NCAA decides Crawford must sit
Transfer from Indiana will not be able to play this season despite sanctions levied against his former school
Doug Tifft
Sports Editor
Erika Bresee
Sophomore guard Jordan Craford will not be able to play until the 2008-2009 season.
While the Xavier University men’s basketball team continues a 7-0 start to their season, they had to deal with a setback on Wednesday, Dec. 3 when they received word that sophomore transfer Jordan Crawford will not be eligible for the 2008-09 season.
Crawford, a 6’4” guard out of Detroit’s Arts and Communication High School who spent the 2007-08 season at Indiana University, was seeking immediate eligibility as a result of NCAA sanctions for recruiting violations committed by former Indiana head coach Kelvin Sampson and his staff.
“We’re disappointed in the decision, but greatly appreciate the efforts put forth by our staff and Jordan and his family throughout this process,” said Mike Bobinski, Xavier University Associate Vice President and Athletic Director. “Since his arrival on campus Jordan has been an important part of our basketball team and we look forward to his continued efforts and development as he prepares for next season.”
Hopes for Crawford’s eligibility had waned recently after the NCAA ruled on Nov. 26 that Indiana University would only receive a three year probation and a loss of one scholarship for failing to monitor the actions of their assistant coaches. Sampson was punished much more severely, receiving a five year show-cause punishment.
The chances for Crawford’s eligibility had already been weakened by the Nov. 24 announcement that fellow Indiana transfer Eli Holman, now at Detroit, would be ineligible for the 2008-09 season. With the denial of Crawford, only Armon Bassett, now at Alabama-Birmingham, has yet to be denied eligibility of the four former Indiana players to transfer to other division one institutions following last season.
In Crawford Xavier would have gained a player with the ability to play either guard position, help out on the glass, score off of the dribble adeptly and, perhaps most importantly for a team struggling with questions at the point guard position, run an offense. Crawford averaged 9.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a freshman at Indiana, starting alongside NBA talents Eric Gordon and D.J. White.
“He is an outstanding player. I have no qualms about being confident and letting people know that he is a special player,” Xavier head coach Sean Miller said before the season about Crawford. “I know that Jordan will develop… [into] perhaps the most talented guard that has ever played [at Xavier].”
Miller’s confidence in Crawford comes not only from the talent level that Crawford posses, but also in his work ethic.
“The thing that I have come to learn about him is that he loves the game of basketball. He is a passionate, he works hard, and he is a great competitor,” Miller said.
Miller is not the only person to have noticed the skill set that Crawford brings to the table, as some NBA scouts have already put Crawford on their radar.
“Crawford is definitely an NBA prospect… Overall, he does a lot of things well,” said Doug Baxter of DraftInfo.com.
While the absence of Crawford may weaken the Musketeers this season, the thought of adding Crawford to a team that may still include fellow NBA prospect Derrick Brown leaves plenty of optimism for Xavier fan in the future.
Defense carries Musketeers to hot start
XU uses strong defensive effort to win in Puerto Rico; overcome injuries to beat Miami
Doug Tifft
Sports Editor
Erika Bresee
Xavier senior forward C.J. Anderson was named the MVP of the Puerto Rico Season Tipoff after he averaged 9.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in three games to help the Musketeers to the title.
The Xavier men’s basketball team has relied on a dominant defensive mentality to carry them to a 6-0 start, including a tournament championship at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Season Tipoff.
The Musketeers are holding opponents to an average of only 58.8 points per game and 35 percent shooting on the year, a big reason why they were able to knock off Missouri, Virginia Tech and then-No. 13 Memphis to take the title in Puerto Rico.
“We have never played defense better than we have during the first six games of our season than, really, at any time during the last four years,” Xavier head coach Sean Miller said. “The scary part is that usually defense improves as the season goes on, and I hope that our defense does that and does not deteriorate. The identity of our team, and why we are 6-0 has very little to do with offense; it is our incredible ability to get those big stops and be hard to score against.”
While the Xavier defense has been keeping points off the board, the Musketeers have struggled to put up points themselves, only averaging 68.8 ppg and shooting 42.9 percent.
