Xavier - 2014-2015 Blue Ribbon's Preview
A different, interesting situation has settled over Victory Parkway as Xavier heads into the 2014-15 season as one of only 13 teams that have advanced to the NCAA tournament 8 of the last 9 seasons.
In one corner of Cintas Center stand 6 returning players off last year’s team that was picked to finish sixth in its first season in the Big East, then rocketed up the league standings to wind up tied for third. In another corner of the arena stand 6 freshmen, all of whom believe they can contribute right from the jump but who have to handle the highs and lows that come with a long season of college competition.
And somewhere in the middle of both groups, say standing on the “X” at center court, is Indiana transfer Reby Abell, who was around the program every day last year but whose next basket for coach Chris Mack will be his first.
Six old guys, 6 new guys and one new/old guy are ready to chase a conference crown for one of the country’s most consistent programs in an ultra-demanding league. It’s a situation that’s foreign to Mack, entering his sixth season at his alma mater.
“It’s a first for me,” he said. “It just seems like there’s a little bit different vibe on campus. Our returning guys are looking forward to welcoming our new guys.”
Mack and the Musketeers know all about dealing with and answering adversity. They did it all last season, their first in the Big East after 18 seasons in the Atlantic 10. How would they handle the move? There was talent on the roster, but much of it was unproven. Could the core guys deliver? Could Matt Stainbrook, a Western Michigan transfer, make the move from the MAC (Mid Atlantic Conference) to the Big East?
Xavier again made it all work. By the end, the Big East felt right. Felt like home. Despite the skepticism from the outside, Mack thought his team would compete. And it looked like the Xavier of old.
“We just felt a lot better about our team than the outside expectations,” Mack said. “You don’t ever tie yourself to expectations of the outside world, but in today’s day and age, they’re everywhere. You just have to have that belief in yourself. I felt we had that from the beginning.”
In the end, the Musketeers were back in the NCAA tournament. Again.
“That meant a lot,” Mack said.
FOR CHRISTON'S SAKE
Getting back this year will mean that the Musketeers do it without talented guard Semaj Christon (17.0 ppg., 2.7 rpg., 4.2 apg.), who declared for the NBA draft after a solid sophomore season that saw him become the only Xavier player to start all 34 games. He also averaged 35.3 minutes a game. Christon was selected by Miami in the second round of the June NBA draft but was traded to Oklahoma City. He was the one guy on the roster who seemingly could get a shot and score anytime and anywhere he wanted. He could break down defenders and open scoring avenues for others. He could defend. He could play.
“He was a special talent,” Mack said. “When you lose a guy like Semaj, you’re not going to gain it back with one player. We’re going to have to do it by committee.”
THE BIG "STAIN"
While last season’s focus centered on Christon, this season will probably start with a big dose of the 6-10, 263-pound senior Stainbrook in the low post. An honorable mention all-league selection last season, Stainbrook (10.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.2 apg) finished fifth in the league in rebounding. The staff is confident that the big man can chase a steady string of double-doubles for points and rebounds this season. He has to.
“I think he’s one of the best rebounders in our conference, if not the best low-post player in our conference,” Mack said. “He’s got such an IQ for the game.”
That IQ includes knowing when he has to challenge the defense, sensing when a double team is near and when it’s time to kick out for a teammate to make a play. Stainbrook can score. He can rebound. But he can do things few big men embrace.
“When your oldest player is willing to make the right pass at the right time, it becomes infectious,” Mack said.
LOOK AT ME, I'M DAVIS DEE
Speaking of passing, that area of constant and, Mack hopes, consistent decision-making again settles into the hands of senior point guard Dee Davis (7.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 4.7 apg). The Bloomington, Ind., native led the Musketeers in assists and was second in the league. Mack thinks the diminutive Davis, who is listed at 6-0 but may be closer to 5-10, will be even better in his third season as the starting point guard.
“He’s very, very steady on the floor,” Mack said. “That’s very comforting as a head coach.”
JINGLE ABELL
Speaking of Bloomington, the Musketeers get the services of Abell, a 6-4 junior who spent 2 quiet seasons at Indiana. Abell (4.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg in 2012-13) received a scare during a summer-league game in the Cincinnati area when he crumpled with a knee injury that looked serious. It wasn’t, and it won’t prohibit him from getting out on the wing in transition and finishing. Mack thinks Abell is an energy guy on both ends, and will lean on Abell’s leadership abilities when times get tough. The Xavier staff saw something in Abell last season. Though he wasn’t eligible, Abell carried himself with purpose every day in practice. He wanted to get better. He had to get better. Then he did.
