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 2007-2008 Basketball Preview

 

With new weapons, a balanced attack

John LaFollette
Sports Editor

Through two scrimmages and three full games, head coach Sean Miller keeps saying the same thing: “We’re a team of balance.”

After graduating three seniors who will be missed as much for their leadership and experience as for their statistics, the Xavier men’s basketball team enters its 2007-08 season with an arsenal of offensive threats that promises to put points on the board.

“I think a balanced team on offense, where you have a number of different ways to score, is a good thing to have,” Miller said.

In last Saturday’s season opener against Southeast Missouri State, five different Musketeers scored in double figures en route to a 90-59 victory over the visiting Redhawks.

Leading the Musketeers in scoring through last Tuesday’s loss at Miami is sophomore forward Derrick Brown with 13.5 points per game. Brown will have his hands full defending his scoring lead with the caliber of offensive talent on this year’s squad.

Behind the sweet shooting and decent post play of senior forward Josh Duncan, the slash-man Brown has shown solid moves in the post and an ability to get to the basket that sets him up for easy assists from his two guards.

C.J. Anderson, the transfer from Manhattan College who sat out last season, has thus far shown an aggressive style of play that features drives to the basket and second-chance opportunities from offensive rebounds.

Senior point guard and Naismith Trophy candidate Drew Lavender can score from anywhere on the court, when he has to, and his classmate in the backcourt, Stanley Burrell, has never had a problem taking shots.

While the offense seems to be clicking, no one has forgotten that the biggest holes left by former seniors Justin Cage and Justin Doellman are on the defensive side of the ball.

In all likelihood, Cage will be regarded as one of the best defenders in Xavier history, having a reputation for shutting down opponents’ leading scorers in each of his four years as a Musketeer. For his part, Doellman is third all-time in blocked shots, and had the same amount of defensive experience that Cage did.

“I think Doellman and [classmate Brandon] Cole were very underrated as defenders. Justin Doellman led our team in rebounding three straight years, and was someone who got a couple of blocks every game,” Miller said.

“As a senior, he played like he was about 25; he was always in the right position. On that side [of the ball], there’s a big void to fill, but I think we have a couple of players who can step into that role,” he said.

With the development of Lavender as a premiere point guard, Burrell has become much more comfortable as a role-playing shooting guard who is becoming as well-known for his defensive tenacity as for his shooting ability.

“Stanley Burrell really improved in [defense],” said Miller.

“I think he takes the defensive side of the ball a lot more seriously, and he’s someone we can trust more in that area,” he said.

After several games last season, Miller found himself hoarse from yelling “Rebound!” for two halves. “We have to rebound by committee,” he would reiterate.

This season, if performance in scrimmages and the first three games will be any indicator, his Xavier squad won’t make him repeat himself so often.

Against Southeast Missouri State, five Musketeers grabbed seven or more rebounds, with sophomore forward Jason Love and Anderson each hauling in nine, including eight offensive boards for Love.

Junior forward B.J. Raymond, the energetic sixth man for this squad, had eight rebounds to go with his 15 points in that game.

While Xavier’s defense might take a few games to get fully aligned, it is the Musketeer backcourt that has opposing coaches sweating (see: Rick Majerus).

The tandem of Burrell and Lavender combined for 23 points, 12 assists and just one turnover in the win over Southeast Missouri State in a game in which Lavender played just 26 minutes. Burrell, who has been working on increasing his stamina to be a better back-up point guard for Lavender, played 35 minutes.

Much has been made in the local press about the need for an adequate backup for Lavender.

For now, when scoring is a must, look for Burrell to stay in the game as a shooting guard, with freshman Danté Jackson filling in for Lavender.

Still, the problem of who will back up Lavender is hardly at the forefront of Miller’s concerns for this team. Lavender will log 36-38 minutes per game, so long as the game is close, and it is still defense that this team needs most.

Without a strong defense that is capable of making stops and creating turnovers, the high-speed transition offense that Miller coaches best will be dysfunctional at best, and non-existent at worst.

