Tuesday, March 07, 2000
XAVIER NOTEBOOK
XU may take advantage of URI inside
BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
If there is one game that Xavier consistently pounded the ball inside successfully, it was its 78-75 victory at Rhode Island on Jan.9.
The Musketeers play the Rams in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, and URI is without its top big men. Luther Clay (eye) and Tiger Womack (foot) are out for the rest of the season.
Clay had 14 points and seven rebounds against XU but was outplayed by Musketeer freshman David West, who had 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting and 14 rebounds.
“David West was clearly the difference-maker in that game,” Rhode Island coach Jerry DeGregorio said Monday. “Certainly we lack an inside presence now. Those guys were at one time top-five in the A-10 in rebounding. To not have them clearly hurts us.
“With our starting five, we're 5-8; without our starting five, we're 0-16. Without those two kids we haven't won a game.”
Rhode Island's frontline now consists of sophomore center Andrew Wafula (3.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg) and senior power forward Justin Henry (1.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg). In the first game against Xavier, those two combined for no points and three rebounds.
“We'll go out and battle,” DeGregorio said. “Our kids haven't quit.”
Xavier coach Skip Prosser said the Musketeers won't change their game plan because the Rams are “somewhat shorthanded inside.”
“We come into every game trying to go inside-out,” he said. “(West) had that kind of a night and yet we really had to hang on to win, so we need to get contributions from other people.”
TOURNEY TALK: This is the time when coaches start campaigning on behalf of their teams and conferences where the NCAA Tournament is concerned.
To that end, Prosser said Monday that he thinks his Musketeers (19-10, No. 66 RPI) and St. Bonaventure (19-8, No. 48 RPI) have similar situations going into the conference tourney.
“I don't think their case is that much stronger than ours,” Prosser said. “I think we're both in the same boat this year.”
The Musketeers have won 8 of 11. The Bonnies have won seven of their last 11.
ESPN.com lists both teams on the bubble and says XU must get to the tournament final. Collegerpi.com has neither team in the NCAA field.
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