12.1	23.3	12.9	13.3	6.6	4.8	20.9
	UD Opponents	62.0	40.4	64.9	33.3	32.3	9.9	22.4	11.2	14.9	5.9	3.4	19.1

 Next Level Johnson is on boardThe numbers seem to jump off the screen and slap you in the face, the Xavier Musketeers are a very efficient offensive unit. They have scored under 75 points just twice during conference play, 68 against La Salle (a win), and 72 against Tempe (a loss). Xavier leads the conference in scoring and three-point percentage, second in field goal percentage and rebounding. Xavier has its problems defensively, allowing almost seventy points a game. As in Cincinnati three weeks ago, UD must be able to keep up with Xavier offensively to win this one. Dayton's defense will not slow down the Xavier attack as evidenced by the 78 points in allowed in Round One (and that was with Jordan Crawford only logging 24 minutes due to foul trouble).

Prediction: Vegas likes the Flyers by a point, which essentially makes it a pick-em  (On a non-basketball note, I'm completely offput by the planned "whiteout." It's got that Notre Dame green jersey vibe written all over it -- which almost always results in a L. Why set yourself up for failure like this? I'm just picturing a lot of white shirts thrown on the court after Crawford nails a 20-footer to win the game. The Administration is creating a recipe for disaster).

Marcus Johnson plays his best game of the season, scoring 17 points to lead the way for the Flyers. Chris Wright has a solid game, let's put him down for 13 and 11. Jordan Crawford stays out of foul trouble and goes for 22 points, but it's not enough. UD lives to fight another day, pulling out a 73-70 victory in the Gem City. This will all be rendered moot after back-to-back losses to Charlotte and St. Louis, so let's all enjoy it while we can. Regardless, if there isn't a giant bonfire in the Ghetto, filled with white t-shirts, we will all be very disappointed.

Update on February 5, 2010 by Tom Blackburn

From today's Andy Katz column:

Xavier at Dayton (ESPN2, noon ET): Xavier already won the first game of the season against rival Dayton. If the Musketeers beat the Flyers again, Dayton will be toast for an at-large tournament berth. The Flyers (0-5 versus RPI top 25) are below the radar with Xavier, Charlotte, Temple, URI and Richmond above them in the Atlantic 10 standings. Can we say must-win for Dayton?

An Interrogation with: Xavier University

I remember my first Xavier game like it was 7 years ago, and it was. It was January 31st, 2004 (fuck you, Adam) and I was awoken in my 5th Floor Sheehy cell at around 8 am. Alone, of course. I got laid once freshman year because I was a pretty awkward kid, hard to believe I know. Anyway, the Beast was flowing and my fellow 5th Floor Mafia members had a large amount of tequila for one reason or another. Not a woman in sight, you can tell we were really cool. Once again, I digress. I remember the bus ride over to the Fieldhouse, even remember accidentally drunk calling my friend's parents. The game is a bit of a blur, but according to the box score, Ramod Marshall went off for 21 points and Dayton actually won! Why do you care? You don't. If you don't want to read this, go start your own blog.

The point of this, if there is one, is that I remember it being the first moment I really embraced Dayton basketball. After that game, watching the Flyers became appointment TV and I started forming opinions on the players beyond what I was told by the Flyer News. I'll always be thankful to Xavier for that, but the nostalgia for X stops there.I'd do horrible, horrible things to go back to 2003 with the knowledge of women I have today.

As we head into Round Two of the yearly rivalry against Xavier, it should be clear to all of you that no matter what Blackburn and Donoher say, this game isn't "MUST WIN." Must win would mean that if we don't win this game, we're done, and this isn't true. Though, it does make every game in Atlantic City a must win, and in our history there (checks history there), oh fuck -- this Xavier game is a must win.

Well, as Sun Tzu said, "To defeat thy enemy, you must know thy enemy." I just made that up, but it's still something I think we should all live by. Joining us today to discuss our sexually repressed, homophobic brothers to the south is a man whom, I assure you, is about to become a Blackburn Review favorite. For the second time, I present to you the Masked Musky Blogger, X.U. Today we'll discuss how a ball hog isn't a ball hog if he doesn't miss, whether he would trade Brian Gregory for Chris Mack, and how to be an alcoholic and avoid the wrath of loved ones.

O'Brien: On the last podcast, Donoher brought up the fact that he heard grumblings from some that Jordan Crawford was a ball hog who shoots too much. According to KenPom.com he's currently 10th in the nation, taking 35% of Xavier shots. I'm curious as to your thoughts on this, especially considering he's hitting 45% from the field and 40% from three point range. Isn't this exactly the kind of guy you want hogging the ball?