“He’s really put himself in a good position because of how hard he’s worked in the 12 months he’s been off,” Mack said.
SO FARR, SO GOOD
Mack wants more consistent production out of junior forward James FARR (4.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.2 apg). At 6-9, he can rebound with anyone, and also stretch the defense by making the occasional perimeter shot. But there were nights last year when he was good, others when he struggled to get into any sort of rhythm. He needs to find that flow from the jump this season.
“We need him to be a full-year guy for us,” Mack said.
After Farr, it’s all underclassmen. Two sophomore guards—6-2 Myles Davis and 6-1 Brandon Randolph— were solid last year as freshmen but need to do more this season.
Davis (5.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.9 apg) struggled with the length of the college season. In November and December, he was really good. He shot the ball well. He made good decisions. He seemingly could run all day. Then conference play arrived and Davis’ energy and effort level dipped. He didn’t make shots. He struggled to protect the ball. He tired easily. Like Farr, Davis needs to get off to a strong start and sustain that through the grind of league play.
“Hopefully his year of learning and playing at a high level and playing a big role for us coming off the bench would give him the confidence and experience to have an even better sophomore year,” Mack said. “We need Myles to be in the best shape of his life, be able to hit open shots and make the right play.”
Randolph’s role is as a change-up reserve guard who can just come in and hound the other team’s handler for brief bursts. Randolph (2.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.3 apg) likes to be physical, stir it up and be a distraction. He’s also not shy about getting into the lane to score. But when Randolph’s game went south last season, as it often does for freshmen, his confidence followed.
“Brandon’s a tough kid, [but] he was really hard on himself his freshman year,” Mack said. “He didn’t like how he performed.”
Mack had no problem with the job Jalen Reynolds (3.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg) turned in as a freshman. The 6-9 forward from Detroit showed a glimpse of what he might consistently offer by grabbing 16 rebounds to go with 17 points during a regular-season game at St. John’s. More so than the points, Mack loved the rebounds, because they were clear evidence of the dirty-work/hustle/hard work kind of guy Reynolds could be every night—as long as he keeps things simple.
“He’s got to understand that’s his bread and butter,” Mack said. “If he can bring it every single day in practice, then it’s going to manifest itself in games.”
Even Reynolds might not know his talent ceiling, but Mack can’t wait to find out.
“I haven’t coached too many better athletes than Jalen,” Mack said. “He has the chance to be a breakout player, not only for our team, but the Big East.”
OUT OF THE BLUIETT
Behind Reynolds, it gets interesting. Xavier signed a talented six-man freshman class led by 6-6 wing forward Trevon Bluiett, who averaged 35.7 points and 11.4 rebounds as a senior at Park Tudor High School. Mack and his assistants wore out Interstate 74 between Cincinnati and Indianapolis recruiting Bluiett, who was a first team all-state selection as a senior and won 3 state championships. In the end, they got their guy.
Bluiett was rated by Rivals as a four-star prospect and the No. 34 player nationally. ESPN rated him the No. 4 shooter in his class and the No. 46 player in the nation.
“We’ve known about Trevon for a long, long time,” Mack said.
MAC-CURATE
Same goes for sharp-shooting 6-5 guard J.P. MACURA, who averaged 32.2 points and 6.5 rebounds as a senior at North High School in Lakeville, Minn. Macura fit the Xavier mold even before he played a game.
“J.P.’s got a little chip on his shoulder; he plays with no fear,” Mack said. “With his skill set and his toughness, he’s going to have an impact for us from day one.”
SEAN-SIDE
Sean O’Mara may have to wait a little longer while working behind the veteran Stainbrook, but the skills are there. Like Stainbrook, he can score and pass out of the post, and he’s not going to back down from the physical play of the Big East. The 6-9 O’Mara averaged 23 points and 13 rebounds his senior season at Benet Academy in Lisle, Ill., where he also played football for 4 seasons. So he can handle a bump here and there.
“Sean won’t take a back seat to anyone in that department,” Mack said.
Guard Larry Austin, Jr., was signed and sealed for Tennessee, but reopened his recruitment in April after Vol coach Cuonzo Martin took the California job. The 6-2 Austin is a pass-first, defend-second guard of Lanphier High in Springfield, Ill., who made 3 first-team all-state teams. He will have time to figure out where he fits.
The same goes for the 6-9 Makinde London and 6-4 Edmond Sumner, two athletic, talented freshmen who need to spend a little more time in the weight room.
