December 23, 2008 | AP Press

CINCINNATI, OH — The young Butler Bulldogs played way beyond their experience.

Sophomore Matt Howard and freshman Gordon Hayward each scored 19 points, and Butler’s inexperienced lineup kept its poise and turned back one late Xavier rally after another Tuesday night, beating the 14th-ranked Musketeers 74-65 for a benchmark victory.

Butler (10-1) hadn’t beaten a ranked team since its 62-59 victory over No. 18 Maryland in the 2007 NCAA tournament. A team that starts three freshmen and a sophomore pulled this one off.

“You’ve got to win on the road if you want to play for something special,” Bulldogs coach Brad Stevens said. “We’re in the beginning phase of talking about that. We can hardly get past the pregame meal right now.”

In this one, the experienced team suddenly looked lost.

Xavier (9-2) was coming off an 82-64 loss to Duke on Saturday that ended the second-best start in school history and gave the Musketeers a lesson in what happens if they leave their swagger in the locker room. Duke opened with an 18-1 run that set the game on course for a blowout.

Against an old rival, the Musketeers got off to another bad start and wound up with another discouraging outcome.

“Duke was a lesson learned, and from today we’ve got to find out a lesson and learn from this,” said forward B.J. Raymond, who was only 1-of-7 from the field and had three points. “We can’t hang our head or anything like that. We’ve got to want to get better because some teams during the season don’t do that. That separates the great teams from the good teams.

“You start off good and when you hit a bumpy spot, you can either get better or you can go down. The tradition here is we always try to get better. Teams are finding out our weaknesses, and right now we’ve just got to get better at our weaknesses.”

It was only the Musketeers’ second loss in their last 31 games at the Cintas Center. Derrick Brown led Xavier with 17 points.

Butler’s only loss this season was 54-51 at Ohio State on Dec. 13. This time, the Bulldogs kept their composure down the stretch in a setting that could have been very unsettling to a young team.

“This is an intense atmosphere,” said Hayward, who was 10-of-10 from the free throw line. “I’ve played basketball all my life and I’ve been in games like this, but this was different.”

Butler and Xavier played regularly during their 16 years together in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, with the Bulldogs going 3-16 in Cincinnati during that time. They used their familiar style — few turnovers, tough defense, a few 3s — to get off to a fast start and lead most of the way.

Butler’s 12-4 opening run left Xavier with a familiar, bad feeling. The Musketeers missed their first four 3-point shots while falling behind big for the second straight game.

The Musketeers made four 3s, the last by Brad Redford, during a 14-7 spurt that put them ahead 26-24 late in the first half. It would be their final lead.

Howard had two three-point plays during a 12-4 run that put Butler ahead 44-36 with 14:25 left. The Bulldogs jumped to their feet in celebration when Xavier called a timeout to blunt the run. Six times after that, Xavier got within a basket. All six times, a Bulldog made a basket or free throws to preserve the lead they held since the closing minute of the first half.

Xavier coach Sean Miller got a technical foul with 2:58 left, setting up two of Hayward’s free throws as the Bulldogs rebuilt the lead to eight.

“That didn’t help our cause,” Miller said. “I can’t get a technical at that point. That’s my fault and I feel bad for that.”

Xavier’s final chance came after Brown made a 3-pointer with 1:52 remaining, cutting it to 68-65. Ronald Nored made two free throws to end Xavier’s last run, and Howard made two more to essentially finish off the game. Butler finished 26-of-33 from the free throw line.

“The fact that their freshmen and sophomores executed the way they did in our arena is phenomenal,” Miller said. “They’re a very good team.”

December 3, 2008 | AP Press

CINCINNATI, OH -— B.J. Raymond scored a career-high 32 points against an Auburn defense that already knew better than to leave him open, and No. 14 Xavier remained undefeated Wednesday night with an 81-74 victory, Sean Miller’s 100th as coach.

The Musketeers (7-0) matched the third-best start in their history and their best since 1996-97, when they won their first 10 for the school record. Raymond and the rest of the Musketeers kept it going by firing away from outside against the Tigers (3-4), who had trouble with that before.

In Xavier’s 80-57 win at Auburn last Jan. 6, the Musketeers tied their school record by making 16 3-pointers. Raymond led the way in that one, going 6-of-8 from behind the arc with 18 points overall—a performance that the Tigers surely remembered.

Stunningly, they left him open enough times to top it, letting Miller improve his record to 100-39 in his fifth season at Xavier.

