The Xavier University coach has watched a season that began with the promise of four returning starters turn into a struggle to find consistency from one game to the next. At 10-7 (2-3 Atlantic 10) and as the loser of three of its last four games, Xavier faces the possibility of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four seasons.

And the season could get worse before it gets better.

Xavier begins a brutal three-game swing today at George Washington, followed by a Saturday game at Dayton and a home game Tuesday against Cincinnati.

Matta has never been here before as a head coach. He has won 76.1 percent of his games in four seasons, the last three at Xavier. But until this season, he had never coached a team that lost three of four games on multiple occasions, or lost two straight games more than once. Both have happened twice this season. (The only time Matta has lost three straight was his first season as a head coach, at Butler during 2000-01).

Thad Matta's Xavier Musketeers have lost three of their last four. (Stephen M. Herppich photo)

Five games into the Atlantic 10 season, Xavier has equaled its conference loss total for Matta's first two seasons combined.

You have to wonder how he's dealing with this season. Does Matta spend more time in his office, and is he up later at night watching tape? Is he calling coaching mentors for advice? Is he considering any changes with this team? Are heckling fans bothering him?

Matta refused to answer questions this week regarding how this season has affected him personally or as a coach.

Matta said he is more concerned with fixing his team, for which there are no easy answers.

For Matta, the task of finding out "why" surely has been as difficult as any. Why does senior guard Lionel Chalmers dribble away possessions at the end of close games? Why can't senior center Anthony Myles finish close to the basket every game? Why can't Xavier find more shots for senior All-America candidate Romain Sato?

Why do shots that fall one game miss so badly and so often the next? Why does a team with two point guards have almost as many turnovers (209) as it does assists (218)?

When Xavier came into this season with seven scholarship players, including four starters, back from last season's 26-6, 15-1 A-10 team, Matta could not have expected that leadership and decision-making would be downfalls. But they have been.

Sophomore point guard Dedrick Finn emerged as a leader in the early going but has faltered bringing the ball upcourt - of all things - in the last five games. Chalmers has tried to take on too much responsibility to win games, rather than making simpler, more effective plays. Myles has been removed from games for not playing hard enough.

Sato, whom Matta credits as playing all out for 40 minutes every game, has watched the offense go away from him when execution is most necessary. Sato recently felt the need to publicly call for players to stop dribbling around and run the offense. He says Xavier practices well, but when game time comes, the players abandon the very game plan they practiced.

With Xavier's season at perhaps its most critical juncture, Matta is left to find a way to get players to reverse those trends, or the frustration is bound to continue.

Xavier at George Washington

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. today, Smith Center (5,000), Washington, D.C.

Records: Xavier 10-7 (2-3 Atlantic 10), Geo. Washington 10-7 (4-2).

Radio: WKRC-AM (550).

TV: Fox Sports Net Ohio.

Series: Xavier leads 15-7.

Line: GW by 2 1/2.

XAVIER

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Anthony Myles	Sr.	6-9	9.2
Justin Doellman	Fr.	6-9	6.5
Lionel Chalmers	Sr.	6-0	14.6
Romain Sato	Sr.	6-5	16.2
Dedrick Finn	So.	6-1	8.9

Coach: Thad Matta (62-19, third season; 86-27 overall).

GEORGE WASHINGTON

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Omar Williams	So.	6-9	7.2
Mike Hall	So.	6-8	10.2
Tamal Forchion	Jr.	6-6	4.5
T.J. Thompson	Jr.	5-10	14.4
Carl Elliott	Fr.	6-4	7.8

Coach: Karl Hobbs (34-40, third season; same overall).

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E-mail ddow@enquirer.com

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