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Seasoned senior trio poised to lead

Jeff McMurray
Feature News Editor

Seven thousand, six hundred, sixty-three minutes on the court. Three thousand forty-three points scored. Two hundred eighty-three games played.
Those combined stats show why Xavier has three super seniors running the show.

The final seasons for Stanley Burrell, Josh Duncan and Drew Lavender has arrived, but their impact at Xavier will likely be felt for some time.

With the 2007-08 season finally under way and in the sure hands of these three solid leaders, it is important to see where they have been before thinking about where they’re going.

Having started in over 90 games in his Xavier career, Stanley Burrell quickly reached the 1,000-point milestone midway through his junior year last season.

While his season average dropped from 14.4 points per game to 12.4 points per game, he still managed to end his junior campaign with a career total of 1,252 points, placing him among Xavier’s Top 25 all-time scorers.

Burrell is on pace to score over 1500 points in his career, which will put him alongside Xavier’s greats.

As of late, though, Burrell is not only known for his scoring but also for his defense. The loss of graduated senior Justin Cage as the team’s top defender has required Burrell to improve this aspect of his game allowing him to be a more complete player overall.

Joining Burrell from the beginning at Xavier is the big man with the sweet shot, Josh Duncan.

Judging from his height alone, one would not have expected the 6-9 Duncan to hit over 100 3-point shots in his career.

With a career average of 8.3 points-per-game that seems likely to rise this season, the sweet-shooting Duncan has come up big when it is needed most.

One of his more memorable games includes his 10 points and seven rebounds in the 2006 Atlantic 10 Championship game against St. Joseph’s.

It was his performance in that game and the tournament as a whole that led him to be named to the All-Tournament team that year.

Perhaps his finest moment as a Musketeer came against Bringham Young University in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. For those who forget, it was Duncan who faked the 3-point shot, drove down the baseline and put the Musketeers up for good with a lay-in with 37 seconds left.

Finally, we have the transfer that transformed the team, Drew Lavender. When Lavender arrived from Oklahoma with two seasons of eligibility remaining, he gave the Musketeers something they hadn’t had since the magical 2003-2004 season: a true point guard.

Expectations were high for the former McDonald’s All-American and, despite a slow start to last year’s season, Lavender lived up to them.

Under the occasionally stern tutelage of one of the best point guards in Big East history, Sean Miller, Lavender has flourished in the Xavier system.

iller has joked that it came to a violent wrestling match in the coach’s office before Lavender came around, but the two now appear to be on the same page.

In his first season since transferring, Lavender reached career highs in 3-point field goals made, total rebounds and assist last year. Statistics like these helped him to be named to the All-Atlantic 10 Second Team and the All-A-10 Championship first team.

With the experience and the talent these seniors have, much is expected of them. Burrell was selected to the pre-season All-A-10 second team, Duncan is on pace to join Burrell and the rest of the 1,000 point club this season, and Lavender was selected for the pre-season All-A-10 first team, and has been named an official candidate for the Bob Cousy Award, the Naismith Trophy and the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award.

Personal accolades and expectations are always great, but these seniors are hungry for more. They all look to finish their careers on a high note and lead Xavier to greater heights.

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December stretch of schedule will please fans, test Muskies

Andrew Chestnut
Editorial Columnist

The upcoming season may be one of the toughest in the history of Xavier men’s basketball.

The month of December will be especially critical for the Muskies, featuring a stretch of eight imposing non-conference opponents. If Xavier hopes to return to the NCAA Tournament with a high seed, they must find success against this unusually-talented strength of schedule.

Xavier begins with Belmont on the first, followed by Creighton, Cincinnati, a road game against Arizona State, a home game against Tennessee, a road game against Delware State and finally home games against Kansas State and home against Virginia.

Here is how Xavier matches up against the toughest part of its schedule:

December 5: Creighton (22-11 last season)
Creighton turned out to be Xavier’s second loss last season, defeating the Muskies in Omaha 73-67. The Bluejays are also one of five opponents to have made the NCAA Tournament last year.

