Jason Maxiell launched an elbow at David West's manhood. "I'm a lot tougher than he is," Maxiell decided. The Xavier All-American "doesn't like much contact." Many thanks to Maxiell. Because contact is something this edition of the Crosstown Hypeout could use.

"I'm not going to answer any controversial questions," Xavier coach Thad Matta said Thursday. Don't worry, Coach. The way the week has gone, no one would notice if you did.

Maybe it's Elder's state football title, or Ohio State's impending trip to Arizona. It could be people are still shaking off Bengal Flu. Regardless, the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout has arrived without its traditional Barnum and Bailey pregame.

Because Xavier didn't want to play Thursday night, two nights after playing Purdue, ESPN has the game Saturday at 4, when the rest of the country is out scouting parking spaces at the mall.

The Worldwide Leader In Sports isn't even sending Vitale. What's Dickie V. doing Saturday, serving brunch to Mike Krzyzewski?

There was no pregame luncheon this year, breaking a 13-year tradition. Skyline decided the affair was getting stale. The coaches were tired of breaking up practice routines to tell lame jokes. Last year, Bob Huggins had to leave his team's pregame shoot-around at Cintas Center to attend. Huggins got razzed for showing up in sweats. "I'm sure Bobby and Thad didn't miss going," former XU coach Skip Prosser said Thursday.

The game is here. Anybody ready?

The Musketeers are still figuring who, beyond David West, Romain Sato and Lionel Chalmers, is going to be anything greater than the team mascot. The Bearcats are wondering if it's not too late to bring back Steve Logan. Neither team will get the other's best shot Saturday, not this early in the year.

The Shootout makes the hair rise on the city's neck. For the coaches, the game has become "a great way to prepare for the conference," as Matta said.

Yep, without the Shootout, Xavier probably would collapse against St. Bonaventure next month.

For fans, the Shootout is a tag-team grudge match, a war between good and evil and for the winners, a year's worth of obnoxious behavior. It's big against little, public against private, beer vs. Chablis. It's Xavier's endless search for respect, recognition and proper pronunciation of the school name. To the coaches, it's a "distraction."

Not the game. The buildup. "The luncheon, the dinner, the phone interviews, the press conference like this," Matta said. Matta would rather lose his whistle than do interviews.

"It hasn't been as big a deal for us as it has been for them," Huggins said. "Our rivalry is Louisville or Memphis. Players can't afford to dwell on it all year, like fans can. There are a lot of people in this town, the season is over when that game is over."

Huggins did manage a shot at the Xavier fans, students mostly, who last year at Cintas Center breeched the civility wall with F-bombs.

"What went on over there last year, if that's what you consider a rivalry, I don't know how that's been toned down," Huggins said. "I would hope people at both schools would do a better job. We all live in the same city. The way people sometimes act (at) this game is amazing. You pay $20 for a ticket, you're allowed to be belligerent and throw things at people. You can't even do that on the street."

They'll throw the ball up at 4 Saturday. It'll be a great game. It always is. The Hypeout, though, has been a washout.

"Be careful what you wish for," West said. Someone had asked him about Maxiell's words. "Because, you know ... I'll leave that alone." Then, an XU publicist hustled West out of the room. You guessed he would.