X.U.: Yes.  Despite his relative inexperience, Crawford is the best shooting guard I've seen in the 20 years I've been following XU basketball. He's had a couple of stinkers, but has also single-handedly kept XU in a few games this season.  I think it's worth noting that he did have a year off, so he's just now rounding into form and his stats in A-10 play (2nd in scoring, 7th in FG%, 5th in FT%, 7th in 3PG%) reflect that. 

He's also gained more confidence in his teammates--he carved up URI's press a couple weeks ago for 24, 12, and 6 assists.  The biggest dimension he adds to this year's team over the last few is that he's absolutely fearless in the end game.  He's hit huge shots in the last minute of at least three games this year (Dayton, Wake, and Butler) that either put XU ahead or iced the game.  And shortly before I typed this, he hit two onionballs to beat UMass and avoid a really embarrassing debacle.

O'Brien: Whats worse, a 19 year old kid stealing a cell phone from a mall, or a group of adults conspiring to give a 17 year old kid $30,000?

X.U.: So I guess this is how the story went:  at some point during the academic year he was sitting out after transferring from Indiana, Jordan Crawford was caught trying to shoplift a cell phone at Kenwood Towne Center.  As a first time offender, he ended up in some sort of diversion/community service program.  I consider myself a pretty close observer of the Xavier basketball program -- I subscribe to Rivals for the recruiting info in the summer, I read all the reports in the paper on offseason progress, etc.  Yet the first I (or apparently anyone outside the athletic department) heard about this incident was a passing mention in an article by Shannon Russell of the Cincinnati Enquirer earlier this season.  In a day and age where you hear "Greg Oden's dong is on the Internet" and don't even think twice, that's incredible.

Was going to show the picture of Oden's dong, went with this instead. Putting aside how insanely stupid it is for the brother of an NBA player to filch a $100 phone, my biggest complaint is the complete banality of the crime.  Where's the former Soviet Republic BAC? Where's the hijacked elephant?  Where's the jar of peanut butter and blanket (he kidnapped himself, man)?  Couldn't he at least have reacted like Drew Lavender and given us an iconic catchphrase ("Fuck this white club")?  Just proof positive XU will always lag behind UC in certain areas.

Given that the incident occurred at least a year ago and appears to have been handled to everyone's satisfaction, I'm not inclined to give a shit.   I'm sure the UD fans will give him just a little grief on Saturday.

O'Brien: At this point in the season, I'm sure most X fans are feeling very comfortable (read: smug) about their NCAA Tournament chances, and rightfully so. Looking back to your expectations for the season, are you surprised by success of this team? Is there a specific weakness you'd like to see the team improve on in the coming weeks?

X.U.: XU is right where I thought they'd be. I probably underestimated the settling in process and the difficulty of the non-conference schedule, but I think I also underestimated the team's talent level and potential ceiling. I need to see more toughness on the glass and at least one road win against quality opposition before I pronounce them dangerous in the post-season.  They get three chances this month to do just that.

O'Brien: As for Saturday, how scared are you to come to the Flyer Fieldhouse? I don't know if you've heard, but until a few weeks ago, Dayton had won 30 games (all basketball) in a row at home. Is "mortified" a strong enough word? Do you think Chris Mack will have to drink during the game in order to keep his composure? As for the physical safety of the Musketeers, has the school added security measures, such as fire-proofing the bus, or maybe putting protective covering over the bench area?

X.U.: I've been to a few XU-UD games at the Arena, the 2003 A-10 Tournament, and the NCAA Tournament subregional up there last March.  No question the place can get loud and hostile.  This is theoretically where the experience of playing at Bramlage Coliseum, Hinkle Fieldhouse, and Lawrence Joel Coliseum earlier in the season helps a team.  We'll see.

I think it's the UD facilities people that ought to be worried -- didn't you get the memo after the Butler game that the XU team are a rampaging horde of Visigoths demolishing all they survey? Why, the Butler players were so dehydrated after the Muskies demolished their beloved water fountain that they immediately took a shit down their leg at UAB.

O'Brien: If you could have traded Chris Mack for Brian Gregory at the beginning of the season would you have done it? What about now?

X.U.: I would have preferred a more experienced candidate than Mack when Miller bolted for Arizona.  In retrospect that was short-sighted. Mack is only a couple years younger than Miller, Gregory, and Matta. He's had eight years of apprenticeship, not only at XU but also on Skip Prosser's staff at Wake Forest.  He definitely can recruit, the only question was his game coaching ability.  It wasn't until the end of Miller's second year that XU started playing with confidence down the stretch.  It's taken Mack 20 games (of course having Jordan Crawford helps).

