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Odds and Ends!!!
By
Andy Mac Williams,
2/8/2013
Periodically, I take a few minutes and scan this website's chatboard. Some of the links to articles in other publications are very helpful and time saving. The amount of recruiting information (and I use that term information advisedly) amazes me. I try not to worry much about stuff I can't control. Recruiting falls heavily into that category for me. It's interesting,but out of my high priority file. When they sign with X,then I get interested. There's so much rumor and inuendo and sheer unfounded speculation orbiting around.
Obviously,recruiting is the life blood of any D-1 basketball program,but the Muskies have a highly competent coaching staff that works constantly on obtaining players. I can't help them do their jobs better because they live this stuff 24-7 and it's just an avocation for me now that I'm out of the radio business.
I did find it interesting that Chris Mack apparently spent a chunk of his bye week traveling to Greece and back to scout and meet a Bulgarian teenager. First it shows that Chris trusts his staff implicitly to run practice and prep for the second half of the A-10 schedule.
Second it underscores Mack's work ethic. Even the most savant-like of coaches might kick back just a little with no mid-week game to prep for and maybe spend more time with the family or catch a movie. Chris decided to screw up his biological clock with a slam bam ultra quick turn around junket to Athens probably with no side trip to the Parthenon or the Greek Isles and no bottle of oozo(Greek wine spelling??).
Third it tells me A) this kid must be a terrific player and B) XU must have a serious chance at getting him.The real reason I'm writing this rambling post is to respond to a chatboard question about Xavier recruiting overseas.
Bob Staak did some of that back in the 1980's. X was after a 7-4 300 pound Englishman by the name of Alan Bannister. Bob called me into his office one day and showed me an outline of his guy's foot on tracing paper. It might have been as big as Bob Lanier's legendary size 23. Bannister eventually signed with Oklahoma State and played for Leonard Hamilton there. He had major foot problems and several surgeries then transferred to Arkansas State. He played briefly in the NBA for Utah and then in Europe.
Romain Sato was an exchange student at Dayton Christian. X saw him at an Ohio State summer camp and beat UD and OSU to the punch. Churchill Odia played at a christian school in the Washington DC area. I don't believe Xavier traveled to Africa to recruit him.
My plan is to concentrate on this season and suck every morsel of marrow out of it. The coaches have the vision and the knowledge and the duty to worry about recruiting. There's no need to put a period on this year. I'm bullish on this group.
Travis Taylor is a great story. He's Anthony Myles (2004) revisited. Semaj Chrsiton is an amazing talent with so much upside. Isaiah Philmore may have turned the corner toward developing into another inside horse.
Jeff Robinson and Brad Redford seeme motivated to finish their Muskie careers with a florish. A few more FTs and a couple more 3 pointers per game and this team's on the NCAA bubble.
We have 5 more games at Cintas to enjoy. See you there!!!
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