A big problem has been long range shooting, as the Musketeers have made only 28.9 percent of their three point attempts this season.
These troubles have caused Xavier to rely a great deal on getting to the foul line with regularity to give themselves scoring opportunities. The fact that Xavier boasts a deep and talented front line aids them in getting to the free throw line an average of 35.2 times per game, while their defense limits opponents to only 20.7 trips per game.
Xavier has struggled at times converting when they get to the stripe – such as the 25-37 foul shooting performance in the 63-58 win over Memphis – a problem that was exacerbated when promising backup point guard Terrell Holloway went down with a minor stress fracture in his left foot, putting him out for 2-4 weeks.
While Xavier was able to win a low scoring defensive battle over Miami (OH) on Saturday 60-53, Holloway’s free throw shooting (27-28 on the season) will be needed in upcoming games against major conference opponents Cincinnati and Duke.
“We are hoping that the timing of [Terrell’s] return is more towards two weeks than four. I don’t know if that will be two weeks or three weeks, but we are hopefully moving in that direction based on how he is feeling,” Miller said of Holloway, who will be re-evaluated following an X-ray on Thursday, Dec. 4.
In Holloway’s absence, the Musketeers have been left shorthanded at the point guard position, relying on sophomore Dante Jackson to play major minutes there despite being a natural shooting guard.
“If there is ever a silver lining in somebody getting hurt it is that Dante playing more and more at the point guard position is going to make our team better equipped for the long haul,” Miller said. “He is doing some other things that he did not do in the fall; he is a bigger guard, he is a very good defender he knows what we want to do.”
While Holloway’s injury will keep him on the bench for at least another week, Xavier’s other injured star, junior forward Derrick Brown, continues to improve his game while dealing with the effects of a sprained ankle suffered on Nov. 7. Brown scored a career high 23 points in the win over Miami despite not being able to perform at his usual level.
“Derrick Brown is approaching four weeks since his injury, and around that time is when you expect him to feel natural. We have played six games, and I don’t know if Derrick has jumped like he is capable of, one time yet,” Miller said. “[Considering the injury] it was great to see the way that he played against Miami. That has given him a boost of confidence.”
The Musketeers will need Brown to be his usual, athletic self in what looks to be a more up-tempo game on Wednesday, Dec. 3 against Auburn, a game that will likely feature many transition opportunities as a result of the Tigers’ style of play. Xavier will have to rely on its defense once again to shut down Auburn seniors Korvotney Barber, 6’7” forward averaging 13.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and Quantez Robertson, a 6’3” guard averaging 7.3 points and 5.8 rebounds who is making his first return to his native Cincinnati since high school.
The win would not only be significant for the Musketeers’ profile, but would be Miller’s 100th of his five-year career at Xavier.
“The seventh win for me would be more of a milestone than the 100th,” Miller said of his hopes to move to 7-0 on the season.
Volleyball wraps up season at A-10’s
XU tops Temple but falls to No. 21 SLU in A-10 semifinals
Scott Mueller
Asst. Sports Editor
The Xavier University volleyball team wrapped up its season with a loss to Saint Louis University in the Atlantic 10 tournament semi-final and a loss on the road to Notre Dame.
On Nov. 21, the Musketeers rallied from down 2-1 to defeat fifth seeded Temple, 3-2, in the first round of the A-10 tournament.
After a turbulent season, 2009 looks promising
After his squad wrapped up the season with a loss at Notre Dame last Friday night, Xavier head volleyball coach Floyd Deaton compared this season to a rollercoaster ride on ‘The Beast’ at King’s Island.
The Musketeers got the season off to a fast start winning the Ohio State Sports Imports Classic with wins over Youngstown State, Toledo and Ohio State.
“That was the first tournament of the year and I thought we were moving in the right direction,” Deaton said of tournament in Columbus.
“I’m looking forward to next year. We’re losing two seniors, great leaders, but losing two seniors and having the nucleus of a team back makes you smile a little bit,” said Deaton.
“We want to be in the NCAA tournament,” Deaton said. “We’ve been in the NCAA tournament last year, with this bunch basically, and we want to do it again and this time not just settle on getting there.”