Frankie Sullivan scored a career-high 23 points and helped Auburn cut a 22-point deficit to 60-51 with 6:55 left in the game. Raymond—who else— blunted the comeback by making back-to-back 3-pointers, giving him a career-high seven in nine attempts.

Xavier went 13-of-23 from behind the arc and shot 53.5 percent from the field, but its 22 turnovers and 22-of-36 shooting on free throws allowed Auburn to keep it close.

The Musketeers wore their special gray home jerseys for the first time since last Dec. 22, when they lost to Tennessee, their only loss in their last 29 games at the Cintas Center. The Musketeers never trailed in this one.

Raymond had 16 points in a sloppy first half that featured a dozen turnovers by each team. He hit back-to-back 3s, the second one when he was unguarded on the left wing, in an eight-point run that closed the half and left Xavier in control 37-26.

Against Miami of Ohio last Saturday, Raymond had one of those rare games when he struggles with his shot, missing all but the last of his eight 3-point attempts. It didn’t carry over against an Auburn defense more worried about taking away Xavier’s inside game.

Even 7-foot freshman center Kenny Frease made the first 3-pointer of his career, connecting when he was left unguarded at the top of the key.

A few hours before the game, the NCAA rejected sophomore point guard Jordan Crawford’s request to play for Xavier this season. Crawford transferred last summer from Indiana, and was hoping not to have to sit out a season.

Freshman point guard Terrell Holloway, the team’s best free-throw shooter and quickest ball handler, missed his second game with a stress fracture in his left foot that will sideline him for at least one more week. Xavier is down to one point guard—Dante Jackson, who is more of a shooting guard.

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Enrollment: 6,700

Founded: 1831

President: Rev. Michael J. Graham

Athletic Director: Mike Bobinski

Athletic Web Site: goxavier.cstv.com, musketeermadness.com, xavierhoops.com

Nickname: Musketeers

Colors: Navy Blue, Gray, and White

Arena: Cintas Center

Capacity: 10,250

Average Attendance: 10,250

Head Coach: Sean Miller

Overall Record: 93-39

Record at Xavier: 93-39 (70.4% Winning Percentage)

2007-2008 Record: 30-7 (14-2) NCAA Tournament Elite 8

Assistants: Chris Mack, James Whitford, Emanuel Richardson

ROSTER

The 2008-09 season is no different. For the second year in a row Xavier loses three key upperclassmen, including the best pair of starting guards in the league. Yet the team returns the A-10’s best frontcourt and arguably the top recruiting class.

The strength of the team is clearly upfront. Explosive 6-8 junior Derrick Brown is a candidate for Player of the Year. Widebody center Jason Love is the league’s most improved post player. And forward CJ Anderson gets a lot of tough buckets inside, all within 15 feet. Joining them is a talented transfer from Tulsa and 7-foot giant Kenny Frease, the A-10’s highest rated recruit.

The problem for fifth-year coach Sean Miller, a rising star in the profession, is to figure out how to get the ball to his big guys. Guards Drew Lavender and Stanley Burrell graduated, so Miller has to resort to one or two freshmen to help lead the offense. The best bet is Terrell Holloway, a pass-first point guard who originally signed with Indiana.

“There’s no doubt that the magic question is our point guard play,” Miller told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Whoever runs the show can lean on the upperclassmen, but Xavier has to get solid guard play from its youngsters to win another A-10 title.

DEPARTED PLAYERS

Stanley Burrell – A man transformed, Burrell began his career as a 3-point gunslinger and ended it as Xavier’s sheriff. Named the A-10’s Defensive Player of the Year, Burrell locked up many a rival scorer and made the lives of teammates easier. All the attention he gave to defense, however, cut into his scoring (9.7 ppg, lowest of his career). At times Xavier could have used the long-range barrages he delivered as an underclassman.

Drew Lavender (10.8 ppg, 4.5 apg). Oklahoma transfer sparkled during his two years in Cincinnati, turning a good Xavier team into an Elite 8 one. Except when he was hobbled by an ankle injury in February, Lavender orchestrated the offense like a great conductor. He ran a deadly two-man game with Josh Duncan and devastated opponents with virtuoso 3-point shooting (41%). Lavender was impossible to press, rarely made a bad turnover and bothered opposing ball-handlers with his quickness (37 steals). The A-10’s best point guard, his loss will be felt by Xavier the deepest.

