AP Photo

April 6, 2009 | AP Press

Sean Miller of Xavier has accepted the head coaching job at Arizona, ending the Wildcats’ sometimes frustrating search for a high-profile replacement for Hall of Famer Lute Olson.

The university announced the hiring on Monday after a confusing few hours in which it was first reported by several media outlets that Miller had turned down the job.

The 40-year-old coach met with Xavier athletic director Mike Bobinski and informed the school he was leaving after five years, then told the players in a meeting later in the afternoon.

“I did my best to follow my heart,” Miller said.

He was scheduled to be introduced Tuesday at a news conference in Tucson.

“It’s been an exhaustive week, but it’s a good day to be a Wildcat,” Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood said. “We believe we’ve brought in the best young coach in the country, a proven winner who will take this program into the future.”

University of Arizona president Robert Shelton called Miller “absolutely the right person to lead our program forward.”

Miller led the Musketeers to the Elite Eight last year and received a contract extension through the 2017-18 season. Xavier reached the round of 16 again this season.

The hiring came four days after Tim Floyd turned down Arizona’s offer and decided to remain at Southern California.

In an emotional farewell meeting at Xavier on Monday, Miller praised the Cincinnati school.

“I cannot say enough good things about this place,” he said. “It defines who I am to a large degree.

Xavier athletic director Mike Bobinski called Miller “a terrific coach, a great friend.”

“He has helped bring us to the point where we are poised to be the very best we’ve ever been in our history,” Bobinski said. “We believe we are on the cusp of our greatest basketball ever.”

Miller indicated the chance to win a national title helped lure him to the Pac-10 school.

“I would never leave Xavier unless it was a place where I really felt you could win a national championship,” Miller said. “When I say that, it does not mean you can’t win one here. [Arizona] is a place that has done it before, and has a quarter century worth of excellence.”

Arizona won the NCAA championship under Olson in 1997 and has made three other trips to the Final Four.

In a news release, the university said terms of the contract would be available at Tuesday’s news conference. It is believed the school was offering at least $2 million per year and may have sweetened the proposal to seal the deal. Its announcement made clear that the money would come from “athletic department-generated revenue” and not from taxpayers or the school’s general fund.

Miller had a 120-47 record in five seasons at Xavier, guiding the team to the NCAA tournament four times. This year’s team went 27-8 and made it to the East Regional semifinals before falling to Pittsburgh.

He flew to Albuquerque, N.M., on Sunday to meet with Livengood and Shelton. Miller returned to Cincinnati later in the day aboard a private jet owned by an Arizona booster.

Miller will inherit a program with an elite reputation but short on talent because of its tenuous coaching situation.

Olson took a leave of absence in the 2007-08 season but planned to return last fall. Just before the season started, he retired for health reasons.

Russ Pennell took over as interim coach with the understanding that he would not be Olson’s permanent replacement. Pennell guided the team to a 21-14 record and the program’s 25th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.

The Wildcats made a surprising run to the Midwest Regional semifinals before being routed by Louisville. Two prominent members of the team, juniors Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill, are expected to leave for the NBA. Junior point guard Nic Wise also may turn pro.

That would leave Miller with a major rebuilding job because the program has essentially missed two recruiting seasons, not counting the current one.

Miller signed a 10-year contract extension with Xavier after the team went 30-7 and reached the regional finals in 2007-08. He was making $850,000 per year, but insisted money was not a factor in the move.

Miller was an assistant to Arizona State coach Herb Sendek and the two remain close friends. He was lead assistant to Thad Matta for three seasons at Xavier before taking over when Matta left in 2004.

AP Photo

March 26, 2009 | AP Press

BOSTON, MA – Levance Fields pointed Pittsburgh in the right direction just in time — as usual.

For the second straight game, the orchestrator of the offense took the big shots himself, hitting a 3-pointer with 50.9 seconds left, then scoring off his steal as the top-seeded Panthers reached the regional finals for the first time in 35 years with a 60-55 win over Xavier on Thursday night.

One more win and they’ll be headed to Detroit for the Final Four.

