By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Q, from Dave in Kentucky: What are the ramifications if Xavier loses to Temple? Do the Musketeers share the A-10 title with Dayton?

A: It depends on whom you ask. If Xavier and Dayton both finish with 14-2 records, the Atlantic 10 will recognize both schools as co-champions of the A-10 West. Virtually all media outlets, however, have declared XU the conference champion, because if the records end up equal, Xavier wins on a tiebreaker, having defeated Dayton twice this season.

Q, from Danny Ollier in Sidney, Ohio: How much will XU's seed or its run in the Tournament affect David West's chances of being awarded national player of the year? I wonder out of every team with a POY, which had the lowest seed, or which won the fewest NCAA Tournament games?

A: As long as Xavier isn't knocked out of the tournament in the first round, it probably won't have that much effect. Most of the voters turn in their ballots by then, and some even before.

In fact, the ballots for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, the longest running Player of the Year Award voted on by United States Basketball Writers Association members, are due before the NCAA Tournament even begins. The same goes for the Naismith Award. Others like the Wooden and Rupp are decided before the Final Four.

Being on a good team helps, and good teams tend to go far into the NCAA Tournament.

Some winners who didn't go far were Kenyon Martin of Cincinnati, who did not play in the tournament because of a broken leg, and Tim Duncan of Wake Forest. In 1997, the third-seeded Demon Deacons lost in the second round.