Shootout role reversal
Little Bro has the ball, owns the stage and is nice enough to allow Big Bro some face time. Sound unfamiliar? This year, Xavier can be as dismissive of UC as UC occasionally has been of Xavier. Remember when B. Huggins wondered what good his team took from playing X? Can Sean Miller make the same statement now?
Xavier is rolling, playing w/purpose and teamwork not always seen so early in the year. Already, the Musketeers' eyes are on March. UC? An appetizer for UT, Dec. 22. That's a really big game.
Meantime, the Bearcats are in no condition, physically or mentally, to go to Cintas and steal a win. One-year "veterans'' arent acting like veterans, and the kids aren't yet all right. Plus, the Musketeers might recall what happened to them last year in Clifton. I've been here since '88 and don't ever recall a year in which Xavier could be accused of looking past Cincinnati. Is this the year?
posted by Paul Daugherty at 9:46 AM
21 Comments:
at 12:54 PM 
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Post a Comment*UC will get slaughtered on the court. But remember--it's all about grades and grad rates...wins and losses are no longer relevant at UC.
XU beats UC by 5-7 possessions.
I wouldn't recommend looking past any opponent until a few minutes into the 2nd half.
Cronin's 'Cruits are Crummy
UC is just that bad....I don't see a way, short of Sikes, Vaughn, Williamson, The Polish Dude, and half the UC pep band having a career game that the game is within 15 points.
The X folks have always had a smarmy "we're better than you" attitude. Now they actually have a team that is better, and the lack of villians seems to have killed the interest.
It's all Nancy's fault!!
Hey Paul,
I'm listening to your show and the talk about contracts. You're completely right. What I'd like to see is for schools to start putting in monstrous buyout clauses. If a coach had a 10 million dollar buyout, he wouldn't be going anywhere. Ok maybe 10 is a bit high, but 1 or 2 million isn't deterring anyone from walking out of a contract.
You know, I just don't buy that X doesn't need this game. UC is still in the BEast, just a bear of a conference in basketball, and leaps and bounds ahead of the A10. I think X is just enjoying being the hands-down favorites this year, and turning the tables on UC by claiming it doesn't help them to play this game. This year it doesn't help X's RPI much, but from here on out it will. So, again, and overall, it means much more to X than UC. UC probably wishes they had X's schedule, overall, this year.
The only reason I truly care that UC beat X last year is that it shuts the X people up. They live for this. Seriously.
5:59-
Hm, I attend Xavier, have lived in Cincinnati all of my life, and can not once recall Xavier having what you call a "smarmy" attitude. If you have also lived in Cincinnati, you'd know that Xavier, be they ranked or not, is ALWAYS living in the shadow of "Big Brother" UC...A UC coach being hired or fired would make a bigger headline in this city than Xavier making the final four. It's ridiculous. UC, every year, has that "who cares we are still bigger and better than you" attitude.
Who knows, maybe it's because of our conference or maybe because our only Nat'l title was the NIT, but this city very RARELY gives XU their proper respect, so please, cram it with the comments. If anyone has the attitude problem, look on MLK or Clifton, not Victory Parkway.
XU beat UC not as smarmy favorites, but as underdogs to UC's over-rated Huggins teams.
I believe Coach Huggins said many-a-year that the game means more to Xavier than it does to UC.
I guess that is why he didn't do a very good job in preparing his team for the games.
AND...the smart money says UC would have about no more than 6 additional wins in the last two years with Huggins...
bomber2musky
Yes I've lived in the city all my life. Read your own post. It makes my point for me. It's the whole XU guys graduate, UC guys are thugs thing. It's in all of X's promotional material. Set aside the numerous legal issues that current and former X players have had. You only hear the bad news when it happens at UC.
UC wishes they had X's schedule? Are you kidding me? Number 3 in RPI with the tough non-conference schedule. The A10 may not be the BE, but it's not THAT bad. Can UC really say they are actively pursuing the quality opponents X is? I'm an X alum, and still wish the Bearcats well when they don't play X. Why can't you guys from UC do the same?