“We came in expecting to win two games,” Fields said before acknowledging the obvious: “It was dramatic.”

The star point guard provided the drama in Pitt’s previous win, 84-76 over Oklahoma State. That game was tied at 74 with 2:42 left. Then Fields made a layup and a 3-pointer and the Panthers never trailed after that.

Pitt knows the late-game strategy by now.

“Give Levance the ball,” Big East co-player of the year DeJuan Blair said with a laugh.

The last time Pitt was in a regional final was in 1974 when it lost to eventual national champion North Carolina State and star David Thompson 100-72.

“It definitely was big for the players, the coaches and the city,” said Sam Young, who led Pitt with 19 points. “It’s something we’ve been waiting for, for a long time.”

Pitt (31-4) trailed 54-52 before Fields connected. He then poked the ball away from B.J. Raymond and went in for a layup with 23.9 seconds to go.

“It’s just sad that we had to go out the way we went out,” Xavier’s Derrick Brown said. “The season we had, it was about toughness and finishing what we do. And we didn’t finish.”

Fields did, scoring 14 points, while Blair had 10 points and 17 rebounds in the East semifinal victory. The Panthers overcame an eight-point halftime deficit.

Pitt plays Saturday against the winner of Thursday night’s second semifinal between second-seeded Duke and third-seeded Villanova for a berth in the Final Four.

“We’re a confident group,” Fields said. “We haven’t played our best basketball, but the good thing is we’ve found a way to make plays when we’ve needed them.”

Fourth-seeded Xavier (27-8) was led by Raymond with 15 points and Derrick Brown with 14.

“I thought the shot Levance Fields hit is all about [the poise of] senior point guards,” said Xavier coach Sean Miller, who knows something about that.

He was a star point guard at Pitt from 1987 to 1992 and is second in school history in assists.

Panthers coach Jamie Dixon made it to the round of eight for the first time in his six years on the bench after losing in his other two trips to the round of 16. Xavier fell short in its bid for a third berth in the regional finals in six years.

“They pushed us around in the first half, but we responded in the second half like we usually do,” Dixon said. “Like I’ve said before, I never get tired of seeing Levance take big shots. He’s made them year after year.”

Trailing 37-29 at halftime, Pitt scored the first nine points of the second half — and Xavier missed its first 10 shots — as the Panthers took a 38-37 lead with 14:33 left.

But the Musketeers recovered and went ahead 54-52 with 1:50 remaining when Dante Jackson cut to the basket for a layup.

Fields then had the ball past midcourt before it went into the backcourt off a defender. Fields retrieved it, dribbled into his own end and fired up the go-ahead shot over Jackson.

“We ran our go-to play,” Fields said. “I did a little bit of an in-and-out move, got him on his heels a little bit and took the shot. Once I got him back, I took the open shot. I had confidence in it.”

Jackson thought he could stop him.

“I thought I had a pretty good challenge,” he said.

Fields was in the right place again when Raymond lost control of his dribble. Fields got the ball, pushed it forward and dribbled ahead of the field to put the Panthers up by three.

Xavier’s Terrell Holloway made a free throw with 16 seconds left, but Young hit two just three seconds later. After a missed 3-pointer by Brown, Brad Wannamaker made one more free throw for Pitt with 2.6 seconds left.

The Musketeers went just 7-for-29 from the field in the second half when they were outscored 31-18.

But they were solid late in the first half. With the score tied at 27, Xavier outscored Pitt 10-2 in the last three minutes of the half to take a 37-29 lead. Brown started the surge with a 3-pointer and sank another one that made it 35-29.

Blair struggled offensively inside and finished with just two points and four rebounds in the first half. He had eight points and 13 rebounds after that.

 vs

March 23, 2009 | Andy Katz – ESPN

EAST REGIONAL (BOSTON)

No. 1 Pitt vs. No. 4 Xavier, Thursday, 7:27 p.m. ET

No. 1 Pitt

How did the Panthers get here? Pitt had the most trouble of any of the favorites. The Panthers were dangerously close to becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16. The 10-point win over East Tennessee State doesn’t tell the whole story. This game was extremely tight down to the final minutes. You could see how the Panthers were playing not to lose, before figuring out how to win.