Sumner, from Detroit Country Day, has skills for both guard spots, while London, who is from Nashville but prepped at Montverde (Fla.) Academy, has a chance to be special. He was a consensus four-star recruit.
“Makinde probably has the highest ceiling of any freshman that’s coming in,” Mack said.
What is Xavier’s ceiling? Can the Musketeers again finish in the top half of the league? Maybe better? Will they get back to the NCAA tournament? Xavier is young, but an August tour of Brazil, a trip Mack considered crucial with four games and 10 practices, helped jumpstart the maturation process.
“The synergy between teammates has to grow, but I like the fact that we’re a much deeper team than we were a year ago,” Mack said. “We’ll continue to get better and better. We’ll play our best basketball as the year goes on. We’ve got to gain some experience quickly [but], I think we have the talent.”
As the college basketball offseason coaching carousel began its annual spin, Mack’s name was mentioned in connection with a handful of openings. What about Wake Forest, where he served as an assistant for 3 seasons under the late Skip Prosser? What about California, which needed someone, anyone, to take over for the retired Mike Montgomery? The vacant position were all filled, and there was Mack, still at Xavier, where he’s set to start his sixth season and signed an offseason contract extension that will take him through 2019-20.
HOME SWEET HOME
Why do Mack and Xavier fit so well? Location, for one, and maybe two and three as well. His wife’s family resides 90 minutes away in Louisville, Ky. She played collegiately just up Interstate 75 at Dayton. His parents come to every home game, and it’s the place where Mack graduated in 1992. There are many reasons—too many—not to look anywhere else.
“There’s just something special about coaching the program that you wore the uniform for,” said the 44-year-old Mack. “Whether it’s the guys that I’ve coached here or former teammates that come back for home games, it’s just family. It’s something I’m awfully proud of. It’s home.”
BLUE RIBBOIN ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT B-
In one corner of Cintas Center stand 6 returning players off last year’s team that was picked to finish sixth in its first season in the Big East, then rocketed up the league standings to wind up tied for third. In another corner of the arena stand 6 freshmen, all of whom believe they can contribute right from the jump but who have to handle the highs and lows that come with a long season of college competition.
And somewhere in the middle of both groups, say standing on the “X” at center court, is Indiana transfer Reby Abell, who was around the program every day last year but whose next basket for coach Chris Mack will be his first.
Six old guys, 6 new guys and one new/old guy are ready to chase a conference crown for one of the country’s most consistent programs in an ultra-demanding league. It’s a situation that’s foreign to Mack, entering his sixth season at his alma mater.
“It’s a first for me,” he said. “It just seems like there’s a little bit different vibe on campus. Our returning guys are looking forward to welcoming our new guys.”
Mack and the Musketeers know all about dealing with and answering adversity. They did it all last season, their first in the Big East after 18 seasons in the Atlantic 10. How would they handle the move? There was talent on the roster, but much of it was unproven. Could the core guys deliver? Could Matt Stainbrook, a Western Michigan transfer, make the move from the MAC (Mid Atlantic Conference) to the Big East?
Xavier again made it all work. By the end, the Big East felt right. Felt like home. Despite the skepticism from the outside, Mack thought his team would compete. And it looked like the Xavier of old.
“We just felt a lot better about our team than the outside expectations,” Mack said. “You don’t ever tie yourself to expectations of the outside world, but in today’s day and age, they’re everywhere. You just have to have that belief in yourself. I felt we had that from the beginning.”
In the end, the Musketeers were back in the NCAA tournament. Again.
“That meant a lot,” Mack said.
FOR CHRISTON'S SAKE
Getting back this year will mean that the Musketeers do it without talented guard Semaj Christon (17.0 ppg., 2.7 rpg., 4.2 apg.), who declared for the NBA draft after a solid sophomore season that saw him become the only Xavier player to start all 34 games. He also averaged 35.3 minutes a game. Christon was selected by Miami in the second round of the June NBA draft but was traded to Oklahoma City. He was the one guy on the roster who seemingly could get a shot and score anytime and anywhere he wanted. He could break down defenders and open scoring avenues for others. He could defend. He could play.
“He was a special talent,” Mack said. “When you lose a guy like Semaj, you’re not going to gain it back with one player. We’re going to have to do it by committee.”
