Hansen: A look at Xavier, from A to X
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Arizona's Sweet 16 opponent has proud basketball history, surprisingly stellar tournament record.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
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A is for Arizona, which has never, ever, ever played Xavier in basketball, or anything, even golf.
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B is for Big-Game Mark Lyons, a Xavier transfer who led the entire NCAA tournament in scoring average (24.3) in 2013, leading Arizona to the S…
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C is for Cal and Colorado. Xavier has played in more NCAA tournaments, 25, than both the Bears, 18, and Buffaloes, 13.
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D is for not-so-done deal. In March of 2007, Sean Miller signed a Xavier contract extension through the 2015-16 season.
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E is for Evansville, where Xavier coach Chris Mack played his final two seasons of college basketball, 1992-93. He scored 22 points. Total. Ju…
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F is for Xavierβs firing of coach Ned Wulk after the Musketeers blew a 22-point lead to Bradley in the 1957 NIT and lost 116-81. A bit scarred…
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G is for Pete Gillen, the ranking legend of Xavier basketball coaching. He coached the Muskies to seven NCAA tournaments in nine seasons befor…
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H is for human highlight film Trevon Bluiett, a 6-foot-6-inch Xavier freshman averaging 11.3 points a game. Heβs a four-star recruit from Indi…
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I is for inexcusable. In a scheduling gaffe, Xavier played Long Beach State twice this season, winning 97-74 on Nov. 18 in Cincinnati and losi…
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J is for almost jumping the gun. While an assistant at Xavier in 2002, Miller jumped at the coaching vacancy at Robert Morris. The Colonials i…
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K is for kin. One of the four retired jerseys in Xavier history belongs to Byron Larkin, brother of Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin. Byron…
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L is for Drew Lavender, Millerβs 5-7, 155-pound point guard at Xavier from 2006-08. Lavender was a McDonaldβs All-American who played his firs…
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M is for MBA. Matt Stainbrook, Xavierβs best player, a finance grad, is working on his MBA while averaging 12.1 points and 6.9 rebounds. Heβs …
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N is for no drop in attendance since Miller left for Arizona six years ago. Xavier averaged 9,998 per home game at the 10,250-seat Cintas Center.
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O is for Xavierβs 0-for-5 streak of keeping its head coach from hiring firm predators. In the last 30 years, the Musketeers lost Bob Staak to …
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P is for Power Forward U. Few schools have produced NBA prototype power forwards like Xavier lottery picks 6-8, 250-pound David West, 6-9, 240…
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Q is for quick trigger. Xavier athletic director Mike Bobinski publicly fretted about losing so many top basketball coaches to bigger schools,…
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R is for remember Skip Prosser? He coached Loyola Maryland against Arizona in the 1994 NCAA tournament (losing 81-55) and a year later became …
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S is for surprise. The team with the most losses, 13, Arizona has ever lost to in the NCAA tournament was Wisconsin of 2000, which was 18-13, …
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T is for Tu Holloway, the best player Miller left at Xavier upon moving to Tucson. Holloway was a recruiting coup for Miller in 2008; he had c…
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U is for underdog. Xavier has won NCAA tournament games as seeded underdogs against No. 2 Mississippi State, No. 3 Texas, No. 3 Georgetown, No…
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V is for victory. The Muskies have won 23 NCAA tournament games. How good is that? Arizona State has won 13. Gonzaga 21. Oregon 16. Stanford 2…
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W is for winning without a guy named Sean. Since Miller left Xavier, the Musketeers have won 132 games (22.0 per season), reached the Sweet 16…
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X is for xenopus, a tongueless frog of South Africa, which will be exactly what Arizonaβs basketball fans will feel like if the Wildcats lose …
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