In the first set, the Owls methodically won the set 25-23 despite never gaining an advantage of larger than four points.
In the second set, Xavier jumped out to an early 4-1 lead, and twice held five point leads, but could not finish the Owls.
Temple clawed its way back and took a lead at 23-22 before Xavier showed its strength and scored three consecutive points, including the last two on kills by junior Lauren Kaminsky, who finished the night with four kills and eight digs.
In the third set, Temple came out with something to prove, feeling that they let the second set slip through their fingers, and led throughout a 25-17 set victory.
With their A-10 career on the line, the Musketeers responded with a dominating performance in the third set, never trailing as they took the set 25-18.
In the fifth and deciding set, Xavier fell behind early, 6-3, but responded with a 12-4 run to close out the set, advancing to the semi-finals of the tournament against top-seeded SLU.
Junior Kelly Ruth led the Musketeers with 16 kills and fell one dig short of a double-double against Temple.
Sophomore Claire Paszkiewicz did record a double-double with 20 assists and 18 digs, and sophomore Chelsea Campbell chipped in with a career high 14 kills for the night.
“Our girls played hard. We came out, and they were giving us fits at the beginning, but that’s what happens when you have a bunch of smart girls on your team, they figured it out,” said head coach Floyd Deaton. “They had some tendencies that we kind of caught on to.”
The following day, Nov. 22, the Musketeers took on the No. 21 Saint Louis Billikens. Xavier had previously lost two matches to SLU, both 3-0 decisions. The third match would prove to be no different, as the Muskies once again fell, 3-0.
Xavier never led the match, and the score was only tied five times, all in the second set. In the first set, Saint Louis took the first four points and never looked back, winning the set 25-16.
In the second set Xavier was competitive through 10 points, as the lead never widened larger than two points either way. However, with SLU ahead 11-10, the Billikens would go on a 14-7 run to finish out the set, 25-17.
In the third set, with Xavier’s A-10 tournament hopes coming to an end, SLU opened the set on a 10-3 run. Xavier would never get much closer as they dropped the third set 25-14.
While Kaminsky led the team with nine kills in the match, senior Megan Hellmann and junior Hillary Otte both recorded seven digs for the match.
“SLU is really good,” said Deaton. “They play with confidence, and that’s something we’ve kind of been lacking all year, that confidence that we belong here and we can take care of business.”
Following the A-10 tournament, Xavier played its last match of the year at Notre Dame, droping the match 3-0. Despite the final result, the match was competitive throughout, with the Irish taking the first set by only a 25-23 margain.
The Musketeers played well again in the second set, but fell victim to a 7-2 Irish run than propelled Notre Dame to a 25-19 win in the set. Xavier strove to fight until the end of the season, as their last set of the 2009 campaign ended with only a three point defeat, 25-22.
“We played all of our girls. All 12 played,” said Deaton. “We played hard considering that you’re really not playing for anything, you’re just playing the season out,” said Deaton, who acknowledged that he could have changed the lineup and given Notre Dame some different looks if winning this game had been the most important thing.
The Notre Dame match was indeed the last match of the season as the Musketeers missed an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
Women rebound with four straight wins
Ken Burton
Sports Writer
Dani Meiners
Sophomore point guard Special Jennings chiped in with 10 points to help head coach Kevin McGuff earn his 163rd career win over Kentucky.
The No. 25 Xavier women’s basketball team rebounded from back to back losses against top ten ranked opponents, the University of North Carolina and the University of Louisville, with four wins in the past two weeks.
Against North Carolina, Ta’Shia Phillips out-hustled fellow All-American candidate Rashanda McCants for 25 rebounds, the most rebounds registered by a visiting player in North Carolina’s Smith Center history and a career high for Phillips in the 73-67 loss to the Tar Heels on Nov. 19.
On Nov. 22, Phillips was in foul trouble most of the game against Lousiville, forcing senior leader Tudy Reed to step up with a career high 31 points, but the Musketeers came up short 65-55.
This past week the Musketeers received big contributions from some unlikely places while rebounding with four big wins.