Josh Duncan (12.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 49.6% FG). Gifted 6-9 power forward finally learned to put his size to good use, becoming a potent threat inside the paint as well as beyond the arc. That wasn’t the case in his first three seasons, when Duncan often drifted outside to shoot long jumpers. He still did major damage from outside (41.7% 3PG), but it was his newly effective back-to-the-basket game that took Xavier’s offense to new heights. Opposing coaches found it hard to match a defender up to Duncan inside and out. One way or the other, the Second Team All-Conference selection made them pay.

Adrion Graves (1.9 ppg, 36% FG, 24% 3PG). The league’s most highly rated recruit three years ago, Graves never found a spot in the regular rotation. His first two years were marred by injury and inconsistent play. The 6-4 guard didn’t always know when to shoot or pass and his defense was spotty. He left school during the summer.

Charles Bronson (2.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 16 games). Much-traveled 6-9 juco decided to move to yet another school in search of regular minutes.

RETURNING PLAYERS

Derrick Brown (11 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 61% FG, 70.6% FT, 63 assists, 33 steals, 30 blocks). Incredibly gifted fourth-year junior appears primed to become Xavier’s next great forward after a two-year apprenticeship. As a sophomore, Brown dramatically improved his production in every area and finished second on the team in scoring even though he took fewer shots than five other players.

A highly efficient scorer, the left-hander does most of his damage near the basket. Brown uses his amazing leaping ability to slam home spectacular dunks or drop in short shots after a quick dribble or an offensive carom. He has tremendous body control in the air and a baby-soft touch in close. Brown has also developed an accurate midrange jumper and he can knock down the triple (11-32) if defenders lay back to cut off penetration.

His improvement continued at the defensive end. Now 6-8 and a muscular 225 pounds, Brown is not overpowered like he was as a freshman. With long arms and great timing, Brown picks off passes other players can’t reach and seemingly comes out of nowhere to swat shots. Clearly he has All-Defensive team potential.

Brown still has plenty room for growth. His ball-handling, though much improved, is sometimes shaky and he turns the ball over too much (70). Nor has Brown shot well from outside when hurried by defenders, though he says his jumper is much improved. Just as important, he has to show he can lead the team. Brown is not as fiery as former Musketeers such as Stanley Burrell and he’s been too deferential to teammates.

Minor quibbles aside, Brown poses a mismatch for almost every team in the league and few defenders will be able to contain him if Brown exerts himself every game. There is simply no one in the A-10 with his package of skills, athleticism and experience. “What makes him great?” Miller said. “The fact that he’s the jack-of-all-trades.” If he plays to his potential, Brown would likely be the favorite for A-10 Player of the Year and a near certain NBA draft pick next spring if he chooses to leave early.

C.J. Anderson (10.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 51.8% FG, 54 assists, 84 turnovers). The Musketeers’ other bookend forward is not in Brown’s league as an athlete, but Anderson is a reliable scorer and rebounder. Listed at 6-6, he does all his scoring within 15 feet (Anderson has hit one 3-pointer in his career). He’s a good ball-handler with quick moves and surprising strength, helping him to get to the basket and finish against bigger defenders. While Anderson gets some shots blocked, he can score with either hand and is fast to go back up if he misses his first shot. His toughness carries over on defense. Anderson never backs down and plays a very physical game. He might be overmatched from time to time, but he usually gives as good as he gets.

B.J. Raymond (9.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 41.2% 3PG, 81.6 FT). Raymond emerged in his third year as a more rounded scorer and defender (16 blocks, 18 steals). For all his newfound versatility, though, he is most deadly spotting up for treys. One of the league’s best 3-point shooters, he has a smooth, quick release and is hard to block. Raymond hit at least four 3-pointers in six games and topped the 20-point mark thrice. He’s also careful with the ball and doesn’t overdribble. In 16 games, he committed nary a turnover.

With the loss of the starting backcourt, the question is whether the 6-6 senior can produce just as efficiently with defenses focused on stopping him. Raymond would seem to be up to the task. A confident and mature player, he has shown he can perform well under pressure in big games. He’s got the size to pass over defenders or back them down in the post and he’ll still get good looks when Love, Brown and Anderson attract double teams. Expect Raymond to see more time at off-guard, especially late in games, when his decision-making and outside shooting will be needed on the floor.

Jason Love (6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 56% FG, 30 blocks). The 6-9 center was one of the most improved players in the league as a sophomore, giving the Musketeers a physical presence in the paint. Improved conditioning enabled Love to stay on the floor longer and he showed a keener understanding of his role. He has a surprisingly soft touch and is hard to keep off the offensive glass, especially when defenses focus on his teammates. If he gets enough minutes, Love might even lead the league in rebounding. He’ll need to move his feet better on defense, however, and cut down on fouls to achieve that goal. He committed 94 fouls – the most on the team – even while playing just 18 minutes a game.

