Tu Holloway, Transfers, and Outliers

David West was no stranger to hard work

ESPN the Magazine's most recent issue focused primarily on the upcoming NFL draft (apparently it's soon). While most of the information presented there was of little to no interest in Xavier-related terms, there was one article that got me to thinking a little bit about the Muskies. The article was about how players are assessed for the NFL Draft and how that process continues to evolve.

The crux of the issue is that the testing at the combine - everything from the 40-yard (or is it meter?) sprint to the famed Wonderlic evaluation - focuses on measuring the player's peak performance when properly motivated. While this kind of assessment has value, the players' performance in a one-time assessment with a high level of motivation does not always translate to an accurate measure of their career. The margin of talent between the top guy in the league and the worst one is so thin that the ability to persist in improving himself over a long course of time when motivation is low is often the secret to success.

Tu declares for draft

"Please don't leave me."

Shannon Russell is reporting that Tu Holloway will enter the NBA draft this year. A tweet from the man himself shed little light on the situation, "Just finished working on my game.. What I did tonight might help 6 years from now.. Its all a process.." but certainly showed he's been listening to Dante Jackson. General consensus seems to be that Holloway will return to XU next year barring something outlandishly unforseen. Both Holloway and Coach Mack have stated that Tu is just doing his due diligence. There will, of course, be further bulletins as events warrant.

Shootaround

The Kenpom.com A-10 Player of the Year

The weather is finally taking a turn for the better and looks to be staying there. The Indians and Reds have combined for 16 wins approximately a month earlier than it usually happens. The next meaningful college basketball game is at least seven months away. These are all excuses you may be using to get off the computer and go outside. Here's a taste of what you might have missed.

The season is well beyond wrapped up at this point, but there are still a few mop-up links popping up around the web. College Hoops Net has a few thoughts on what will come next for the teams of the East Region. They are one of a growing number of media outlets jumping on the Xavier bandwagon early. XU has almost always been in a position of national obscurity to begin the season; it will be interesting to see how the team responds if they're ranked at the start of next year.

A Host of Preseason Rankings

"Please let this one count"

The weather is warming, the birds are chirping, and John Calipari's latest trip to the Final Four is still in the NCAA record books. These are all signs that it is no later than April, which has other implications for the fine world of NCAA basketball. Coach Mack and the staff, for instance, are out on the recruiting trail planning violation-free additions to Xavier's future rosters. People who write about college basketball for a living are struggling to remain relevant until the next recruiting scandal triples the traffic on their sites, which makes this the "meaningless preseason top 25" time of year.

ESPN's Andy Katz has XU at 15 going into next season. He notes that "Chris Mack was a hot coaching-carousel candidate" but figures his (Mack's, not Katz's) Cinci ties will keep the coach at X for the forseeable future. Katz also believes that Tu Holloway will be the top player in the A-10 again next season and opines that "the Musketeers return enough to make one believe they will once again take the A-10." It's as much what the Muskies are bringing in as what they're returning that excites most fans, but I guess Mr Katz is really looking forward to Griffin McKenzie's sophomore year.

Analyzing a transfer

When it was officially announced today that Jordan Latham and Jay Canty were transferring I had mixed emotions. Don't get me wrong, neither of these guys had done a whole lot to endear themselves to fans but the loss of a scholarship athlete always means something went wrong.

Hey, it's Dante!

So what went wrong with Latham and Canty? Rumors had abounded that Latham was homesick, or maybe just disengaged, all year, and Coach Mack's answers never really cleared much up. Canty got injured early in the year and was never able to play himself back into basketball shape. Some people even blame the coach for not getting the players the time they needed. It's the Latham situation that takes a bit more looking into to really decipher.

Latham and Canty Transfer: Twitter Recap

Help the healing begin, Mr. Fresh.

As most people who care and have the internet know by now, Jordan Latham and Jay Canty have each transferred out of Xavier University. Future content will no doubt clarify why the two freshmen left the program, where each will end up, and how Coach Mack and the staff will replace them, the question on everyone's mind right now is this: what did Twitter think about the news?

 The news started off much like one would expect: Shannon Russell, Tom Eiser, and Lance McAlister all tweeted almost simultaneous, functionally identical messages announcing the move. Not content to follow the crowd, Chris DiSano (who?) repeated the news and added that Providence was a possible destination for Jay Canty. Despite the fact that you'd think he'd have insider information, Jordan Latham announced the news two hours after everyone else did. He did add that he "will miss Xavier." Draw from that what you will.

Canty and Latham Transferring

UPDATE: Only the finest in Twitter reporting for our readers. The best way to stay abreast of the action is to stay on top of the tweets. Since you all have lives, we'll take care of it for you.

UPDATE: Latham leaving over a lack of playing time. He is quoted as saying that he's sad that half of his incoming class is leaving, saying that they had "built a bond" in their time at Xavier.

According to a release from goxavier.com, Xavier freshman Jordan Latham and Jay Canty are going to pursue their college careers elsewhere in the coming basketball season. Coach Mack thanked both players for their efforts on and off the court and wished them luck in the future. Jordan Latham will leave behind a frontcourt that is long on athleticism and talent but short on the bulk that he provides. There was always some unrest around Jordan throughout the year, and there were also rumors that he was homesick in Cincinnati. While we wish Jordan the best, it is doubtful that his absence will create an intense impact on the program