Pitt had the most difficult second-round game of any of the top seeds. Oklahoma State was more than capable of knocking off the Panthers. The Cowboys were able to run with Pitt by making plenty of early shots, and they had the Panthers fighting for every possession late before Pitt was able to pull away in the final minutes for an 84-76 victory.

Who’s hot? Sam Young. The senior forward may be the most talented and maligned stud of any remaining Sweet 16 team. Young poured in 32 points for the Panthers in the win over the Cowboys. He didn’t score as much (14) but was dominant on the boards (13) in the win over ETSU.

Who’s not? Junior guard Jermaine Dixon is just 1-of-7 in two NCAA games so far. Dixon needs to be more productive to take some pressure off Levance Fields on the perimeter.

What does it mean for the program? Pitt has its best chance to win a national title with co-Big East Player of the Year DeJuan Blair and seniors Young, Fields and Tyrell Biggs. Coach Jamie Dixon has been a model of consistency in his six seasons. But getting to the Sweet 16 isn’t enough. The Panthers haven’t been past this round under Dixon. Winning one more game won’t change the reputation of Dixon as a solid coach who hasn’t been to the Final Four. But the perception certainly would change for the Panthers if they can win two more games and get to Detroit.

Drama factor so far? Pitt is making sure its fans are paying attention. The Panthers haven’t cruised for multiple four-minute periods, let alone a game. The Panthers are earning every victory, and if they win the East Regional, they will feel like they’ve earned every bucket.

No. 4 Xavier

How did the Musketeers get here? Xavier was sent to Boise and the games didn’t get much national play. But much like they did earlier in the season, the Musketeers quietly manufactured wins — an 18-point victory over No. 13 Portland State and an 11-point win over No. 12 Wisconsin.

Xavier has had an interesting season. The Musketeers were lucky early with a half-court shot to beat Virginia Tech; were poised in a win over Memphis in the same event in Puerto Rico; were humbled by 18 against Duke in New Jersey; and then went on cruise control for a spell before bumps in the Atlantic 10 saw them lose four of their final five road games. But beating Portland State and Wisconsin to get to the Sweet 16 is more than admirable for this crew.

Who’s hot? Not really anyone, but if we must pick one for a team that is getting by with a little bit from everyone, then B.J. Raymond gets the nod. He scored in double figures in both games but is a combined 9-of-22 in the tourney, including 5-of-14 on 3s.

Who’s not? Junior forward Jason Love has struggled in the NCAAs. He had four fouls in just 16 minutes in the win over Wisconsin and didn’t make a field goal. Love did last 26 minutes in the first game and scored eight points with two fouls in 26 minutes. But the onus is on Love to stay on the court to bang with the big boys from Pitt.

What does it mean for the program? Xavier continues to be one of the top-20 programs in the country. The Musketeers are to the Atlantic 10 what Memphis is to Conference USA and what Gonzaga is to the WCC. Xavier is now the team to beat every season in the A-10. Reaching the Sweet 16 for the third time since 2004 is a testament to the coaching of Thad Matta (who left Xavier for Ohio State in ‘04) and current coach Sean Miller. Getting to the Elite Eight with a win over Pitt would be quite a feat, considering this squad was never projected to be within 40 minutes of the Final Four this season.

Drama factor so far? There were anxious moments against the Badgers as the Musketeers trailed at the half. But the Musketeers outscored Wisconsin 24-12 over the final nine minutes to roll to a comfortable win.

AP Photo

March 13, 2009

By John Lamb | A10CollegeHoops.com

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Dionte Christmas may have finally found the shot that has been eluding him for much of the season. The senior guard scored six big points down the stretch as the Owls toppled the top seeded Xavier Musketeers 55-53 at Boardwalk Hall on Friday night.

Christmas scored a game-high 20 points for the Owls. He admitted after the game that he wanted the ball in his hands down the stretch. On the Owls next-to-last possession he had the opportunity to pass the ball off to open teammates but instead he took B.J. Raymond one-on-one and and made the tough three that put them ahead for good.

