Friday, March 10, 2000
XAVIER NOTEBOOK
XU's Williams feels for Martin
BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
PHILADELPHIA — Darnell Williams had a sick look on his face. Yes, he saw Kenyon Martin's injury on television. Yes, he immediately empathized with the fallen Bearcat.
“I felt bad for him,” said Williams, who sat out last season after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee in June 1998. “It hurts to see it happen like that. I understand his pain and what he's feeling because of what I went through last year.”
The Xavier senior was in the team hotel watching basketball during parts of Thursday afternoon.
“I know everybody thinks it's a rivalry between us, (but) I have so much respect for him as a person and a player,” Williams said. “He's done so much as a player for four years. It doesn't matter about their chances for a (national) title; it's about him. My prayers go out to him and his family.”
XU coach Skip Prosser also saw the news on ESPN.
“It's a tremendous, tremendous tragedy,” Prosser said. “He's the best player on the best team. It's just so difficult, especially this time of year.”
Atlantic 11
Five teams will receive first-round byes in next year's A-10 tournament, because there will be 11 teams in the conference and no divisions.
Three games will be played the first day of the event, then four games — the five bye teams plus three first-round winners — the second day.
Atlantic 10 Commissioner Linda Bruno said Thursday that the league's athletic directors decided Wednesday not to pursue a 12th team to replace Virginia Tech, which leaves in July.
“We decided 11 is where we're going to be for now, and maybe stay that way for good,” she said. “We really didn't look at anyone very seriously.”
Several schools expressed interest in joining the A-10, Bruno said, but the league visited only one place: the University of Richmond.
Prosser didn't mind that a new school wasn't added.
“I think we have to make sure we bring in a team that strengthens the league rather than just bring in a team to bring in a team,” he said.
Xavier Stories
UC title hopes fall with Martin
UC could lose No. 1 seed in NCAA
Bearcats will try to regroup
'It's broke,' and team's in a fix
Stunned fans try to keep faith
What game? Martin's injury took heart out of Bearcats
Martin leads Writers' All-America team
Conference USA Tournament Pairings
Minor injuries pain Reds
Reds host Yankees, minus stars
Reds Game Report
Griffey making a habit of homers
Readers remember Junior when
Griffey steps to the plate for Pepsi
Chance to play sealed Mitchell deal
Bengals and Boomer: Days late, dollars short
Browns waver on taking Warrick No. 1
Closed-door meetings used to discuss stadium problems
Is UC's loss Ohio State's gain?
Big Ten Tournament Pairings
SEC Tournament Pairings
NKU looking to make a name for itself
Las Vegas 95, Stuff 88
Mason faces bump in the road
McNick blames refs for loss
Purcell runs away with win
Ohio boys basketball scores
Ohio girls basketball scores
Cincinnati boys basketball schedule
Cincinnati girls tournament schedule
Highlands handles Holmes
N.Ky. girls basketball schedule
Notre Dame keeps streak alive
Kentucky girls basketball scores
N.Ky. boys basketball schedule
SEASON IN STORIES
