What’s the daddest of all dad moves? My vote is for being at the end of the pew in church and then letting the whole family out during communion to bring up the rear.
NCAA Tournament Wins
Last 5 Years
-Xavier: 7
-Cincinnati: 3
Last 10 Years
-Xavier: 13
-Cincinnati: 6
Last 15 Years
-Xavier: 20
-Cincinnati: 8
Last 20 Years
-Xavier: 22
-Cincinnati: 13
Final Tally
Mick Cronin: 6 NCAAT Wins in 13 Seasons
Jason Love: 8 in 4 seasons
Trevon Bluiett: 7 in 4 seasons
JP Macura: 7 in 4 seasons
Sean O’Mara: 7 in 4 seasons
Dante Jackson: 7 in 4 seasons
I really liked watching Nate Johnson these last 2 years. Thrilled he can go out on top, especially so since he came back from his injury, was eerily similar to last year. Key player too.
Xavier’s record with Nate: 35-13 (.729)
Xavier’s record without Nate: 1-8 (.111)
Mick Cronin went 5-8 in the NCAA Tournament at Cincinnati with zero trips to the Elite 8.
Mick Cronin is 4-0 in his first NCAA Tournament at UCLA and is headed to the Elite 8.
As a Xavier fan that is objectively hilarious.
It didn’t go the way we wanted tonight but I’m so proud of the Xavier Musketeers. Firmly back on the fucking tracks. This is just the beginning. All the respect in the world to Adam Kunkel, Souley Boum, Colby Jones, and Zach Freemantle. Feeing gratitude and excitement.
Don’t let DeMarcus Cousins signing with the Warriors distract you from the fact that Xavier has beaten UC in 4 of 5, 8 of 11, 15 of 22, and 21 of 35, Mick Cronin is still winless at he Cintas Center and also tried to fight one of Xavier’s players because his team lost, again.
Just because Travis didn’t work out doesn’t mean he was the wrong hire at the time. The only credential he didn’t have was head coaching experience. If he learns from his mistakes he could become a very good HC. I wish him and family nothing but the best. Seems like a great guy.
5 in a row
6 of 7
9 of 11
13 of 17
20 of 28
UC can wear Cincinnati all they want. But when both teams in Cincinnati go head to head Xavier comes out on top wayyy more often.
#ZipEmUp
#LetsGoX
Naji Marshall is one of only 12 players (1 of 5 high major) in the country to have >= 480 points, 235 rebounds, and 110 assists this season. Among those 12 players, Naji and RJ Barrett were the only underclassmen in the nation to achieve these numbers this season.
Xavier played 5 against 8, built a huge lead, the zebras took the air out of the game, X never lost the lead, and had answer after answer. Impressive as hell win on the road against a good team that has not lost in this building all season. Hell yeah. Let’s March.
Xavier’s season obviously did not go the way we wanted it to. Once they missed the NCAA Tournament the new goal became to cut down the nets at Madison Square Garden. Tonight Xavier has a chance to accomplish that goal and send out this team on top. That would be cool imo.
I have nothing but respect for Quentin Goodin and Tyrique Jones. They were the bridge from Chris Mack to Travis Steele and while the last two years might not have gone exactly as planned, their buy-in and leadership has kept Xavier afloat. Unbreakable.
📈Xavier Leads the Big Show📈
A B1G win in a big way on a slow sports night earns team💯 the national spotlight. A perfect way/time to win for an under-the-radar squad.
Phenomenal regular season from Xavier. 23-8, 15-5. Should be a 4 seed at worst. It stings that X lost the Big East by losing to DePaul and Butler but that’s probably a top 5 regular season in Xavier history when you account the level of competition and results.
Survive and advance. Back to the Sweet 16. Feels damn good. Met seed expectation. Everything is gravy from here on out. But we want more. Not done yet. On to Texas in KC.
#LetsGoX
#ZipEmUp
Xavier guys this year have made the cut at the Masters, played in NBA playoff games, appeared in an MLB game, and appeared in MLS games. Only 5 other universities can claim the same and Xavier is the only non-Power 5 school.
@xuathletics
#ObscureMeaninglessStatButKindOfCool
It’s a damn shame that there won’t be 10,500 people packed in the Cintas Center on a late February Saturday evening for Paul Scruggs’ senior night. Dude deserves better.
That Scruggs dunk was incredible man. All time play. Xavier didn’t shoot the ball well tonight from outside. But what a performance. Feels like a breakthrough, turn the corner type game. Hope we can look back in a few years and say this was the turning point.
The two players that Xavier needed to return have both confirmed they will be back. Colby Jones and Jack Nunge are a good core to mold the team around this year. Xavier is up to 5 players confirmed to be on the team so far. Nunge, Jones, KyKy Tandy, Kam Craft, and Desmond Claude.
Exhausted Eligibility
Souley Boum
Adam Kunkel
Remaining Years of Eligibility
J. Nunge: 1
Z. Freemantle: 1
J. Hunter: 1
C. Jones: 2
K. Tandy: 2
C. Edwards: 2
D. Miles: 2
D. Claude: 3
K. Craft: 3
E. Tucker: 3
Incoming Recruits
Trey Green
Reid Ducharme
Dailyn Swain
Kachi Nzeh
Jonas Hayes is getting a ton of deserved credit for leading this team to an NIT Championship. But let’s also shoutout the players. They wanted to play in this tournament. And they were able to stay locked in and focused on the goal even after their coach got fired after a win.
Colby Jones
29 points
7-8 from 2
3-3 from 3
6-7 from the line
9 rebounds
4 assists
0 turnovers
Now shooting 56.9% from 2 and 40.6% from 3 (101 attempts) on the season with good defense.