The Owls received big-time contributions from their other two seniors as Sergio Olmos was a force down low with four blocks and Semaj Inge hit some important free-throws down the stretch. Inge finished with seven points while Olmos chipped in five.

Lavoy Allen also was instrumental for the Owls as he single handedly kept them in the game in the first half. All six of his first half rebounds were on the offensive glass. Eight of his 10 points came in the first twenty minutes. He finished the game with a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds).

Ryan Brooks scored all nine of his points in the first half. The junior guard made his presence known on the boards as he grabbed seven rebounds.

The real story for the Owls was Christmas. After a disappointing first half in which he scored seven points on 2-of-5 shooting, the senior scored 13 points in the second with seven coming in the last two minutes of the game.

While Christmas has contended vociferously that his slump has not done anything to detract from his confidence it was pretty obvious that some of the weight on his shoulders was alleviated after tonight’s performance.

Raymond said after the game that he felt he played good defense on Christmas down the stretch but that sometimes “great players just make great shots.”

Xavier coach Sean Miller said after the game that losing in the semifinals may be a blessing in disguise as it gives his team an extra day to refocus on the ultimate goal: the NCAA Championship.

The Musketeers were led by their dynamic duo of Derrick Brown (19 points and 11 rebounds) and Raymond (18 points). They did not get much more help on the offensive end.

C.J. Anderson was 0-for-9 with no points scored in 30 minutes of play. Dante Jackson was in foul trouble for most of the game and ended with six points in 23 minutes.

Jason Love, Jamel McLean, Kenny Frease and Terrell Holloway finished the game with 10 points between them.

Miller said after the game that Xavier’s previous losses this season were due to the defense not showing up. This time his team played solid defense but simply could not score the ball.

To be honest, neither team shot the ball exceptionally well. The Owls shot 35 percent for the game while Xavier shot 34.5 percent. Xavier was more successful shooting from three-point range as they went 8-for-18 while the Owls on shot 4-of-17.

It was Temple’s ability to get to the line that ultimately got them over the hump. The Owls made 15 free-throws; Xavier only attempted nine.

Temple awaits the winner over Friday night’s second semifinal that will be contested between the Dayton Flyers and the Duquesne Dukes. The Owls have the chance to become the first repeat A-10 champions since…the Temple Owls of the ‘99-00 and ‘00-01 seasons.

Post Game Audio:
Fran Dunphy, Dionte Christmas and Ryan Brooks Post Game Comments
Sean Miller, B.J. Raymond and Derrick Brown Post Game Comments

AP Photo

February 22, 2009 | AP Press

CINCINNATI, OH – C.J. Anderson didn’t even take a shot in the first half, when Xavier’s perimeter game was more than enough. After halftime, he went back to threading his way through defenders and scoring.

Anderson scored 14 points in the second half, leading five players in double figures, and the Musketeers (No. 17 ESPN/USA Today, No. 16 AP) rolled to a 71-53 victory Sunday that moved them back into first place in the Atlantic 10.

“That was an important game for this team,” Anderson said. “Coach [Sean] Miller wanted us as seniors to play better and set the tone. I didn’t play well in the first half, but I came back and played better in the second half.”

The Musketeers (22-5, 10-3) steadied themselves after yet another road loss and moved a half-game ahead of Dayton (No. 25 AP) for the conference lead. Ranked for the first time this season, the Flyers lost at Saint Louis 57-49 on Saturday night.

There were more immediate concerns for the Musketeers, who had lost three of their last four games, all on the road. They needed to rebuild confidence fast. George Washington (8-16, 2-10) was the perfect matchup.

Damian Hollis scored 15 points for the Colonials, who fell behind 26-8 and trailed by as many as 25 points. George Washington shot 38.6 percent from the field and had 17 turnovers.

“We wanted to get back to the basics, and we did a good job,” said B.J. Raymond, who had 12 points. “We played about 30 minutes of good defense. That’s a step in the right direction.”

Xavier plays at Saint Joseph’s on Thursday, then has a week off to prepare for its home-court rematch with Dayton, which has lost its last 23 games in Cincinnati. Xavier has won the last two regular-season titles.

