I feel the same as the team, and feel guilty about it.

[AlabamaMuskie]

From Dow's Blog:

Miller said he thinks he'll go to San Antonio. Matta didn't go five years ago after XU lost in the Elite Eight -- too painful, he said then. But the feeling seems to be different for XU this time around. The season was such a success that inside the locker room players and coaches were still celebrating 30 wins even while dealing with the disappointment of missing out on the Final Four.
.....

Last night and this morning were odd for me. I was feeling guilty because I simply wasn't feeling very dissapointed after the loss. The losses last year and in '04 were emotionally devastating for me and I walked around in a zombie-like trance for a couple days afterwards. This year was different for me. Yes, I badly wanted X to get to the final four but I am very, very pleased with this season. Still, I felt guilty about not feeling depressed.

After reading Dow's Blog, the guilty feeling lifted. I realized that this year IS different. Why?

1) The entire season a success even though we played the hardest schedule in school history.

2) This was the year that X completely adopted the ways of their namesake - the musketeer philosphy if you will.

3) We got as far in the tourney as we were supposed to. I think it is more emotionally draining for fans when their teams are either upset in the early rounds or a playing out of the minds (i.e. Davidson this year). We weren't upset in the tourney, we beat who we were supposed to and we lost to who we were supposed to lose to.

4) I think the main reason Sean, the team and I are not devastated after last night's loss - a reason not mentioned in Dow's Blog - is that none of us expect this be our final shot at the Final Four. I firmly believe that in the future we can expect several more Elite 8's and even Final Four or two. Sean believes this. This is not a one and done season.

[RONALD78]

A great post and i felt the same way....disappointed but not devastated. It was a great season. Some , like Neutral, like to look at everything negatively and the glass as always half empty rather than half full. Xavier's basketball programs in men and women are far better than they ever have been. It was not till the mid 80s that the men even started to get into the NCAAs on some basis....now X is there almost every year...and 2 Elite 8 finishes recently. What do you negative people want a FF every year?? If so you need to become Kentucky or Duke fans because that is their attitude now.....no FF, man you had a lousy year.

[xuhuh!]

If Miller goes to San Antonio he will be studying, learning for the future of XAVIER BASKETBALL

[GrimeTime]

I was complaining to my wife last night before the game started about how the announcers were going to be fanboys for the bruins... and I was spot on. What was strange is that I kinda am a fan of their excellent talent as well.

That said, I had the same feeling after the game last night. I just wasn't upset. We could have made this a close game, but we lost to a clearly better team. If both teams brought their A-Game, I think UCLA wins a best-of-whatever. We had to hope to bring our A-Game and force them into a panic that would cause them to play their B-Game, in which case we could easily win.

Last time in the E-8, I was pretty sore... felt that we got jobbed, and that the coaches screwed up in the waning minutes of the game. Same thing last year against Ohio State with the refs screwing us. This year we played a great season, and lost to a better team in our last game. No reason to hang our heads!

Our tiny little school in the midwest is one of the EIGHT BEST TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY...AGAIN!! [:D]

[Masterofreality]

Disappointed that we couldn't get one more win, at least? Yep, but not to the point of depression.

The reason for me is that the future is brighterthan ever with all kinds of factors for the optimism.

A). Sean Miller is a superb basketball coach, as a few of us knew prior to this year. Now. I think, that even the doubters believe.
B) Sean Miller is committed to Xavier University and is building a special program for more than just this year.
C) The returning players who were a part of this team learned intimately what it takes to be special- from the seniors and coaching staff. They will take those lessons and pass them down. "Tradition Never Graduates."
D) Xavier has the best recruiting class ever to to entering school this summer. A class that can reach even higher levels than reached previously, on a consistent basis.
E) We have all learned that everyone involved in the basketball program- from the coaching staff up through Mike Bobinski to Father Graham- now believe and have the true, realistic aspiration that Xavier can compete for, and win a National Championship. The "little school that could" syndrome is gone. It's now about thinking, and more importantly BELIEVING in the Big Time.

The next stage in the Golden Age of Xavier Basketbal has been entered, and it is Glorious. Get ready for great things to come!

[muskieman]

I was complaining to my wife last night before the game started about how the announcers were going to be fanboys for the bruins... and I was spot on. What was strange is that I kinda am a fan of their excellent talent as well.

That said, I had the same feeling after the game last night. I just wasn't upset. We could have made this a close game, but we lost to a clearly better team. If both teams brought their A-Game, I think UCLA wins a best-of-whatever. We had to hope to bring our A-Game and force them into a panic that would cause them to play their B-Game, in which case we could easily win.

Last time in the E-8, I was pretty sore... felt that we got jobbed, and that the coaches screwed up in the waning minutes of the game. Same thing last year against Ohio State with the refs screwing us. This year we played a great season, and lost to a better team in our last game. No reason to hang our heads!
Our tiny little school in the midwest is one of the EIGHT BEST TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY...AGAIN!! [:D]

Grime, I too felt X was beaten by a better team playing an A game against X. I think Sean and his coaches showed this year that they got a lot out of the players X had and showed they have been the best coaches we have ever had. Just look at the Duncan sub in an out the last few games.

[Xman95]

I think UCLA played its A game, we played our D game at best. But, there's a reason the Bruins were a 1 and we were a 3. It wasn't a fluke. I think that's why it's not a depression-causing loss. I feel for those kids who played their hearts out all year and I wish they could have been the team to let X taste the Final Four. It didn't work out that way but we saw what was arguably the greatest team and season in XU history. It's hard to be upset after that.

It also helps ease the pain that the future is insanely bright. We lose three great seniors, but the returning talent is still very good and the recruits are highly touted. We're in on some of the biggest names for the 2009 and 2010 kids too. Our Final Four is coming. I actually predicted after last year that we would be challenging for the FF in 2010. To be back in the Elite 8 this year and still have such a bright future...yep, that makes the loss a little easier to take.