This year presents the opportunity for the Muskies to exact their revenge in front of a home crowd. Creighton is only returning one starter this year, senior Dane Watts, and is looking forward to the return of junior guard Josh Doltzer after a knee injury last year.

Creighton has a size deficiency on the inside (their tallest player is 6’9), so look for Xavier to exploit them by pounding it in the paint. Revenge shouldn’t be too difficult to come by against a rebuilding Creighton squad.

December 12: Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout vs. Cincinnati (11-19 last season)
Xavier came up short last year in the Crosstown, losing to a weak UC squad that finished last in the Big East.

The Bearcats don’t seem to have made any major strides, already having lost two against Belmont and Bowling Green State.

Cincinnati does, however, feature talented, fast-paced guard play from Marvin Gentry and Deonta Vaughn, so Drew Lavender and Stanley Burrell will have to stay on their toes on defense.

But with a fired-up home crowd, the Musketeers are likely to bring Crosstown glory brought back to Xavier this year.

December 22: Tennessee (24-11 last season)
Tennessee earned a five seed in the NCAA Tournament last season, and is undoubtedly Xavier’s toughest spot on the schedule this year. The Volunteers are currently ranked No. 7 in the nation in the AP/USA Today poll, and several experts are picking them to make an appearance in the Final Four.

A home victory against the Vols would secure Xavier a lot of respect on Selection Sunday, though it certainly won’t come easy. Tennessee will be starting NBA-bound point guard Ramar Smith, SEC Player of the Year Chris Lofton and the hyper-physical power forward Tyler Smith.

Xavier will have to play mistake-free basketball against the Vols, who are likely to use a smaller three-guard lineup. Drew Lavender and Stanley Burrell will need big games offensively, and Xavier’s big men will have to stay physical against a rough Tennessee front.

December 31: vs. Kansas State (23-12 last season)
“K-State” almost made the tournament last year, and may have, if not for a loss to the Musketeers at US Bank Arena. Although they are only returning two starters, this year looks to be another one of improvement for the Wildcats, which bodes well for next season, when they will host the Muskies in Manhattan for Part Two of the series.

K-State is weak at the point guard position, so the Muskies may run half or full-court pressure to exploit their inconsistency in getting the ball down the floor.

However, they will feature 6’10 freshman Michael Beasley at forward, the number-one rated prospect in this year’s recruiting class.
Look for Xavier to double-team Beasley in an effort to shut him down.

This is Xavier’s toughest road game of the year, and therefore the best opportunity to earn a quality road win.

January 3: Virginia (21-11 last season)
Virginia earned a four-seed in the NCAA Tournament last year, falling to Tennessee in the second round. With three returning starters, they should prove tough again this year.

The Cavalier’s best player is NBA-prospect senior guard Sean Singletary, who was a critical component in last year’s success.

The Lavender-Singletary match- up will be the most intriguing aspect of this game, as it will be essential for Lav to shut down what will likely be Virginia’s top scorer.

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Preseason Picks* by the Newswire’s Panel of Experts

*Forecasting that will put Joe Lunardi to shame

John’s picks

Atlantic 10 Player of the Year: Will Daniels
Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year: Chris Wright
National Player of the Year: Earl Clark
National Champion: Louisville

A-10 Regular Season:
1. Xavier
2. Saint Joseph’s
3. Rhode Island
4. Saint Louis
5. George Washington
6. Fordham
7. Dayton
8. Charlotte
9. Duquesne
10. La Salle
11. Temple
12. Massachusetts
13. St. Bonaventure
14. Richmond

Sweet Sixteen:
1. Louisville
2. North Carolina
3. UCLA
4. Memphis
5. Georgetown
6. Oregon
7. Indiana
8. Kansas
9. Xavier
10. Florida
11. Kansas State
12. Tennessee
13. Kentucky
14. NC State
15. VCU
16. Villanova

Doug's Picks

Atlantic 10 Player of the Year: Ahmed Nivins
Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year: Chris Wright
National Player of the Year: Drew Neitzel
National Champion: UCLA

