Don James transferring

[IM4X]

Every coach from Gillen to Mack had to deal with young players and other unknowns. It is no different for Steele. The standard is the standard at X and that has to apply to Travis. He is expected to do at least as well as his predecessors. That means winning more than 20 games a seasons and getting to the dance (beyond the first round even) on a regular basis. This we know is the Xavier way. He knows it’s what is expected of him and he knows it needs to happen next year.

He now has the guys he has hand picked, though in truth, he had a hand in recruiting some of the veterans on the team the last two years as well. It’s time to step up and mold his guys into winners.

There were a number of things said and done (good recruiting, improved defense) that proves Travis has some qualities needed to be that next great X coach. At the same time, he has also made some bad decisions and even said some questionable things that one hopes are early mistakes he will learn from and correct- The way almost all of the coaches who came before him did.

Obviously having more players who can hit 3s will help a coach look better. As Gillen once said when calling an X game, ((I may be slightly butchering this quote) “Good shooting forgives a lot of sins.” It would have forgiven a lot of sins by both this coaching staff and the team this season. My guess is that some sins will be forgiven next season because the shooting will be a bit better.

Still, it’s important that the team and coaches cut back on some of their many sins we have seen over the past two years (including turnovers, poor ball movement, poor decision making, lack of effective pressing, not getting to the line enough, poor foul shooting, lack of leadership).

I will be eager to see how Travis, his staff and next season’s team responds. But the standard has been (and therefor our expectations ought to continue to be) that X makes the tournament.

[Jumpin_Jamal_Forever]

Like I said...that’s the GOAL. But at the present time I’m not going to say that I expect them to meet that goal. That may change later, but I’m going into the next season with low expectations, which I HOPE are blown away by the actual results. I’m not going into the season with high expectations, but I am cautiously optimistic that they might reach that goal.

To many young players, to many question marks.

See above comment by IM4X. A goal without expectations of achievement isn't a goal. Its a wish. I say no more wishes and certainly no more excuses. I don't want to hear anymore about "Mack's recruits", the difficulty of transitioning from "friend of the players to man in charge", "poor B-ball IQ's", "poor shooters", "injuries", blah, blah and blah.

Coach Steele has had the break-in period he deserves. Now, he needs to step up. No more excuses.

[XUGRAD80]

So you’re saying that making the tourney next year isn’t a realistic goal? LOL


It’s just that sometimes reality gets in the way of “standards”. IMO we shouldn’t “expect” them to make the NCAA tourney NEXT year. That might mean that they don’t live up to the standards that they should be held to, and that they are a failure. I just have a different way of looking at it. I try not to have unrealistic expectations that are based on hope and hype more than reality.

[paulxu]

Not to revise history, but to offer some perspective.
Sean Miller took over from Matta, who took us to the E8 in his last year.

He inherited 3 starters from that E8 team and added Burrell and Thornton (who had missed a year).
He missed the tournament in his first year.
In his second year he was knocked out in the first round.
He won 38 games in his first two years. 17 W's in year one.

Steele lost Blueitt, Macura, Kanter, O'Mara and Gates.
Just like Miller, he missed the tournament but won 19 in year one.
Steele had 38 W's also in his first 2 years.

I think we would have made the tourney this year, although maybe in the first four.
Regardless, their records seem comparable and I'm looking for good things next year.

[drudy23]

Next year's team will have a whole different dynamic. That alone will be a good thing.

If we come out with the same hesitancy and lack of cohesion on offense, there will be a very short trigger on this board, as it should be. If they are playing for each other and simply need some time to adjust to each other - fine.

But I can't take another year of watching what this offense has been for the last 2 years.

Our best teams have always relied on a bunch of guys that can get theirs on any given night. Hopefully we get back to that where every body is a legit threat to score.

[hydmuskie]

I think we were a top 5 BE team when it came to defense, hustle, energy, and game planning.
We sucked at PG decisioning, turnovers and 3 Pt shooting.

I think Coach can carry over into next year the defense, game planning and energy level of the team from this year. If he can then add in 2 of the three (better decisioning from the PG, 3 Pt Shooting and limit turnovers to below 10 a game) then we are dancing.

Of the 3 I think we are more likely to see a return to form of 3 Pt shooting - we have more shooters now - and better PG decisioning.

Turnovers below 10 in BE play will be key. I believe that bad turnover habits emerge in lackadasical practice. In game turnovers depends on how talented the practice squad is. If they are going HARD at you - it prepares you to not make lazy passes, make better decisions out of the press etc etc. If your practice squad is noticeably less talented than your starters - I think you have TO trouble again next year.

[sirthought]

There should be no debate. There was certainly enough talent on this season's team, a probably last season's too, that they could have gotten to the tournament. X has made it that far on far less talent. It's more about team and game management to pull out wins. Yeah, the players have to execute, but the staff are able to hold things as tight or loose as needed.

Next season will have some of the highest concentration of higher-level recruits in the history of the school. That doesn't mean they are ready to win every game. But the potential is better than ever. Can the coaches get them there?

[D-West & PO-Z]

Of the 3 I think we are more likely to see a return to form of 3 Pt shooting - we have more shooters now - and better PG decisioning.

How do we know we have better PG decision making? We have Scruggss and Kyky who werent great at PG by any means. I think we really need to rely on Odom and hope he is the real deal from the jump. But we dont know he will be yet.

I get Q was bad and completely frustrating but I wouldnt say he was the only one responsible for poor PG play last year.

Lets hope Kyky makes a jump with PG play and Odom is real deal. Scruggs is way more effective off the ball.

[Muskie]

How do we know we have better PG decision making? We have Scruggss and Kyky who werent great at PG by any means. I think we really need to rely on Odom and hope he is the real deal from the jump. But we dont know he will be yet.

I get Q was bad and completely frustrating but I wouldnt say he was the only one responsible for poor PG play last year.

Lets hope Kyky makes a jump with PG play and Odom is real deal. Scruggs is way more effective off the ball.

Was Q perfect last year? Far from it. But his game definitely suffered from the lack of shooters on the team as well.

[MADXSTER]

Was Q perfect last year? Far from it. But his game definitely suffered from the lack of shooters on the team as well.

You could say this about every player on last year's team.