1st round draft pick.
A year ago next weekend Xavier played at Creighton on Saturday and won. The Bengals played at the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game the next day on Sunday and won. Same schedule this year. Run it back.
Since 2008, Xavier is one of only 10 programs to go to multiple Elite 8s, earn multiple top two seeds, and go to at least six Sweet 16s.
Others:
UNC
Duke
Kansas
UK
Louisville*
Michigan St.
Arizona
Wisconsin
Syracuse*
Pretty good company.
*Vacated by NCAA.
I would like to congratulate UC on operating an athletic department at a 102 million dollar deficit, being left behind in realignment, having next to zero shot at making the CFP, and for having fewer NCAA Tournament wins than Dayton since joining the hell hole that is the AAC.
What a week for X BBall. Steele introduced 1 week ago. All he's done is kept all players+commits+most of the bball staff, added 2 great coaches+3 grad transfers, has Moyer visiting this weekend, and hit the recruiting trail hard. And JCraw signed with NO and Ed made his NBA debut
Former Xavier Players in the NBA Summer League
Edmond Sumner: Pacers
Trevon Bluiett: Pelicans
Zach Hankins: 76ers
Semaj Christon: Kings
JP Macura: Hornets
Kaiser Gates: Clippers
#LetsGoX
Quentin Goodin
Paul Scruggs
Naji Marshall
Jason Carter
Tyrique Jones
Damn fine starting 5.
Tandy, Moore, Bishop, Freemantle, Ramsey, Miles, James, and Hanson off the bench. That’ll do. That’ll do.
I want to shout out Jalen Reynolds. He committed to Xavier in August 2010. Didn’t play his first game with X until November 2013. Over 3 years later. Never wavered even after doing a post-grad year, being ruled ineligible, and having to pay own way without practicing for a year.
That’s extremely disappointing man. That can’t happen. Next year is put up or shut up for Travis Steele. Unbelievably bad coaching down the stretch. Mortgaging his career on Jason Carter’s offense is an unbelievable leap of faith. Will be a complete shock if X makes the dance.
For the 37th consecutive season Xavier will finish .500 or better in conference play. That’s the longest streak in the nation. Three different conferences and now 7 head coaches. Pretty impressive accomplishment.
Don’t let anyone tell you Xavier has slipped recently. That’s trophies one back to back seasons.
2020 Xavier Invitational Champs🏆
2022 NIT Champs🏆
No other program has ever won the Xavier Invitational and the NIT in back to back seasons. Xavier is an elite college program.
One year ago today Xavier clinched their first regular season Big East Championship (UC never did it). 15-3 in a true round robin! What an awesome season.
Xavier is in the Final Four.
Villanova is in the Final Four.
Xavier had to be invited to their tournament (nationally invited at that).
Villanova was not invited to their tournament.
Now ask yourself who’s the better program? Seems like a no brainer to me.
I cannot explain this or put it into words but there's something about Sean Miller that just draws me to him and makes me believes in him. Maybe it's the manner in which he speaks about Xavier, not even necessarily what he says.
Sean Miller doused in water in the locker room after taking Xavier back to the Sweet 16 makes One Shining Moment. What a great season. Excited for what’s ahead.
I can ride or die with Scruggs. But ride or die with Carter? We are dying with Carter. Not cool. We go offense defense with Kunkel/Odom but not Tandy or Wilcher for Carter? Do not get it.
Hearing Sean Miller’s name called and seeing him walk out of the tunnel was awesome. Plus the dance team is nationally ranked again. Xavier is so back.
Bottom line: Xavier upgraded their head coach. In 6 or so years Steele might be better. But Miller is better right now. And Xavier needs to get back on track right now. BOOM.
Conference play for Paul Scruggs (5 games):
38 MPG
16.6 PPG
6.2 RPG
3.2 APG
0.8 TOV! (6.2 TORate)
48.8% from 2FG
40.9% from 3FG
80% on FT
125.1 ORtg using 20.3% of possessions
Superstar.
NCAA Tournament Wins
Last 5 Years
-Xavier: 7
-Cincinnati: 3
Last 10 Years
-Xavier: 11
-Cincinnati: 6
Last 15 Years
-Xavier: 17
-Cincinnati: 7
Last 20 Years
-Xavier: 22
-Cincinnati: 12
Duke has now won 22 consecutive season-openers after its win over Kentucky on Tuesday.
That is tied for the 2nd-longest active streak in D-I (Xavier, 32).
I could honestly see Xavier going all the way to the BET final. Or losing today. No clue what to expect. All I know is Xavier needs a win today. Best time of the year. Let’s ride.
Record against teams currently projected as at-large caliber into the NCAA Tournament Field per Bracket Matrix.
Xavier: 4-7 (.364)
UC: 2-5 (.286)
Sorry Xavier doesn’t get a bunch of games against horrible competition so they can rack up wins.
Hell yeah. That’s a big boy win. UConn is a good team and Xavier just took their best shot in a very hostile environment and punched back harder multiple times. HUGE WIN.
Introducing the 28th head coach in Miami Basketball history, Travis Steele!
A public press conference will take place at 1 p.m. Friday at the Randy Gunlock Family Athletic Performance Center in the Gloor Auditorium.
📕:
#RiseUpRedHawks
My favorite basketball team is 5-0 (most wins in the country), is about to add two players back from quarantine, should add two key transfers to the mix shortly as well, and has a great opportunity to knock off their biggest rival (again) this weekend. Let’s have a great day.