Retire FiftyTu

Right there with you. Going to be a long rest of the season

That was awful to watch. Completely uncompetitive from the jump against Santa Clara.

Kind of a depressing mood overall about XU and the basketball team. No reflection on Pitino, I think he court do quite well. Just kind of down and annoyed about the state of things.

A lot of the decisions out of Xavier are minor annoyances to me but overall just my general feeling is the current administration and decision makers have a lot of own goals and just don’t have “it.” No intel but very much feels like DT - “they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing” vibes.

I don’t understand the decision to mandate 3 years of on campus living going forward. I know Xavier is having enrollment/revenue concerns but to me this is an asinine move and not a fix. I’m sure there was intel provided to make this decision but not a good move imo.

Pleased to see Muskie Lager introduced. I’m sure it’s not a simple thing to implement but it seems like it took longer than it should have to get off the ground. Branding and design is excellent. Beer is alright, drinkable at least. Craft prices stink. Probably would have preferred a lite beer.

It’s very annoying that the exhibition game wasn’t baked into season tickets. It’s a win win imo for the school and the fan. School guarantees maximum revenue by baking in the cost of the exhibition to the season ticket, fan doesn’t notice and there’s better attendance at the game.

I do think the defense could wind up being pretty good. Definitely a different system way more pressure and scrambling. Only guys that really stood out to me overall in a positive way were Robinson, Carroll, Messina-Moore, Borovicanin.

Alright I was able to go to the exhibition game today. X might struggle offensively this year. Not a lot of guys that can create their own offense and good looks for others and the outside shooting or lack thereof is troublesome. If this game was in Dec X probably wins, execution was very sloppy.

Don’t love the lack of 3 point attempts though.

I like that Pitino has successfully navigated NIL and the portal at a school and league that is not a tiny mid-major. Minnesota a very tough place to win at and he was very YOUNG. Good turnaround UNM with progress each year. Walking into great infrastructure at XU, can see this going really well.

1. Definitely a bit surprised Mack was turned down. I would’ve been fine with him but not crestfallen or anything.

2. I probably would’ve chosen someone else over Pitino, but I definitely don’t hate it

3. Most excited for a fresh start and new principles, namely no more packline!

Xavier is in such a weird spot. Feels kind of crazy to bring back another former coach immediately after the last guy just totally burned you. But also feels a little nuts not to bring back someone with as much success as Mack.

Fool me once shame on you; fool me twice shame on me.

That was awesome. Going to be thinking about that Xavier comeback and crowd for a long time, no matter how this season ends.

As called by Joe Sunderman & Byron Larkin on Xavier radio & heard on the Varsity app:

The selection committee makes a few baffling decisions every year w/both selections and seeding. And they don’t have to answer for it. They do these interviews where they talk a lot without actually saying anything and don’t explain it and we just move on and forget about it because the games start.

Would leave to hear a question posed to him on the KPI skewing way stronger for Big Ten teams versus the other resume metrics and KPI skewing weaker for other teams, notably Xavier and North Carolina. Also ask about that metric being created by a Mich St AD who also consults for B1G non-con scheds

Feels like Oklahoma, West Virginia, Baylor, Arkansas are all safe. Probably San Diego State and Vandy as well although I wouldn’t be surprised if one or both was left out. Xavier, Carolina, Indiana very precarious.

With Memphis, VCU, UC San Diego, Boise State as AQ’s I would have it right now:

Last Four Byes Avoiding Dayton
Oklahoma
West Virginia
Baylor
Arkansas

Last Four In
San Diego State
Vanderbilt
Xavier
North Carolina

First Four Out
Indiana
Colorado State
Texas
UC Irvine

Just wait until the media gets word that Travis Steele and John Groce are half-brothers and playing each other for the MAC Championship tomorrow night. They’ll eat that up.

If no bid thieves looks like it might come down to Xavier, Indiana, Carolina, Texas for 3 spots. Three huge brands. Texas not so much for hoops but you get the point.

Gonna be a long 73 hours

Embarrassing what they’ve become.

$21.50?

Good call. They’ve been pretty much totally irrelevant since then and with the way the AAC is now they might have been better off staying in the MVC

Probably the most likely conference for a bid thief.

Also, has any school fallen off harder than Temple? Perennial NCAA Tournament team from 1984-2001, missing just once. Went six years in a row from 2008-2013. Have been just twice since, last in 2019, haven’t even made the NIT since then.

Bid thieves are my biggest worry with Xavier getting squeezed, not other bubble teams passing them up. I don’t see the case for Boise or Colorado State as an at-large. Neither are top 50 in any of the three resume metrics. MWC is one to watch for bid thief potential.

Love the Drake!

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