THE BIG "STAIN"
While last season’s focus centered on Christon, this season will probably start with a big dose of the 6-10, 263-pound senior Stainbrook in the low post. An honorable mention all-league selection last season, Stainbrook (10.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.2 apg) finished fifth in the league in rebounding. The staff is confident that the big man can chase a steady string of double-doubles for points and rebounds this season. He has to.
“I think he’s one of the best rebounders in our conference, if not the best low-post player in our conference,” Mack said. “He’s got such an IQ for the game.”
That IQ includes knowing when he has to challenge the defense, sensing when a double team is near and when it’s time to kick out for a teammate to make a play. Stainbrook can score. He can rebound. But he can do things few big men embrace.
“When your oldest player is willing to make the right pass at the right time, it becomes infectious,” Mack said.
LOOK AT ME, I'M DAVIS DEE
Speaking of passing, that area of constant and, Mack hopes, consistent decision-making again settles into the hands of senior point guard Dee Davis (7.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 4.7 apg). The Bloomington, Ind., native led the Musketeers in assists and was second in the league. Mack thinks the diminutive Davis, who is listed at 6-0 but may be closer to 5-10, will be even better in his third season as the starting point guard.
“He’s very, very steady on the floor,” Mack said. “That’s very comforting as a head coach.”
JINGLE ABELL
Speaking of Bloomington, the Musketeers get the services of Abell, a 6-4 junior who spent 2 quiet seasons at Indiana. Abell (4.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg in 2012-13) received a scare during a summer-league game in the Cincinnati area when he crumpled with a knee injury that looked serious. It wasn’t, and it won’t prohibit him from getting out on the wing in transition and finishing. Mack thinks Abell is an energy guy on both ends, and will lean on Abell’s leadership abilities when times get tough. The Xavier staff saw something in Abell last season. Though he wasn’t eligible, Abell carried himself with purpose every day in practice. He wanted to get better. He had to get better. Then he did.
“He’s really put himself in a good position because of how hard he’s worked in the 12 months he’s been off,” Mack said.
SO FARR, SO GOOD
Mack wants more consistent production out of junior forward James FARR (4.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.2 apg). At 6-9, he can rebound with anyone, and also stretch the defense by making the occasional perimeter shot. But there were nights last year when he was good, others when he struggled to get into any sort of rhythm. He needs to find that flow from the jump this season.
“We need him to be a full-year guy for us,” Mack said.
After Farr, it’s all underclassmen. Two sophomore guards—6-2 Myles Davis and 6-1 Brandon Randolph— were solid last year as freshmen but need to do more this season.
Davis (5.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.9 apg) struggled with the length of the college season. In November and December, he was really good. He shot the ball well. He made good decisions. He seemingly could run all day. Then conference play arrived and Davis’ energy and effort level dipped. He didn’t make shots. He struggled to protect the ball. He tired easily. Like Farr, Davis needs to get off to a strong start and sustain that through the grind of league play.
“Hopefully his year of learning and playing at a high level and playing a big role for us coming off the bench would give him the confidence and experience to have an even better sophomore year,” Mack said. “We need Myles to be in the best shape of his life, be able to hit open shots and make the right play.”
Randolph’s role is as a change-up reserve guard who can just come in and hound the other team’s handler for brief bursts. Randolph (2.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.3 apg) likes to be physical, stir it up and be a distraction. He’s also not shy about getting into the lane to score. But when Randolph’s game went south last season, as it often does for freshmen, his confidence followed.
“Brandon’s a tough kid, [but] he was really hard on himself his freshman year,” Mack said. “He didn’t like how he performed.”
Mack had no problem with the job Jalen Reynolds (3.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg) turned in as a freshman. The 6-9 forward from Detroit showed a glimpse of what he might consistently offer by grabbing 16 rebounds to go with 17 points during a regular-season game at St. John’s. More so than the points, Mack loved the rebounds, because they were clear evidence of the dirty-work/hustle/hard work kind of guy Reynolds could be every night—as long as he keeps things simple.
“He’s got to understand that’s his bread and butter,” Mack said. “If he can bring it every single day in practice, then it’s going to manifest itself in games.”
Even Reynolds might not know his talent ceiling, but Mack can’t wait to find out.
“I haven’t coached too many better athletes than Jalen,” Mack said. “He has the chance to be a breakout player, not only for our team, but the Big East.”
OUT OF THE BLUIETT
Behind Reynolds, it gets interesting. Xavier signed a talented six-man freshman class led by 6-6 wing forward Trevon Bluiett, who averaged 35.7 points and 11.4 rebounds as a senior at Park Tudor High School. Mack and his assistants wore out Interstate 74 between Cincinnati and Indianapolis recruiting Bluiett, who was a first team all-state selection as a senior and won 3 state championships. In the end, they got their guy.