A-10 Regular Season:
1. Xavier
2. Saint Joseph’s
3. Saint Louis
4. Rhode Island
5. Dayton
6. Fordham
7. George Washington
8. Charlotte
9. Temple
10. Massachusetts
11. Duquesne
12. Richmond
13. La Salle
14. St. Bonaventure

Sweet Sixteen:
1. North Carolina
2. Memphis
3. UCLA
4. Kansas
5. Michigan State
6. Tennessee
7. Georgetown
8. Louisville
9. Washington St.
10. Indiana
11. Oregon
12. Virginia
13. Arkansas
14. Xavier
15. So. Illinois
16. VCU

Paul's Picks

Atlantic 10 Player of the Year: Drew Lavender
Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year: Xavier Alexander
National Player of the Year: Tyler Hansborough
National Champion: UCLA

A-10 Regular Season:
1. Xavier
2. Saint Joseph’s
3. Saint Louis
4. Rhode Island
5. Dayton
6. Fordham
7. George Washington
8. Charlotte
9. Temple
10. Massachusetts
11. Duquesne
12. Richmond
13. La Salle
14. St. Bonaventure

Sweet Sixteen:
1. North Carolina
2. UCLA
3. Memphis
4. Louisville
5. Indiana
6. Georgetown
7. Arizona
8. So. Illinois
9. Butler
10. Xavier
11. Syracuse
12. Arkansas
13. Texas
14. Gonzaga
15. BYU
16. Creighton

Pat's Picks

Atlantic 10 Player of the Year: Drew Lavender
Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year: Chris Wright
National Player of the Year: Chris Lofton
National Champion: Memphis

A-10 Regular Season:
1. Xavier
2. Saint Joseph’s
3. Rhode Island
4. Saint Louis
5. George Washington
6. Fordham
7. Massachusetts
8. Dayton
9. Duquesne
10. Charlotte
11. Temple
12. La Salle
13. Richmond
14. St. Bonaventure

Sweet Sixteen:
1. Memphis
2. North Carolina
3. UCLA
4. Oregon
5.Villanova
6. Michigan State
7. Kansas
8. Tennessee
9. Louisville
10. Kansas State
11. So. Illinois
12. VCU
13. Pittsburgh
14. Davidson
15. Syracuse
16. Duke

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Harris to lead Musketeer women as freshmen mature

Sophomore looks to dominate opponents, again

Tyler Grote
Staff Writer

Finishing 26-8 along with winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament last year is something that the Xavier women’s basketball team can look back and smile upon.

Their surprisingly early exit from the NCAA Tournament at the hands of West Virginia, however, is not.

With the 2007-08 season finally at hand, the team looks to put last year’s first round upset behind them and build on the 2006-07 team’s success.
Only, this team will have to do it without any senior leadership.

Last year’s squad was long on both senior leadership and talent in the guard positions, though they lacked much underclassman skill or any real post-presence beyond then freshman forward Amber Harris.

This year, they’ll have to rely on the leadership of two juniors and support the high scoring Harris, now a sophomore.

Harris was Xavier’s leading point scorer in 18 different games as a freshman, and looks to do much of the same this year having already provided 21 points in Xavier’s opening loss to Florida down in Gainesville.

Sophomore guard Jerri Taylor stole the spotlight that night as she passed her career high by scoring 26 points.

With the addition of tall, skilled junior guard Tudy Reed, as well as a solid center with good moves in the post in Ta’Shia Phillips, Harris will be much freer to showcase her skills as a slash forward who can shoot, blow by defenders off the dribble and post up near the basket.

Making it back to the NCAA Tournament seems plausible this year, seeing that they will be playing the role of underdogs.

Many people see this season as a rebuilding year for the Musketeers and a chance to allow the freshmen and sophomores to grow into better players.
The Atlantic 10 conference play will pose a tough test for the Musketeers.

George Washington has been picked to defend their A-10 title as they received all 17 preseason votes.

The women’s non-conference schedule will not be an easy one; Cincinnati, N.C. State, Kentucky, Louisville and Kansas all await the Muskies.

The season outlook, at this point, is not too promising for the women basketball team. They will have to support Amber Harris and score some big non-conference wins over tough opponents to keep them busy on Selection Sunday.