The Musketeers’ recent struggles have underscored their need for a dependable point guard. Terrell Holloway has regressed lately, playing like the true freshman he is. Holloway has passed up open shots on the perimeter and repeatedly gotten shots swatted away on drives to the basket, contributing little to Xavier’s halfcourt offense.

The slump prompted Miller to make a switch at the position, moving shooting guard Dante Jackson into the role. In the last three games, Holloway had come off the bench and gone 1-for-14 from the field with two points, two assists and three turnovers.

With 7-foot reserve center Kenny Frease also limited by a sprained ankle, Xavier’s offense has taken a hit.

It didn’t much matter against George Washington, which was so focused on limiting Xavier’s bigger front line that it let the conference’s best 3-point shooters get open behind the arc. Xavier made six 3s while taking a 26-8 lead, the last one by Holloway from the right corner. Holloway finished with three points on 1-of-4 shooting and two assists.

Colonials coach Karl Hobbs stayed in his crouch, staring blankly at the opposite end of the court, while his players gathered behind him during a timeout with 10:25 left in the first half. At that point, what’s left for a coach to say? Xavier’s versatility was too much.

“They’re always going to have four guys on the court who are capable of scoring 18 to 20 points on any given night,” Hobbs said. “The thing I like about them is they all have their roles and they know what they are.”

George Washington was coming off its biggest win of the season, 90-62 over St. Bonaventure. Rob Diggs scored a season-high 26 points in that one. Playing a ranked team for the first time this season, the Colonials fell apart. Diggs went 1-for-5 with two points and four fouls.

February 11, 2009 by Jeff Garrett | A10CollegeHoops

Cincinnati, OH -- The Xavier Musketeers are coming off a tough 72-68 loss last Saturday to the Duquesne Dukes; a game in which Xavier shot 43% from the field, and committed 14 turnovers. Reflecting on the loss at Tuesday’s press conference, head coach Sean Miller said, “There’s no shame in losing. Our goal at Xavier is not to go undefeated on the season, and our goal is not to go undefeated in conference play. We’re trying to be the best team that we can be.”

Xavier (20-3, 8-1) has fallen to 14 in the both the AP Top 25 and the ESPN/USA Today Poll following the Duquesne loss. Tonight they face conference foe the Dayton Flyers (21-3, 7-2) who are also coming off a road loss to the Charlotte 49er’s. The game marks a unique point in the history of the two schools as both come in having won 20 or more games in the season.

When assessing his team’s success in conference play so far, Sean Miller sums it up in two words: “Our defense.” However, he is cautious about the upcoming game saying, “We lost a game and we have another game on Wednesday, which we could lose. Dayton is a very, very good team. And if there’s a lesson to be learned at Duquesne, it’s just that there’s not a real big difference between us and a lot of teams, especially if we’re not an excellent defensive team.”

In addition to defense, another key for Xavier coming out with a win tonight is the play of freshmen point guard Terrell Holloway who matches up against Dayton’s junior guard London Warren. When Miller was asked what advice he’ll be giving Holloway he notes, “Terrell just has to be himself. Really what we’re asking Terrell to do is just really value and take care of the ball, get us into whatever we’re getting into, and defensively be on-assignment, be tough-minded, and just continue to play his style of play.”

Miller also looks for his team to improve their free-throw shooting which could become a key stat in a close game. Says Miller, “Making free throws is important for every team, in particular for our team. Why is it maybe more important? Because we get there so regularly. And when you get there regularly, you depend on the percentage that you shoot.”

Tipoff tonight at UD Arena is 7:00 pm ET, and the game will be aired on ESPN2.

January 11, 2008 | AP Press

NEW YORK, NY – Xavier looked really good for a half before Fordham came up with a sensational five minutes. Then the Musketeers (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 16 AP) went back to being themselves for another easy win.

B.J. Raymond scored 18 points to lead six Xavier players in double figures in an 86-60 victory over the Rams on Sunday.

“All in all it was a good road win for our team. If there is such a thing as a hard-fought 26-point victory, this was it,” Xavier coach Sean Miller said. “We had to win twice. We got the big lead, took a punch and responded again.”

