Shootaround and Rumors

Have you been outside enjoying the uncommonly cold end of April? Maybe you've been spending your time researching the NFL draft (I hear they have one). Have you been in early season training for marathon season this year? Whatever your reason for not keeping with the scraps of news surrounding Xavier, here is your chance to catch back up.

Starting in the 2013-14 year it looks like the Atlantic 10 could be the cream of the non BCS conferences. George Mason (106th KenPom), VCU (40th), and Butler (110th) are all set to join the league that year, according to most sources. Creighton has also been mentioned as a possibility to join from the MVC. Butler, VCU, and George Mason would all be joining in order to avoid the logjam at the top of their historically one bid conferences.

While the rest of the world moves on from the events of December 10th, the city of Cincinnati, specifically the two major institutions of higher learning, seem determined to make sure that no one local forgets that there was a bit of a scrum. In the most recent example of talking about the fight for the sake of talking about the fight, Whit Babcock, the UC athletic director, said he wasn't sure yet if the Crosstown Shootout would be played this year. "I would anticipate if not having an answer in April it would certainly be May." Thanks, Whit. Keep us posted.

Rob Dauster of Ballin is a Habit and CBS has compiled the Consensus Recruiting rankings on 2012 and prospects, and Semaj Christon is one of the biggest climbers of the year. Christon moved up 41 spots to #47, and fellow Xavier commit Jalen Reynolds moved up 15 spots to 113. Conversely, Myles Davis took one of the biggest plunges of any HS recruit in the nation, falling completely out of the rankings.

ESPN has taken the post season downtime to compile their first Top 25. Nevermind that players haven't graduated and UK is still on tour collecting accolades, the worldwide leader is moving on. Absent from said Top 25 are the Xavier Musketeers. The Musketeers are also missing from the "top snubs" list. That's what losing the best player on the team to a graduate transfer will do for you.

Finally, Andy Katz has a look at the future for Norfolk State and Lehigh. Winning one game makes the players basketball household names for a lifetime (remember Harold Arceneaux and Bryce Drew?) but it takes an astute coach to seize on the momentum.

Rumors:

The rumors section will exist this summer to keep you apprised of all the scuttlebutt in and around the program. It could be completely baseless and it might come to fruition, so don't hold us to it (or really even anywhere near it). Either way, at least you'll have heard something. Keep in mind, if we have good sources we'll report somewhere other than just in a rumor section.

- Rasheen Davis could be on his way to Manhattan. Chris Thomas committed almost completely because of the influence of Coach Davis. Thomas isn't a Manhattan kind of player, but if this happens he will have to decide if he is a Xavier kind of player.

- Look for Mark Lyons to land in Arizona. Rumor is swirling that he contacted Coach Miller somewhere during the whole transfer debacle. Lyons tweeted today that he can't understand why some people think of others, instead of just themselves. That seems about right.

- Pep Guardiola has stepped down at FC Barcelona. Coach Davis is not going there but, in keeping with every other rumor, it seems possible that Brad Stevens might.