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  1. #11
    Supporting Member GoMuskies's Avatar
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    It will also be hard to judge if Xavier has “less” patience here. Xavier hasn’t really been in a situation where they’ve had to show patience in 35 years. Miller might have tested them without the four in four days in his second year. But otherwise, none of our coaches have had significant struggles.

  2. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by GoMuskies View Post
    It will also be hard to judge if Xavier has “less” patience here. Xavier hasn’t really been in a situation where they’ve had to show patience in 35 years. Miller might have tested them without the four in four days in his second year. But otherwise, none of our coaches have had significant struggles.
    Good point.
    Pray the Rosary daily

  3. #13
    When just one isnt enough X-band '01's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GoMuskies View Post
    It will also be hard to judge if Xavier has “less” patience here. Xavier hasn’t really been in a situation where they’ve had to show patience in 35 years. Miller might have tested them without the four in four days in his second year. But otherwise, none of our coaches have had significant struggles.
    People also forget that Sean Miller dismissed Dedrick Finn from the team just prior to the end of the season. I'm not saying that something similar will happen this year, but that did provide an outlet for the team to close ranks just prior to the A-10 Tournament that season.

  4. #14
    Supporting Member XUGRAD80's Avatar
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    Unless the season ticket base starts to erode, and the suite money dries up, there will be absolutely no reason for anyone in the administration to start losing patience. 1 or even 2 bad years is not likely to cause either of those things to happen, especially when there is a top 20 recruiting class coming in and the coach is only into his first year of a 5 year contract.

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by XUGRAD80 View Post
    Unless the season ticket base starts to erode, and the suite money dries up, there will be absolutely no reason for anyone in the administration to start losing patience. 1 or even 2 bad years is not likely to cause either of those things to happen, especially when there is a top 20 recruiting class coming in and the coach is only into his first year of a 5 year contract.
    Maybe, but you can bet that the administration will also keep a watchful eye on new student applications. They believe there is a direct correlation between how well the basketball team does and applications.

  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by GoMuskies View Post
    X admin might start questioning how much faith people have in them. Just saying.
    I was wondering about that. Typically if the head coach of your only major program gets fired the A.D. isn't far behind. (No evidence to support this claim- could be way off). But Greg got a bigger role within the University while remaining the A.D....really makes things more interesting in that regard.

  7. #17
    Hall of Famer Masterofreality's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bleedXblue View Post
    We should have never hired Steele if we weren't going to give him at least 3 years. Mack left us in a tough spot and the Prez and AD should have known that.
    Reports are that Steele received a 5 year contract- that is from CBS reporting a quote from Greg Christopher.
    5 years of bad basketball will put this place in a deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep hole. He'd better improve.
    "I Got CHAMPIONS in that Lockerroom!" -Stanley Burrell

  8. #18
    Hall of Famer Masterofreality's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by vee4xu View Post
    I have no dog in the fight either way. I am more, or less trying to get feelings on the topic. The thought crossed my mind because I received Gary's letter the same week that X was really struggling. I speak with folks in the development department with some degree of regularity and there's extreme pressure to raise this 1/4 billion dollars. The basketball program opens new doors and keeps money flowing from existing donors. Basketball isn't the only thing, but it is the most important ice breaker and door opener for the development department.
    On March 9, Yours Truly, the Hanging Judge from Indiana & the Canton Barrister along with our better halves are invited and going to a pre-game reception before the St. Johns game- to strongly pitch us for more for the "Together for Others" campaign. It's gonna be interesting how the attitude will be in that room if this current downward spiral continues and we're approaching an 18-20 loss season. I suspect most will preach patience for this year, but if there is little development next year, the same fat cats that were called upon for the "Save Mack" salary drive, may be soon called upon to fund a buyout. Basketball has been this school's drivetrain for 30 years, and a 5 year drought can kill the Golden Goose. I can't see the school putting up with lousy basketball for more than 3 years.
    "I Got CHAMPIONS in that Lockerroom!" -Stanley Burrell

  9. #19
    Supporting Member xudash's Avatar
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    I've stayed away from posting for a little while, as I can't come to any conclusion on Steele's potential moving forward. A lot of great points and insights have been made in this thread and others - the grading thread, in particular - about this team's real or perceived talent level, Steele's ability or lack thereof to make good in-game decisions and adjustments, etc. We all read about his passion for basketball at an early age, his darling ascent in the ranks, about the plan for the Final 2%, about his ability to shore up the roster with Hankins, Welage and Castlin, and now we see where we stand now and wonder.

    As for the "what's at stake" part of it, most of you have hit that spot on. Xavier's plan is to grow AND continue to become more prestigious. All this in the face of a demographic reality that will send smaller, less well endowed schools to their graves, a phenomenon that has already been under way for a while.

    The University's "front door" must remain polished: we still need a strong assist from basketball to continue what has been a truly transformational experience for our Jesuit school over the last almost 40 years now.

    The existing capital campaign is well on its way to a successful conclusion. The application taking apparatus continues to expand towards a more national reach. The HUB continues to go up and we'll probably learn of some new interesting announcements that will follow that endeavor in the not too distant future.

    Frankly, I'm not too worried about any of this at this point, and that includes not worrying about Steele and believing that Travis is still the guy. Gallows humor would have me post that Fired Up Karen was hired by Butler under a long-term Chinesesque strategy to manage Travis in order to navigate his ascension to the HC at Xavier in order to derail Xavier's progress. Then again, FUK has demonstrated that he is too stupid to pull that off, and it wouldn't be the Butler Way to pursue such an endeavor (sarcasm font is active).

    In addition to some of the things Paul pointed about about Coach K and Duke, etc., also keep in mind that Villanova once had a guy named Steve Lappas at the helm. If there is a point there, it is that Xavier's program is way too well established and valuable to suffer true long-term damage. There are no guaranties, but the probability of such a thing happening is remote.

    A character building year for us all this year, perhaps.
    Last edited by xudash; 02-04-2019 at 06:23 PM.
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  10. #20
    Administrator Muskie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Masterofreality View Post
    On March 9, Yours Truly, the Hanging Judge from Indiana & the Canton Barrister along with our better halves are invited and going to a pre-game reception before the St. Johns game- to strongly pitch us for more for the "Together for Others" campaign. It's gonna be interesting how the attitude will be in that room if this current downward spiral continues and we're approaching an 18-20 loss season. I suspect most will preach patience for this year, but if there is little development next year, the same fat cats that were called upon for the "Save Mack" salary drive, may be soon called upon to fund a buyout. Basketball has been this school's drivetrain for 30 years, and a 5 year drought can kill the Golden Goose. I can't see the school putting up with lousy basketball for more than 3 years.
    Hopefully, the program will properly frame expectations next year. That's been my biggest gripe. You don't lose the second all-time leading scorer in school history and not take a step back. At this point, I just want to see progress. I for one am seeing progress, but my expectations were very low, to begin with.
    "He's a little bit ball-dominant, he needs to have the ball in his hands, and he's not a good shooter." Ball-dominant … isn't that a nice way of calling someone a ball hog? Where is my Jay Bilas Thesaurus?

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