Saturday, February 12, 2000

Xavier faces former No. 1

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UMass has slid back to A-10 pack

BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        When Xavier joined the Atlantic 10 Conference in 1995-96, Massachusetts was the league's marquee team.

        John Calipari was the coach. Marcus Camby was the star. The Minutemen were national-championship contenders.

UMASS at XAVIER

• When: Noon today   • Where: Cincinnati Gardens (10,100)   • Records: UMass 12-10, 6-3 A-10; Xavier 14-8, 4-5   • TV: ESPN   • Radio: WLW-AM (700)   • Tickets: Sold out   BY THE NUMBERS   ›12-4: XU's record when Maurice McAfee scores in double figures   • 9-4: XU's record when Darnell Williams scores in double figures   • 9-3: XU's record when David West scores in double figures

        “They were, at that time, the standard, the measuring stick for the league,” Xavier coach Skip Prosser said. “So we challenged ourselves every year to be able to compete with them, and if we can compete with them, then we can compete with anyone in the league.”

        Oh, how they've competed.

        UMass, which visits Cincinnati Gardens today for a nationally televised game, has won three of five against Xavier over the past four years.

        Three of the games have gone into overtime, including when the Minutemen were ranked No.1. Four have been decided by four points or less. UMass has won at Xavier; Xavier has won at UMass.

        “They've built their program around three things,” said XU assistant Jeff Battle, who has scouted the Minutemen every year since XU joined the league. “Toughness, defense and rebounding. They're going to bring those three things every night.”

        Bruiser Flint is now the coach, in his fourth year. Monty Mack is the star, averaging 19.2 points — second in the Atlantic 10. The Minutemen, however, are not on the national scene as much. They are 12-10 and, like Xavier, fighting for an opportunity to get an NCAA bid.

        On Jan.6, UMass lost its third straight game and fell to 6-7. Southern Illinois and Boston College defeated the Minutemen at the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic, with BC winning by 24 points.

        But the Minutemen recently have turned things around, winning four of their past six; the only losses were to 19th-ranked Temple and No.18 Texas.

        Mack leads UMass with 46 steals and 64 3-pointers, 45 more than any teammate. Senior Chris Kirkland is averaging 15.4 points. In two games against Xavier last season, he averaged 23.5 points.

        “Everything's going to run through those guys,” Prosser said.

        Mack averaged 19.5 points against the Musketeers last season. Darnell Williams will start out guarding him today.

        “You always have to be aware of where he is on the floor. You can't let him explode and get 30,” Battle said of Mack.

        UMass has improved because more players are contributing, which means opponents have to stop more than Mack and Kirkland.

        Sophomore guard Shannon Crooks, a transfer from St.John's, is averaging 10.6 points. Junior Kitwana Rhymer, a spot player last season, is averaging 8.2 rebounds and 8.2 points in conference play.

        Flint's first team, in 1996-97, was 6-9 before winning 10 of its next 11 and earning an NCAA berth.

        “We've still got a ways to go; we've still got to get some consistency,” Flint said. “If Kit gets in foul trouble, then we struggle, because we don't rebound the ball great.

        “We struggled early. But, hey, it's a long season. I told the guys as long as we keep on working hard and we keep on improving, then we'll have our chances at the end.”

        Xavier continues to worry about itself, and Prosser continues to be in search of seeing his team play the same way for 40 minutes.

        There are stretches of games and practices where Xavier plays “great,” Prosser said, but it doesn't sustain it.

        “We just have to go possession by possession,” Prosser said.

       

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