Sean Miller dissing this game sounds an awful like Brian kelly dissing Miami.
Stupid both ways.
All the UC bashers must be washing their shirts (and maybe pants) from last night. Alot of perspiration was expended watching a Bearcat team that shouldn't have "bothered even showing up", because the pundits picked X by anywhere from 15 - 35 point favorites. Not bad for a team that is still reeling from last minute devastation a few years ago. Yes, they need work on layups, but the 'Cats hung in there until just a few seconds were left in the game. XU ranked # 17 ? Give me a break. Go 'Cats. Go Cronin.
I don't see any Xavier fans on here braqgging about how they killed UC last night-none of their usual arrogant comments. Oh, that's right, there's nothing to brag about, is there? UC gave it a go, even though everyone said the game was over when it was scheduled. Yeah right!! When Cronin has his own team together - all his original recruits a couple of years from now - without borrowing football players or losing recruits who signed under another coach, XU will again have to focus on this game.
"I attend Xavier, have lived in Cincinnati all of my life, and can not once recall Xavier having what you call a "smarmy" attitude. If you have also lived in Cincinnati, you'd know that Xavier, be they ranked or not, is ALWAYS living in the shadow of "Big Brother" UC"....Seriously, what are you drinking? I have lived near XU all my life and XU fans have always
been arrogant. XU was the big brother and "the only program in town" when Yates had a miserable UC team...then Huggins showed up. UC was ALWAYS on ESPN & XU fans/students couldn't stand it. UC started gettting annual national attention and usually ranked near the top. XU fans were jealous as hell and couldn't wait for Huggins to leave. It's that simple. Live with your past, XU fans.
UC basketball = proof that God has a sense of humor.
At least UC fans can look forward to the thrilling papajohns.com bowl now.
Now that the annual Crosstown Smackdown of their basketball team is over, UC fans can finally look forward to the thrilling papajohns.com bowl!
Plenty of good seats still available - just not in the condemned upper deck of Legion Field!
3:42,
I did read my own post. The only thing notable was that I had one typo...I didn't prove anything you said. "XU guys graduate, UC guys are thugs"? Are you kidding me? I mean yeah, that's just one of the many gimmicks used throughout this rivalry..just like the "Xavier girls are ugly" t-shirts...That's all in fun.
But 3:42, facts are facts, and if it really offends you that Xavier really is second in the nation only to Duke in graduating their seniors (70 consecutive graduated) then sorry, not everything can be sugar-coated for you. Learn to accept reality. Huggins did great things for not only UC, but this whole rivalry itself. However, let's face it, he brought in guys with questionable character who had tremendous off the court problems.
But that makes Xavier "smarmy"? Ha, please.
Oh, and 8:30am, I assure you, none of us at Xavier were waiting for Huggins to leave. In fact, I paid good money last year just to go and boo him and watch the Muskies send him packing again at US Bank Arena. Huggins was someone everyone over here loved to hate. Let's call a spade a shovel, it was just too easy. If anything, we were sad to see him go; one less target we had on UC's back during the CTSO. So um, I guess I'll try to "live with my past". Last night is pretty easy to live with.
Oh, how foolish of me...8:20
Don't discredit yourself with comments like that..."Xavier ranked 17th"? Yup, most likely higher than that now. If you really are concerned as to how, maybe talk to Indiana as to why Xavier deserves to be ranked. Or heck, Illinois State ring a bell? Well, just in case they don't, they are that team who defeated UC by double digits prior to the shootout? That same team that was in the Chicago Invitational Tourny that didn't make it to play Xavier because they were stomped by Indiana...but yeah, Xavier ranked? Give me break...
Please, it's the CTSO, the game was everything it was supposed to be. Let's try to excerise a bit of intelligence if we could here...
R.e. "smarmy:" the biggest failing of the Jesuit educational community, high school or college and across the nation, has been the creation of a gigantic superiority complex in its students. I love the idea of "men for others," but I detest the pompous bragging about "men for others."
6:41,
"superiority complex"
Maybe the same complex that gives you the fortitude to stereotype an entire branch of people? Classy.
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