Brian Gregory is an enigma to me.  He seems to be a strong recruiter with good connections.  He's good enough to take a BCS scalp or two every year.  He wins 20-25 games regularly.  Still, it's puzzling that so many highly touted players stagnate, it's also puzzling that he chooses to persist with 10- and 11-man rotations that include guys with limited skill sets.  He's a good enough coach to keep Dayton at the level they are on, but I don't know if he's the guy to take the next step.  And if he was, he probably wouldn't still be at UD.  So I don't know.

Even though I'm sure Chris Mack's wife (a former UD basketball star) probably wouldn't mind a swap, your red sweaters would have a collective infarction if "that bastard from Evansville" was patrolling the sidelines.  I think Mack's inbounds pass off the UD player's face back in the early 90s is a lasting memory for them, along with that god-damned hippie Bill Walton and the sinking of the Maine by the perfidious Spaniards.

O'Brien: Will weather be a factor in the game on Saturday?

X.U.: I'm actually hearing we're going to get four inches of snow on Friday.  If you've spent any time in Cincinnati that translates to PANIC WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE.  I've already bought huge quantities of plywood for no apparent reason.

O'Brien: Finish this sentence: If Dayton wants to beat X on Saturday they need to ________.

X.U.: Follow the blueprint from last year when they housed a slightly better XU team.  Feed off the intensity of the crowd early, play physical, and crash the boards incessantly.  XU won't shoot as well at UD Arena as they did at home, nor are they likely to get to the line as frequently, so I suspect UD wins if they can repeat the massive rebounding advantage they had in the first game.

OBrien: How excited are you to think that you might be able to slam the door on UD's tournament chances on Saturday? Its gotta be a wet dream come true, right? How do you plan on celebrating if you defeat our Gem City Cage Fighters?

X.U.: Probably going to a 30th birthday party, for what seems like the 36th straight weekend.  I get it, assholes.  You're old.  It's hilarious and zany.Artists Rendering of X.U.

O'Brien: Are you insulted when Dayton fans tell you they have just as good of a program as Xavier, or that Chris Wright is the best player in the state of Ohio?

X.U.: There was a dude on the A-10 message board who used to constantly assert that UD had passed Xavier as a program.  He had charts and graphs and recruiting rankings and all this other stuff.  And since then X has won like 9 NCAA Tournament games.  Maybe the gap isn't as big as XU fans would like to think, but it's a little silly to argue UD is on the same level right now.

There are actually people who think Chris Wright is the best player in Ohio?  Are they aware that (the) Ohio State University is located in Ohio or do they think it's a Kansas City, Missouri thing?

O'Brien: If your life depended on designing a game plan to beat the Musketeers, what would you do?

X.U.: If I was Brian Gregory, and I had a bunch of freakish athletes, I'd employ the K-State plan.  Aggressive, fronting defense all over the court.  Try to hurry XU up.  Force Holloway and Lyons into drive-and-dish situations, force some turnovers.  On offense run like crazy and get to the rim before they can set up the packline.  Contest every offensive rebound.  Shoot Crawford with a tranquilizer gun.

One thing I would not do is try to turn this into a walk-it-up Big Ten game and let said freakish athletes attempt 25 three point goals.

O'Brien: Would you rather win the Dayton game on Saturday or the Florida game next weekend?

X.U.: Dayton.  UD has a better RPI than the Gators, it's a rivalry game, the league title is still in play, and I don't want Tim Tebow to travel back in time and order my mom to abort me.

O'Brien: Prediction time. How does Saturday's contest turn out, what will it take for one of us to triumph? More importantly, what kind of beer are you drinking for the Super Bowl and what's your favorite game time snack?

X.U.: I'm channeling my inner Swampy and taking XU to win in a one-possession affair.  66-63 or something.  I haven't determined my Super Bowl strategy, but it will probably include a lot of random beers chugged on the sly in the garage or bathroom so I don't get the "Why did you drink 13 beers?" speech from my girlfriend on the way home.

You the man X.U.

The last one before the final one

Yup, it's that time again. Time to feel better about yourself and your pursuits. We break out the old reel-to-reel and discuss UD's upcoming tussle with the Xavier Musketeers. Donoher tries to make O'Brien cry. A classic story of redemption unfolds before your eyes.

Head over to the podcast section if you dare.

The Atlantic 10 Rodeo

Welcome back to another enthralling installment of The A-10 Rodeo.  As always we will discuss some news worthy items from last week as well as highlight the top performers, and take a look at this upcoming week.  Let’s get it started:

News

URI topped UD 65-64 at UD Arena snapping the Flyers 30 game home win streak and the 2nd longest streak in the NCAA.  Delroy James posted 22 points in only 23 minutes of play due to foul trouble.  Marquis Jones had only 5 points in the game but 3 of those came in the bomb that he dropped with 3 seconds left.  The UD star performer was Kaptain Kurt who did not miss a shot going 4-4 from the field and 2-2 from the line to finish with 10 points and 9 boards.  The question moving forward will be, is UD Arena still one of the toughest places to play?