Still, the Musketeers have substantial offensive threats in Harris, Taylor and Phillips, and should be a hard team to defend this season.

The Musketeers will open their home season on Thursday, Nov. 15, against Penn State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Cintas Center.

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The other men’s basketball team: ‘The Guys’

Practice squad of men helps women’s basketball team prepare

Doug Tifft
Associate Sports Editor

With the recent success of the Xavier men’s and women’s basketball teams the athletes have become well known around campus.

But there is another team that plays every day in Cintas Center that is much less publicized.

The women’s practice team is a collection of male players, aptly called “the Guys,” whose job is to work the women’s team every day in practice.

The Guys work on offense, defense and drills in practice to give the girls solid competition to play against.

The practice of preparing women’s teams for stiff competition by having them play against a men’s squad appears to be commonplace in Division I basketball.

In addition to Xavier, women’s teams at Louisville, Kentucky and Dayton practice against squads of men.

The requirements of the job are to hustle in practice and have a good attitude.

Attaining the position came about early in the year when the members of the squad were invited by players, coaches, managers or people involved in with the team to participate in the team’s fall practices in order to obtain a position.

Once they proved that they had the necessary attitude and skills for the job they were invited to stay on for the season.

The Guys play a crucial role in getting the women ready for their games, often posing as players from an upcoming opponent to form a scout team.

The strength, size and quickness that some of the Guys possess prepare the women for their tough match-ups in the game.

Playing with division one atheltes, many days the Guys will leave the gym with a bloody nose, bruises or scrapes.

“Getting beat up all the time sucks. But having the battle scars makes you feel pretty cool,” said Nick Workman, one of the freshmen on the squad.

The team has become a close knit unit as they spend much of the practices together on the sidelines.

The Guys also promote team unity; a common opponent to play against in practice every day gives the women’s team a sense of camaraderie that might be absent if they were pitted against each other in practices.

They also like to keep things loose by joking with some of the players, especially after a session in practice in which the Guys performed especially well.

“Our motto is to ‘snatch dreams and take cookies,’” said Ryan Lauf referring to the Guys’ kidding with the team when they have success against the women.

Despite the laughs, the Guys genuinely root for the women in practice and are ready with a pat on the back when a particular player is struggling.

It is rewarding for the Guys to watch the team play in games, knowing that they had a hand in preparing the women’s squad.

They may not make SportsCenter anytime soon, but the hard work that is put in everyday makes them a valuable part of the team.

Despite all that they do to help the team there is a chance that this could be their last year of existence.

There are whispers in the NCAA office that all male practice teams will be banned after this year.

Some schools have already done away with their programs.

That is down the road, for now the Guys are still putting in their hardwork every day.

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‘X-treme(ly wealthy) Fans’

Luxury box patrons enjoy the suite life at basketball games

Madeline LaFave
Editorial Board

Highlighted by the blue-clad X-treme fans and the all-original “Drew’s Crew (real men wear Lavender), the devotion and insanity of the XU student fan section at the men’s basketball games vehemently confirms that, if in attendance, it’s the place to be.

There is, however, a whole other realm of partying going on in Cintas Center right alongside these students, 22 parties to be exact.

The attendees are usually a little older and always a lot wealthier than those fans in the student section, but they are definitely just as crazy.

Break free from the self-involved tunnel vision of your section, students, and look into the self-involved tunnel vision of Cintas Center’s luxury boxes.

Through the shiny glass panels surrounding the court you will see the faces of many of Xavier’s finest benefactors enjoying the game, a cold beverage or two, and a variety of Sodexho’s finest, slightly overpriced delicacies from their own, personally attended suites.

Cintas Center is home to 22 luxury box suites, all of which are currently sold under five to 10-year contracts.

Many are purchased by Cincinnati companies like Cincinnati Bell, while others are privately bought.

In order to purchase a suite, a specific “donation” is made, which, according to Director of Suites Andy Barry, is set at the “fair market value” of the suite.

The suite holders are then responsible for purchasing their own tickets and food/beverage orders for each game.