It was the fourth straight victory for Xavier (13-2, 2-0 Atlantic 10) following its only losses to Duke and Butler.

The Musketeers shot a season-best 53.8 percent from the field (28-for-52) and finished with a 45-29 rebound advantage.

Derrick Brown scored 14 points, Jason Love 13, Terrell Holloway and Brad Redford had 11 each and C.J. Anderson added 10 for the Musketeers, who have beaten Fordham five straight times and are 17-3 all-time against the Rams and 15-1 since the 1995-96 season.

“We were composed. Our young guys have to learn these things can happen, especially on the road,” Brown said. “We hit them back with a pretty good punch in the mouth.”

Alberto Estwick had 20 points for Fordham (2-12, 0-2), which has lost five straight games.

Xavier led 45-30 at halftime but the Rams had their one hot streak of the game, hitting four 3-pointers in an 18-4 run that had them within 49-48 with 15:21 to play. Estwick hit three of the 3s and Mike Moore had the other in the run that forced Miller to call two timeouts before the first media timeout of the half.

The Musketeers extended their defense and the open 3-point shots were suddenly gone.

Xavier scored 10 straight points as part of a 23-3 run that gave the Musketeers a 72-51 lead with 7:05 left.

“It does happen on the road and I told them that and it was no time to worry,” Miller relayed about what he said to the team in the two timeouts. “We didn’t panic, kept our composure. We weren’t different. We were the same team and our defense started to come around. That was an excellent performance in a brief period of time by Fordham. It shows the 3-point shot can sure turn a game quickly.”

The biggest lead was 86-57 on a three-point play by Holloway with 10 seconds to go.

“I wish we could have stopped game after 25 minutes and said we won,” Fordham coach Dereck Whittenburg said with a smile. “They have a great, great team and they showed you why. We brought the game back but we need some experience out there and have to execute and they showed you why. You make mistakes, they capitalize and it’s like a faucet running and you can’t stop it.”

Xavier’s best shooting game had been 53.5 percent (23-for-43) in an 81-74 victory over Auburn on Dec. 3.

Fordham was 3-for-16 from 3-point range in the first half and finished at 10-for-28, including the 4-for-4 start to the second half. The Rams entered the game 13th in the 14-team conference in 3-point shooting at 29.9 percent Xavier was fourth in 3-point percentage defense at 32. percent.

“They hit 10 3s and if we don’t have answers like we do that could have been enough to win a game,” Miller said.

Jio Fontan, the Atlantic 10’s leading freshman scorer with a 14.1 average finished with 10 points and 11 assists for the Rams but he was 3-for-14 from the field overall, including 0-for-7 in the second half when he committed five of his six turnovers.

Miller called Fontan as “talented as any freshman guard in the country.”

Whittenburg said Fontan was “trying to be aggressive.”

“But sometimes when the game gets in the balance you start taking quick shots and make a mistake and before you know it, you’ve gone from down one to down 10 and all of a sudden it’s 15,” Whittenburg said. “We’ll stay with it. We’re young and as lopsided as it looked, we had a chance with 15 minutes to go.”

The loss was the 46th straight to a ranked team for Fordham, which is 6-88 all-time against ranked teams. The last time the Rams beat a ranked team was Feb. 26, 1978, a 63-59 victory over No. 18 Georgetown.

December 31, 2008 | AP Press

CINCINNATI, OH – Jason Love scored a career-high 15 points as No. 22 Xavier took advantage of its size advantage, and freshman guard Brad Redford added a career-high 15 points from behind the arc Wednesday night, leading the Musketeers to a 78-57 victory over Robert Morris.

Xavier (10-2) was coming off back-to-back losses that sapped the Musketeers’ confidence. They were sloppy and sluggish in a 74-65 home loss to Butler on Saturday that prompted coach Sean Miller to make a lineup change against Robert Morris (6-7).

Freshman point guard Terrell Holloway made his first career start. Holloway is the only true point guard on the roster, and the offense tends to bog down when he’s not on the floor. He finished with six points and a career-high five assists.