Bluiett was rated by Rivals as a four-star prospect and the No. 34 player nationally. ESPN rated him the No. 4 shooter in his class and the No. 46 player in the nation.
“We’ve known about Trevon for a long, long time,” Mack said.
MAC-CURATE
Same goes for sharp-shooting 6-5 guard J.P. MACURA, who averaged 32.2 points and 6.5 rebounds as a senior at North High School in Lakeville, Minn. Macura fit the Xavier mold even before he played a game.
“J.P.’s got a little chip on his shoulder; he plays with no fear,” Mack said. “With his skill set and his toughness, he’s going to have an impact for us from day one.”
SEAN-SIDE
Sean O’Mara may have to wait a little longer while working behind the veteran Stainbrook, but the skills are there. Like Stainbrook, he can score and pass out of the post, and he’s not going to back down from the physical play of the Big East. The 6-9 O’Mara averaged 23 points and 13 rebounds his senior season at Benet Academy in Lisle, Ill., where he also played football for 4 seasons. So he can handle a bump here and there.
“Sean won’t take a back seat to anyone in that department,” Mack said.
Guard Larry Austin, Jr., was signed and sealed for Tennessee, but reopened his recruitment in April after Vol coach Cuonzo Martin took the California job. The 6-2 Austin is a pass-first, defend-second guard of Lanphier High in Springfield, Ill., who made 3 first-team all-state teams. He will have time to figure out where he fits.
The same goes for the 6-9 Makinde London and 6-4 Edmond Sumner, two athletic, talented freshmen who need to spend a little more time in the weight room.
Sumner, from Detroit Country Day, has skills for both guard spots, while London, who is from Nashville but prepped at Montverde (Fla.) Academy, has a chance to be special. He was a consensus four-star recruit.
“Makinde probably has the highest ceiling of any freshman that’s coming in,” Mack said.
What is Xavier’s ceiling? Can the Musketeers again finish in the top half of the league? Maybe better? Will they get back to the NCAA tournament? Xavier is young, but an August tour of Brazil, a trip Mack considered crucial with four games and 10 practices, helped jumpstart the maturation process.
“The synergy between teammates has to grow, but I like the fact that we’re a much deeper team than we were a year ago,” Mack said. “We’ll continue to get better and better. We’ll play our best basketball as the year goes on. We’ve got to gain some experience quickly [but], I think we have the talent.”
As the college basketball offseason coaching carousel began its annual spin, Mack’s name was mentioned in connection with a handful of openings. What about Wake Forest, where he served as an assistant for 3 seasons under the late Skip Prosser? What about California, which needed someone, anyone, to take over for the retired Mike Montgomery? The vacant position were all filled, and there was Mack, still at Xavier, where he’s set to start his sixth season and signed an offseason contract extension that will take him through 2019-20.
HOME SWEET HOME
Why do Mack and Xavier fit so well? Location, for one, and maybe two and three as well. His wife’s family resides 90 minutes away in Louisville, Ky. She played collegiately just up Interstate 75 at Dayton. His parents come to every home game, and it’s the place where Mack graduated in 1992. There are many reasons—too many—not to look anywhere else.
“There’s just something special about coaching the program that you wore the uniform for,” said the 44-year-old Mack. “Whether it’s the guys that I’ve coached here or former teammates that come back for home games, it’s just family. It’s something I’m awfully proud of. It’s home.”
Tom Noie, Blue Ribbon
BLUE RIBBOIN ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT B-
FRONTCOURT B-
BENCH/DEPTH C
INTANGIBLES B
LOCATION: Cincinnati, OH
LOCATION: Cincinnati, OH
CONFERENCE: Big East
LAST SEASON: 21-13 (.618) 10-8 (t-3rd) 2/3
LAST SEASON: 21-13 (.618) 10-8 (t-3rd) 2/3
STARTERS RETURNING/LOST: 2/3
NICKNAME: Musketeers
COLORS: Navy, Gray & White
HOMEGROUND: Cintas Center (10,250)
HEAD COACH: Chris Mack (Xavier ’92)
XAVIER CAREER: 111-57 (5 years)
Tot: 111-57 (5 years)
ASSISTANTS
Rick Carter (Michigan State ’02)
Mike Pegues (Delaware ’00)
Travis Steele (Butler ’04)
2013-14: Lost in NCAA first round
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