In his third year, Love will be expected to produce more offense. Few players in the A-10 have the size to fend him off inside and he’s an alert passer when attacked by double teams. By becoming more of a focal point, Love could help ease the pressure on Xavier’s young guards and allow Miller to bring stud center Kenny Frease along slowly. “There’s no question that whatever points per game he scored a year ago, he’s capable of scoring more this year,” Miller told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Dante Jackson (2.4 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 35% FG, 37% 3PG, 20 assists, 22 steals). The 6-5 guard became a rotation regular by early February and rose to the occasion when Xavier made its deep postseason run. He played 18 valuable minutes in the overtime win over West Virginia in the Sweet 16. He also hit a few big shots in pressure-packed situations. A rangy athlete, Jackson has the length and footwork to become a topnotch defender who can guard three positions. The Musketeers don’t need much scoring from Jackson, but he’s decent 3-point shooter and excels on the break. He’s less dangerous off the dribble and needs to develop a mid-range game.

As a sophomore, his most important contribution could come at point guard. He might see plenty of time at that position until the younger players mature. Jackson doesn’t need to be a David Copperfield. He just needs to take care of the ball, get the team into its offense and hit open shots.

“I’m not saying he’s going to be a point guard for 34 minutes a game like Drew Lavender, but he can do an excellent job at point guard,” Miller told the Enquirer. “I have no doubt about that.”

NEWCOMERS

Jamel McLean – High-rising 6-8 transfer from Tulsa (6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 56% FG) is a tenacious rebounder and good shotblocker (35). His offense is less advanced but reportedly improved after a year of practicing with the team. McLean mostly scores on putbacks and dump-downs, sometimes in spectacular fashion. His jumper is spotty, though, and he’s not the niftiest passer. If he improves in those areas, he could become a topflight A-10 player. That probably won’t happen this year, though. In a reserve role, McLean is expected to help with interior defense and get an occasional bucket inside. Miller would be happy if McLean produced as much this year as he did as a freshman at Tulsa.

Kenny Frease – Heavily recruited behemoth (No. 41, Rivals) is unlike typical Xavier players. He’s not very quick and doesn’t have great lift, although he is fairly mobile and does have good footwork. If left to his own devices, Frease sometimes drifts 15 feet from the basket to shoot faceup jumpers. He even has 3-point capability. Yet Miller is certain to park his prized freshman near the basket, where he can continue to work on a fast-developing post game.

Frease uses his size to set up on the low blocks, back his way into the paint and score over smaller opponents with either hand. Long, athletic defenders can give him trouble, as do opponents with quick hands. It’s hard to get around Frease, however, and he’s a rhino in the paint when he gets his dander up. It will take time for Miller to figure out how to use Frease. And Frease himself needs to get in better condition to thrive in the college game. The good news is that preseason reports suggest he’s already made rapid progress. In a league such as the A-10, Frease could become a power in the paint with just a little hard work. With a lot of effort, he could eventually dominate like few centers in the league ever have.

Brad Redford – The 6-0 gym rat (No. 217, HoopMasters) from Michigan has the passing and ball-handling ability to play point but is best suited off the ball because of his marksmanship. Arguably the best shooter in the entire NCAA freshman class, Redford has legitimate 25-foot range. He knows how to use picks and screens and launches shots with a blink-of-an-eye release. If he’s fouled, Redford is near automatic. He made 201 of 207 free throws (97%) as a senior, the second best performance ever by a U.S. high school player. Yet Redford is not a superior athlete and bigger defenders can give him trouble. Redford won’t win any awards for his own defense, either.

Brian Walsh – Maybe the best player in Western Pennsylvania, Walsh (No. 82, PrepStars) chose Xavier over Maryland and other BCS schools. He is an fine all-round athlete, fundamentally sound and savvy on the basketball court. His best asset is 3-point shooting. The 6-4 Walsh shoots quickly and has a high release point. If defenders play him tight, he’s handles the ball well enough to drive to the basket or make sharp passes to open teammates. Walsh is also said to be an intent defender, a characteristic not always applied to shooters.

