It was only 8:45 Monday morning, and Thad Matta was coming off a five-cities-in-four-days weekend. He was coming off a month of 15-hour days. He was beginning a month of summer camps.

        Yet there was Xavier's basketball coach, leading jumping jacks for 85 youngsters.

        “He's really energetic,” XU forward Kevin Frey said. “We can't wait to play for him.”

        Monday marked a month since Matta's appointment as coach. He cut short a family vacation and has lived in a hotel to maximize his time at XU.

        He assembled his staff; the final hire, Alan Major, arrived Monday morning from California. He recruited. He signed Nike to replace Reebok as XU's sponsor.

        Of his and his assistants' long days, he said, “There's nothing else to do. Our families aren't here yet. And we want to get moving.”

        With most Musketeers in summer classes, Matta has met with players occasionally to get acquainted. He has broken down four XU game films from last season and said he will eventually watch the entire season.

        “I'm trying to get a feel for what their strengths and weaknesses are as players, kind of how Xavier played last year,” he said. “It's been pretty positive, what I've seen.”

        The Musketeers are down to 10 scholarship players for next season, though Matta continues to shop around. “If we go with 10, we'll go with 10,” he said.

        What is certain is that he'll remain positive. As he told campers Monday, “Every day you wake up, you let your attitude determine your day.”

        For dates and information on XU camps, call (513) 745-3417.
       

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