Phillips again found herself in foul trouble against the physical Louisiana State University Tigers. Phillips would only record 20 minutes on the floor because of fouls, therefore allowing a bench player to step up and fill the scoring void.
Junior Dee Dee Jernigan, a Rutgers University transfer in her first full year with the team stepped in to help the Musketeers.
Jernigan, normally seeing limited action off the bench, went off for 15 points and eight rebounds. At her previous school Jernigan averaged 1.2 points and 1.0 rebound per game.
Jernigan led the Musketeers to a much needed 57-48 victory on the road.
The Musketeers spent Thanksgiving Day traveling back to Cincinnati to prepare for the Xavier Invitational the next day.
The first of the two game series was against the Tennessee Martin Skyhawks.
The game featured a potent inside-outside scoring combination of freshman Tyeasha Moss and Phillips.
Phillips scored 12 points while Moss had a career night, shooting 6-9 from the field and scoring 15 points.
As this one got out of hand, coach Kevin McGuff emptied his bench, allowing eleven Musketeers to have their names in the scorebook, leading to the Musketeers stomping the Skyhawks 73-41.
The Winthrop Eagles were the Musketeers opponent the second day of the Invitational. Phillips reestablished her dominance in the post while recording her 22nd career double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Senior Jerri Taylor scored 13 points for the Musketeers while Moss continued her solid play off the bench, scoring six points and adding a team high three assists. The Musketeers would roll to an easy 66-43 victory.
Xavier was back at it again on Tuesday, Dec. 2 with a 67-44 blowout of the
University of Kentucky, a historic win for head coach Kevin McGuff.
McGuff became Xavier’s all-time wins leader with his 135th career victory.
McGuff has been the most productive coach in Xavier women’s basketball history, having the highest winning percentage, most consecutive seasons with postseason appearances (six times in as many years) and is now the winningest women’s basketball coach in Xavier history.
McGuff got a lot fo help from his veteran leader Taylor, who led Xavier with 18 points.
The underclassmen also came through for McGuff on his big night, as sophomore Special Jennings had 10 points, and Phillips had nine points to go with 10 rebounds.
The Musketeers will be try to improve upon their 6-2 record on Friday, Dec. 5 when they take on Akron at Cintas Center.
XU to play in Orlando Tournament in 2009
The Xavier men’s basketball team will be offered a chance to face quality competition early in the 2009-10 season, as they have been announced as one of the eight participants in the 2009 Old Spice Classic at the Milk House at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.
The tournament, held from Nov. 26-29, will potentially include teams from five of the six BCS power conferences.
Along with Xavier, Baylor, Michigan, Iona, Creighton, Alabama and Marquette will compete in the tournament. The Metro Athletic Conference, which is organizing the tournament, is currently working to secure an eighth and final team for the event, presumably from either the Atlantic Coast Conference or the Pacific 10 Conference.
The Old Spice Classic has a history of being among the best early season tournaments, as evidenced by a showdown between No. 12 Tennessee and No. 10 Gonzaga in this season’s championship game.
Xavier has had success recently in similar tournaments, winning the 2008 Puerto Rico Season Tipoff, the 2007 Chicago Invitational and the 2005 Wooden Tradition.
Influx of talent added by XU athletic recruits
Xavier University announced the signing of a number of student-athletes this past week as the national signing date came for high school seniors.
Among the notables names were five new additions to the Xavier baseball team. Seth Dawes, a 6’3” catcher from Chillicothe, Ohio, Vinny Nittoli, a 6’1” pitcher/outfielder from Gibsonia, Pa., Patrick Paligraf, a 6’1” infielder from Fishers, Ind., Jonathan Richard, a 6’3” pitcher from Versailles, Ohio, and Seth Willoughby, a 6’1” infielder/pitcher from Columbus lead a stellar recruiting class for Xavier baseball coach Scott Googins.
The women’s tennis team also brought in a notable recruit in Katie Pleiman. Pleiman, a four star recruit according to tennisrecruiting.net out of Chaminade-Julienne High School in Dayton, is expected to crack the Xavier lineup in her freshman year.
The Xavier men’s basketball team also secured the signature of a four-star recruit in Kevin Parrom, a 6’6” forward from South Kent, Conn.
