Season at a Glance

[Xavier]

Travis must be a smooth talker… but yea this makes no sense. Guess we will see when the season starts. Injuries happen but it looks like he will struggle to see the floor a lot based on what we know.

Thought he tested the waters and no schools really came after him. At one point I thought I remember Vanderbilt had interest or something but that never came about,

[SM#24]

Pre-season polls are out and I'm always somewhat amazed at the consistency between the AP (writers) and USA Today (coaches) polls. Exact same top 25 just some minor discrepancies in actual ranking.

Xavier is 32 in the AP with 22 points. There are 63 voters in this one and I would guess that somewhere around 11 voted for Xavier.
Xavier is T44(last) in the USAT with 1 point. There are 31 voters in this one, thus 1 voted for Xavier at #25.

This is the biggest discrepancy in the Receiving Votes teams. What do the coaches know that the writers don't (or the other way around) ?
Not to stir up the most polarizing topic on this board, but I will (kind of like a "with all due respect"), could it be the coaches do not respect Steele ?

The only other thing I can come up with is writers may have a tendency to value returning players more; whereas the coaches may say, yeah they return everybody but we don't think they're very good.

[noteggs]

This is the biggest discrepancy in the Receiving Votes teams. What do the coaches know that the writers don't (or the other way around) ?
Not to stir up the most polarizing topic on this board, but I will (kind of like a "with all due respect"), could it be the coaches do not respect Steele ?

The only other thing I can come up with is writers may have a tendency to value returning players more; whereas the coaches may say, yeah they return everybody but we don't think they're very good.

I get your questions/observation. Would guess more the latter. The Coaches who know Steele the best are in the BE and they voted us to finish 3rd in conference which has me to believe some do respect his abilities somewhat?

[JTG]

I get your questions/observation. Would guess more the latter. The Coaches who know Steele the best are in the BE and they voted us to finish 3rd in conference which has me to believe some do respect his abilities somewhat?

Or they figure X is so deep even Steele couldn't screw it up.

[Xville]

Backcourt I’m unconcerned. However, lots of questions in the frontcourt—will free come back ok? Is nunge going to be healthy? How about Stanley? Can miles be part of the regular rotation and be a defensive contributor and dunker?

[Xuperman]

Backcourt I’m unconcerned. However, lots of questions in the frontcourt—will free come back ok? Is nunge going to be healthy? How about Stanley? Can miles be part of the regular rotation and be a defensive contributor and dunker?

Yeah, the frontcourt court could become dicey in a hurry. It all hinges on Nunge early on because we know that Free will be unavailable for the first few and Miles is a complete unknown. Besides is it realistic to think Zach will be 100% when he does get green lighted? Based on what is being said about the type of injury, it could very well linger and the possibility of re-injury is always there.

Hey....YES we can get those early W's regardless of the situation, but IMO Nunge and Miles have to combine for north of 30 EFFECTIVE minutes starting on the 18th to hang with the Buckeyes and the other big Non Cons scheduled. Granted, Stanley did play a monster 5 at Hampton, but won't really work with what is coming the 18th and beyond.

If things get crazy, Stanley, Hunter, Jones, Scruggs, Johnson, Odom could surprise. Good enough to open a can on UC anyway.

[noteggs]

Lol Those were my thoughts as well. Trying to take new attitude this year so refrained.

Edit: this was a response to JTG’s.

[hoopster68]

Lol Those were my thoughts as well. Trying to take new attitude this year so refrained.

Yes, I have a "new attitude" too. I'm trying to remain complimentary/positive toward the coaching staff. This season demands results, which in my mind include the NCAA tourney, and a trip to the second weekend. Anything less is a failure which demands a coaching change.

[xudash]

Or they figure X is so deep even Steele couldn't screw it up.

I don't believe talent can win in spite of a bad coaching staff.

The coaches know that. Xavier has been voted in the 3rd position due to the entire organization: coaches and players.

Here come the "EXCUSES!" rants again, but I truly believe Steele has been dealt 3 of the craziest starting years for a new HC possible (i.e. poor roster construction in the beginning, key injuries along the way and COVID). Well, "he played Carter for way too many minutes!" Yes he did. No doubt about it. What I'm not sure we know is whether or not he had any other viable options. Hindsight says he did have other options, because Carter never was able to rise to the occasion during critical points in a game. But hindsight is easy. I personally don't need and I don't want for others to start chasing their tails about all this all over again. I'll stop here.

Practically everyone is saying it / in agreement at this point: he has the roster, now he has to show he knows what to do with it.

We shall soon see.

[drudy23]

Free is an important player - but I think this team is much more efficient with true bigs in the post making them more balanced. Free spent way too much time on the 3 point line. Nunge won't do that and neither will Miles.

Having true bigs as a threat will open up the perimeter where the strength of this team is. Capable post players actually playing in the post will make this team better.

I'm not saying the team is better without Free - but Free belongs in the post. We have plenty of perimeter oriented players. I don't mind these bigs taking an occasional 3, but Free took way too many thinking he was a stretch 3 (or Steele playing him that way).