Jeremy Chappell led Robert Morris with 17 points.

Holloway was gaining a bigger role each game before he suffered a stress fracture in his left foot, forcing him to miss two games in late November and early December. He has been working back into form from the injury, which has limited his practice time.

He made his mark early on.

Holloway passed to Love for an early basket as Xavier took the ball inside against the Colonials’ overmatched front line. Xavier opened with a 20-9 run built upon its inside game — the 6-foot-9 Love had seven of the points from under the basket and scored a season-high 11 in the first half.

When Robert Morris sagged inside, Xavier took advantage as well. Derrick Brown made an open 3-pointer from the right corner, and Redford made a pair of 3s that pushed it to 38-19. Redford finished 5-of-8, with every shot coming from behind the arc.

Rob Robinson had a pair of baskets that helped the Colonials cut the lead to 50-39 early in the second half. Love and Redford ended the comeback by restoring Xavier’s inside-out balance. Love had a couple of up-close baskets, and Redford made back-to-back 3s that pushed it to 60-41. Xavier led by as many as 26 points before sending in its substitutes.

Jamel McLean had a career-high 11 rebounds, helping Xavier dominate the boards.

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 10, 2008 | AP Press

CINCINNATI, OH – Freshman point guard Terrell Holloway returned from a stress fracture in his foot and put the sizzle back into Xavier’s offense Wednesday night, helping the Musketeers (No. 9 ESPN/USA Today, No. 10 AP) stay unbeaten with a 78-56 victory over Ohio.

Xavier (8-0) has matched the second-best start in its history — the 1992-93 team opened the same way. The school record is a 10-0 start by the 1996-97 team.

Even though the record remained perfect, the Musketeers have had problems on offense in their last two games without Holloway, their quickest ball handler, best free-throw shooter and flashiest playmaker. He was back in form during the last five minutes of the first half, leading an 18-2 run that left Ohio (4-4) down and out.

C.J. Anderson scored a career-high 22 points, and Derrick Brown added 18 in a balanced offense that had its point guard back. Holloway’s best moments came during the decisive run.

He passed to Brown for a three-point play, hit a floating jumper in the key, and had a steal and a pass to Brown for a fastbreak dunk that highlighted the run and put Xavier up 48-25 at halftime. Holloway had those two points, three assists and three rebounds in 15 minutes.

Brown was 7-for-7 from the field, making all three of his shots from behind the arc, one week after coach Sean Miller wondered aloud about his inconsistent play as he recovers from a sprained ankle.

Miller was so upset with his team’s lackadaisical defense in the second half of an 81-74 win over Auburn a week earlier that he threatened lineup changes. The lineup was the same on Wednesday, and with Holloway back, so was the offense.

The next one will be a tough one. To stay perfect, the Musketeers will have to beat crosstown rival Cincinnati on the Bearcats’ home court Saturday. The way the rivalry has played out, the team with the better record or higher ranking is the one in for a rough time.

Cincinnati (6-1) will have had a full week off when its plays Xavier, which has won six of the last nine games between the schools separated by only 3½ miles.

First, the Musketeers had to try to find their form against an Ohio team playing for the fourth time in eight days. Xavier wore down the Bobcats with its crushing run at the end of the first half and led by 28 points when both teams substituted freely for the closing minutes.

Jerome Tillman led Ohio with 16 points.

With five stalwarts left from its Elite Eight team and eight newcomers, Xavier won its first six games with defense, rebounding and grit. The victory over Auburn — Xavier got up by 24 in the second half, then went soft — raised concerns about their mind-set.

In the first half against Ohio, the Musketeers looked their old selves. They shot 69 percent from the field, their best half in more than four years. The last time Xavier shot so well was the second half of an 87-67 win over Saint Joseph’s in the Atlantic 10 tournament in Dayton on March 11, 2004.

The game amounted to a homecoming for first-year Ohio coach John Groce, who was an assistant with Miller on Thad Matta’s staff at Xavier in 2001. The Bobcats fell to 2-21 against top 10 teams, the wins coming over No. 4 Kentucky in 1964 and No. 4 Ohio State in 1971.