Temple traveled to Charlotte to witness the Derrio Green show.  Green put up 26 points on 9-15 shooting to lead the 49ers to a 74-64 win over the conference leader.  Ryan Brooks once again carried Temple with a 20 point performance but Juan Fernandez was limited due to foul trouble.  The sophomore guard, who averages 12.6 PPG on 43% 3pt shooting, was limited to 24 minutes of play and scored only 3 points on 1-5 shooting before fouling out.  The 49er victory left both teams at 6-1 in conference and ½ game behind Xavier for the #1 spot.

Highs and Lows

Xavier welcomed the Fordham Rams to the Cintas Center for a good ol’ fashioned ass kicking.  Paced by Jordan Crawford’s 23 points (7-11 shooting) in just 26 minutes of play, the Muskies won 108-60.  Xavier scored more points (63) in the second half than 7 A-10 teams scored in their respective games this passed week.  One of those 7 teams being the SLU Billikens, who traveled to Richmond and left their scoring back in Missouri.  Despite an 18 point performance by Kwamain Mitchell, the Billikens put up a dismal 36 points in the game, dropping the contest 62-36.

Top Performers

Derrio Green, Charlotte vs. Temple

• As I predicted last week, this was going to be a game to watch and Derrio Green made sure of that.  The sophomore guard, who averages a solid 13.8 PPG, nearly doubled that average with his 26 point performance against the Owls.  As if that was not good enough, UMass was subjected to the Green Show as well, as Derrio dropped 34 points on 8-16 shooting from behind the arc.  Shamari Spears must be thanking Green for overshadowing the fact that Spears had 15 points between the two games on 7 of 22 shooting.

Jason Love, Xavier vs. Duquesne

• I know, I am as shocked to write it as you are to read it, that a Xavier player not named Crawford is among the top performers.  I just could not over look Love’s performance in this game, as he posted up 17 points and 9 rebounds in only 19 minutes of play.  The most impressive part of this performance is Love’s 8 of 9 shooting from the field.  Granted he’s a big man, but it is impressive anytime someone shoots 89% from the field.

Jordan Crawford, Xavier vs. Temple

• Don’t worry, you all will get your Crawford fix.  Jordan led the way in the Xavier drubbing of Fordham with 23 points on 7 of 11 shooting and 9 of 9 from the line.  As he continues to be my favorite for A-10 POY, there are 2 games that he needs to have big performances in, in order to remain on top: @UD this Saturday and @Charlotte 2/20.  He better not slow down because there are 3 players who are waiting in the wings: Ryan Brooks, Andrew Nicholson, and Shamari Spears.

Delroy James, URI vs. UD

• I was shocked that the ball was not in James’ hands for the game winner, after he had made it rain all night.  James finished the game with 22 points on 7 of 11 shooting including 6 of 8 from beyond the arc.  While battling foul trouble for most of the game, James proved to be effective in his limited, 23 minutes of play.

Ricky Harris, UMass vs. SJU

• While there have not been too many shining lights on this year’s UMass squad, Ricky Harris is definitely one.  The senior guard is averaging nearly 18 PPG and improved on that average against the Hawks.  Harris led the Minutemen to victory through his 23 point and 8 rebound performance.  Not known for his effective shooting (41% FG, 28% 3pt on the year), Harris connected on 7 of his 14 FG attempts in the game.  Keep watching for high point totals from Harris as he has nothing to lose as he lets the shots fly.

Looking Forward to This Week

2/6- XU @ UD

• This is the game that many of us are looking forward to.  Now that the nation’s second longest home win streak has been snapped, is UD Arena as intimidating of a place to play as it used to be?  This game will be a good indicator of that.  In this “rivalry” you can throw statistics out the window and it will come down to who will lead their team to victory: Chris Wright or Jordan Crawford.  This is a must win game for the Flyers while the Muskies love nothing more than to travel up 75 to break some hearts.

2/6- Temple @ Richmond

• Richmond comes into this game boasting a 10-1 home record and look to improve that to 11-1 with a win over the visiting Owls.  As with most of the Temple games, this will be a matchup centered around guard play.  Juan Fernandez and Ryan Brooks combine for roughly 48% of the Owls total PPG.  On the other side of the ball, the 2 guard attack of Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez account for 45% of the Spiders PPG.  Look for a showdown between these 4 players and a tough defensive battle as both teams allow only 60 PPG.