For the quality fo service offered, and for the experience that is Xavier Basketball, such a price is more than reasonable. Luxury suite patrons are waited on hand and foot while they enjoy the basketball from a great vatage, in plush, padded seats.

Businesses utilize the suites to entertain clients, network and to show their support for Xavier.

So for those of us who can’t quite open our wallets yet, we should open our eyes beyond the student section and pay a little gratitude to those faces sitting just above.

They may be enjoying cheese platters and Heineken while we’re tolerating nachos and Natural Light, but we’re all here for the same reason, and Cintas would not be what it is today without them…and man do they know how to party.

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Men’s Basketball Student Ticket Policy

Tickets are available during the specified pickup times. For the first hour of the pickup time (or until the line is dissipated), students should come to the Event Ticket Office, located on the south side of the Cintas Center. After that time, the tickets will be available at the Mail Ticket Office, located on the east side of the building. The Cintas Center Ticket Office's hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-5:00pm. At the end of the designated pickup times, any unclaimed student tickets will be opened up for sale to the public. Full-time undergraduate students will still be eligible for free tickets after the end of the pickup time, provided the game is not sold out when they come to claim their tickets.

Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout 'Crosstown Campout' Policy

A decision has been made by the joint forces of the student body, Campus Police, Student Life, the X-treme Fans and Xavier Athletics to commence with a student campout for tickets for this year’s Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout. The decision came following a recent meeting between representatives of the athletic department, Cintas Center, Student Life, Campus Police and X-treme Fans.

Ultimately, the campout procedures will be very similar to the process that was used when Xavier hosted the Shootout in 2006. The only changes in the procedure will involve the starting and ending times of the campout.
For this year’s “Crosstown Campout,” students may begin lining up at 8 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 7 and tickets will be handed out the following Monday, Dec. 10, at 1:30 p.m. Campus Police and Student Life will not allow anyone to line up any earlier than 8 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 7.

X-treme Fans Board will keep an ordered registry of all groups that choose to camp out. They will also be in charge of policing the line to curb the occurrence of line-cutting and other forms of campout dishonesty. Based on the input of the student body, and in keeping with the Crosstown Campout’s stated goal of unified Xavier spirit, the X-treme Fans points system will not be used in conjunction with the campout in any way, as was previously planned. Complete campout guidelines are available on the X-treme Fans portal group page.

Women's Basketball Student Ticket Policy

All home games are played at the Cintas Center. Xavier full-time undergraduate students should enter the door on the far left-hand side of the South Entrance market "Student Entrance." Once inside, they can present their All-Card for one complimentary ticket. Doors open one hour prior to the games and the ticket office remains open until the end of halftime. Seating for women's basketball is reserved. The student section is located in sections 115-118 at the north end of the Cintas Center.

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 Briefs

Doug Tifft  
Sports Editor

07-08 Men's Roster

No.	Player	Year	Pos.
20	Anderson, C.J.	Jr	G/F
4	Bronson, Charles	Jr	F/C
5	Brown, Derrick	So	F
34	Burrell, Stanley	Sen	G
13	Duckett, Stephen	Fr	G
1	Duncan, Josh	Sen	F
2	Graves, Adrion	So	G
33	Hughes, Joe	Fr	F
25	Jackson, Dante'	Fr	G
24	Lavender, Drew	Sen	G
31	Love, Jason	So	F/C
22	McLean, Jamel	So	F
11	Raymond, B.J.	Jr	G/F
15	Taylor, Andrew	So	F

 

07-08 Women's Roster

No.	Player	Year	Pos.
23	Askew, Megan	Fr	G
12	Barringer, Alesia	So	G
15	Byorick, Aly	Fr	G
11	Harris, Amber	So	F
13	Hester, Maureen	So	F
1	Jennings, Special	Fr	G
25	Johnson, Stephany	Fr	G
34	Martin, Der-ryka	So	F
42	Phillips, April	So	F
53	Phillips, Ta'Shia	Fr	C
20	Reed, Tudy 5-11	Jr	G
24	Taylor, Jerri 5-7	Jr	G