Tuesday, March 14, 2000Xavier more prepared for this NCAA run
Last year's tourney good experience for Musketeers
BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati EnquirerIt's different this year. Melanie Balcomb can focus more on coaching and less on the distractions that confront the Xavier women as they prepare for their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
Local media attention has already picked up. Once the team arrives in Baton Rouge, La., site of its first-round game against Stephen F. Austin (7 p.m. ET Friday), there will be mandatory press conferences, open practices and some national media coverage.
But the 24th-ranked Musketeers (26-4) know what to expect this time. Most of the players have been there, and they have shared their experiences with the first-year players about what the scene will be like.
That couldn't happen a year ago.
“It was like we took all freshmen because everything was new,” Balcomb said Monday. “I had been there as an assistant (at Providence College), but I hadn't been there as a head coach. It's very different when it's your team. There was nobody there to calm everybody down and say, "This is what it was like.'
“It's almost like we're a step ahead (this year). We can get more down to business. That's the way practice was today. You could see in their eyes that there weren't a lot of distractions today.”
This is only XU's third NCAA ever. The first was 1993.
Balcomb said her team was nervous before its first game last year, against Florida International. It had its worst practice in a long time.
But the Musketeers came out and battled past FIU 85-71, then took Connecticut to the wire on the Huskies' home court before losing 86-84.
A similar scenario could play out this year. If Xavier beats Stephen F. Austin, it will face the winner of third-seeded and 15th-ranked Louisiana State and Liberty on LSU's home floor Sunday night.
“By competing with Connecticut last year, we know we can compete with anybody,” XU senior Kim Hotz said. “We're really positive. We think we can come out of there and make it to the Sweet 16.
“Last year, we were just happy to be in ... We're still really excited but I think we're more confident. We know we still have some stuff to prove to the rest of the country.”
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