Miller inks long-term deal
Extension keeps coach through 2016, makes him highest-paid in Atlantic 10
Emily Neubauer
Contributing Sportswriter
goxavier.com
Sean Miller’s contract will keep him on the Xavier bench through 2016.
In a move that signified loyalty and gratitude for both sides, Xavier University and head men’s basketball coach Sean Miller reached an agreement last Thursday evening that will keep Miller as head coach of the Musketeers through 2016.
“Xavier wanted to communicate clearly to Sean how pleased we are with his leadership of this very visible component of the university,” said Associate Vice President and Athletic Director Mike Bobinski.
“Our agreement is a comprehensive one that is designed to ensure that Sean and the entire program will have the continued ability to compete at the highest level of Division I basketball.”
“I am very excited and look forward to continuing to lead our basketball program to greater success in our future together,” Miller said of the deal.
Though specific terms were not released, Bobinski did acknowledge that Miller’s new contract makes him the highest paid coach in the Atlantic 10 conference.
Xavier has long been seen as a sort of stepping-stone job for premier coaches, having prepped former coaches for bigger positions including Pete Gillen at Virginia by way of Providence, Skip Prosser at Wake Forest and, most recently, Thad Matta at Ohio State.
After a few successful years, including a 2004 run to the round of eight in the NCAA Tournament and a near trip to the Final Four, Matta left Xavier for the greener monetary pastures of the Big Ten. Miller, who was an associate head coach under Matta, was hired as his replacement.
With two job openings at Big Ten schools, and after Miller’s third quality season at the helm, many in Xavier Nation wondered if Matta and his protégé were cut from the same cloth.
This deal illustrates both Miller’s dedication to building a program of long-term success and Xavier’s confidence in Miller to do just that.
The move also gives Miller the job security he said he had been looking for since he first came to Xavier in 2001 as an assistant.
“I have a wife and three kids, and college coaches tend to relocate a lot,” Miller said.
“To be able to move way beyond six years here feels great for us.”
Finalized just last Thursday, Miller’s extension has already paid dividends in recruiting.
After securing a verbal commitment from current high school junior point guard Mark “Cheeks” Lyons of Schenectady, N.Y. on a campus visit the day before Miller signed his extension, the Musketeers landed a verbal commitment from Frankenmuth, Mich. guard Brad Redford.
Redford, who had narrowed his choices to Xavier, Indiana, Stanford, Wake Forest, Western Michigan and Dayton (and Kentucky, prior to Tubby Smith’s departure), got a call from Miller late Thursday assuring him personally that Miller would be around for a while.
“With Sean Miller signing that contract, I just felt even more comfortable about Xavier,” Redford said.
X sweeps UD
Scott Skryszewski
Contributing Sportswriter
The Xavier baseball team opened Atlantic 10 play last weekend with a three-game home series sweep of Dayton. The sweep was the first the Musketeers recorded in five years.
The series opened with a 4-3 Xavier win. Senior pitcher Bill Konecny went seven innings, giving up five hits and one run while striking out two en route to picking up the no-decision.
Freshman Zac Richard earned his first collegiate save, allowing one run on two hits while striking out two batters in one inning of work.
Xavier took the second game 6-5, thanks to senior Adam Lipski’s game-winning single. Xavier scored six runs on 13 hits while allowing five runs on nine hits.
Senior Jordan Wolf also picked up his fourth homer of the season in the game.
Sophomore Charlie Leesman went six innings allowing five runs, three earned on eight hits while striking out three.
On Sunday, Xavier came away with a 9-5 victory. With the bases loaded and one out in the eighth, senior Matt Waskerwitz doubled, driving in the winning run.
Junior Michael Lucas allowed four earned runs on nine hits while striking out five in 7.2 innings, his longest start of the year.
Senior Mike Creevy was credited with the save, allowing one earned run on two hits in 1.1 innings.
With the sweep, Xavier improved to 7-18 on the year.
The Indiana Hoosiers come to Hayden Field at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28.
Doug Tifft
Sports Editor
Streibich aces fifth hole in final round
Senior golfer John Streibich was named the College Men’s Player of the Week by Golf World magazine and the Performer of the Week by the Atlantic 10 Conference. Streibich earned the honors by turning in a final round 63 last, which included a hole-in-one, and the individual title at the 61st Western Intercollegiate tournament.
Streibich began the final round of the prestigious Western Intercollegiate three shots off the lead. By shooting a seven-under 63 in the final round, Streibich was able to win the event by a single shot.
Streibich was fortunate enough to cup his first career hole-in-one on the 194-yard fifth hole. His 63 and 54-hole score of 199, or 11 under for the tournament, are each tournament records as well as new career bests for Streibich.
The ace on the fifth was the first by a Musketeer since 2003.
Justin Doellman to play in senior game
Senior basketball player Justin Doellman will represent the Xavier Musketeers in the NABC College All-Star game this weekend in Atlanta, GA. The game will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at the Phillips Arena, the host arena of the NCAA Final Four which begins on Saturday.
Doellman was named to the 2006-07 first team of the Atlantic 10 Conference team with his play this past season for the Muskies. Doellman led the team in scoring at 13.9 points per game. In addition to leading the scoring charge, he took care of business on the boards, leading the team in rebounds for the third straight season. Doellman was also the team leader in blocked shots, averaging just over one block per contest.
In his career, Justin is first all-time in games played at 132, and third all-time in blocks with 142. Doellman also finished his career as the 16th best rebounder in Xavier history with 708 boards. Also, Doellman is number 17 on the all-time scoring list with an impressive 1,402 career points in four seasons with the Musketeers.
Coach Sean Miller expressed his excitement about Doellman being selected for the NABC College All-Star game by saying, “We are all very proud of him.”
The team that Doellman will be playing for is to be coached by Louisiana State University men’s head basketball coach, John Brady. The team will consist of other senior standouts like Maryland’s D.J. Strawberry, Aaron Brooks of the Oregon Ducks and Carl Landry of the Purdue Boilermakers. The bad guys will be coached by George Mason’s head men’s basketball coach Jim Larranaga and will consist of Cartier Martin of the Kansas State Wildcats and Adam Haluska of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