Terrell Holloway – Former Indiana recruit, a spring pickup, chose Xavier after Kelvin Sampson was fired. Holloway (No. 100, Rivals) seems to be exactly what the Musketeers need, a pure point guard who gets the ball to teammates in the right spots and plays solid on-the-ball defense. What he needs to work on is an unreliable outside shot. He’s more dangerous taking the ball to the hole, when he can use his quickness and change of pace to surprise defenders. Since Xavier has no established point guard, a starting position is there for the taking. Holloway is the newcomer best suited to fill that role. He’s not a spectacular athlete or a deadeye shooter, but he’s viewed as a solid and dependable floor general.

Andrew Taylor – The 6-8 forward, a former high school teammate of BJ Raymond, transferred to Xavier from Division 2 school Hillsdale College. He has good size and is athletic enough, but it’s hard to expect Taylor to see the court regularly except in practice.

SCOUTING REPORT

The current Xavier team is the most top-heavy since the school joined the A-10, with a good mix of power and athleticism. It might just be the best frontcourt the league has seen since the Marcus Camby-led Final Four team at Massachusetts.

Few teams in the nation sport a pair of bookend forwards as talented as Brown and Anderson, each of whom has a different but complementary set of skills. Miller can also throw a shotblocker, McClean, and a shooter, Raymond into the mix, especially when foul trouble becomes an issue.

Love is a traditional center who does all his damage near the basket. He’ll get a lot more touches in the post and has the tools to become a double-digit scorer – if he stays out of foul trouble. Love is too strong for most A-10 defenders to guard one on one. Even when Love has to sit, Xavier can stay big with Frease, who looks like a future star.

Size, of course, isn’t everything. Although the team is still very athletic, it’s not quite as quick or mobile as prior editions. Smaller opponents are sure to try to exploit their advantage.

Another concern is outside shooting. Lavender and Duncan both shot more than 40% behind the arc and Burrell was barely under that mark. Raymond is the only certified deep threat left on the team, though Jackson shows promise and Redford and Walsh have great credentials.

With so much talent in the frontcourt, Xavier doesn’t have to rely on 3-pointers as much as it has in the past. The perimeter players just have to prevent defenses from clogging the middle.

The young guards also have to take care of the ball and avoid the fancy stuff. Xavier’s bigmen are capable of creating scoring opportunities so long as they receive good entry passes or get the ball in position to dribble drive, especially Brown and Anderson. BJ Raymond can also create his own shot.

“They don’t have college experience, but we’re not asking them to come in and lead us to the promised land,” Brown told the Enquirer.

Defense is likely to be an irritant earlier in the season until Miller can teach the finer points of his “packline” defense to his new players, who’ll need time to mesh with their older teammates.

Sorting out late-game situations will also take work. Xavier relies less on a “go-to” player than most teams, but Lavender or Burrell usually initiated the play when the team needed a big bucket.

There’s also the issue of free-throw shooting. Xavier lost three 80%-plus free-throw shooters and only Raymond meets that gaudy level. Great shooting from the charity stripe saved the Musketeers from a few losses.

PREDICTION

Xavier is unquestionably loaded with talent, but there’s a big age gap between the players while the backcourt is young and largely untested.

A similar frontcourt-heavy UMass team, however, tied for first in the A-10 regular season two years ago with a pair of young point guards running the offense. This Xavier team is even better upfront and has more battle-tested veterans on which to rely. A very tough nonconference schedule should also prepare the players well for conference play.

Even with a significant drop-off, 20 wins and an NIT bid seems the bare minimum for the latest edition of the Musketeers. If Brown delivers a POY-like performance and a few young guards mature quickly, the Musketeers have the goods to capture the A-10 title and head back to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year.

Xavier gets off to a good start with wins over IPFW and Toledo before heading to Puerto Rico. Missouri has struggled the past few years, but the Tigers have a pair of very good bigmen (the backcourt is so-so). They could take down the Musketeers if Xavier is overconfident. The next matchup likely would be a fast-rising Va Tech team with very good wing play. A tossup. I call it a loss and say Xavier goes 2-1 on the trip.

Back at Cintas, Miami Ohio and Auburn arrive next. Both are solid teams that can beat X. Neither is as talented and home cooking prevails. Xavier won’t lose two years in a row to Miami and Auburn doesn’t have good enough guards to hurt the Muskies where they are weakest.

The best team, it seems, rarely wins the Shootout, so I go with the home team Bearcats. Xavier gets a chance for a huge win vs. Duke and I am tempted. The Muskies could and should put a hurting on the Blue Devils inside. Although I predict losses to Cincy and Duke, X really should get one of these. Duke would be the better win owing to its national profile.