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Game 7-096: NCAA Round of 64, East Region 6/11
March 19, 2011 9:06 am ET by Kyle Whelliston

[11] Marquette Golden Eagles vs. [6] Xavier Musketeers

March 18, 2011 7:27 pm
Cleveland, OH
BBState Stats/Recap



Hello, Xavier!! Our recently excepted friends were here in Cleveland with us, and Bally had trouble seeing over the mascot's hat from our seats in the front row corner. As the Musketeers gear up for another run, it's yet another opportunity to discuss the difference between "mid-majors" and "Basketball Schools," and answer the real question: how did Xavier get so good? And how can your $13 million athletic budget school do things like go to the Sweet Sixteen every year? (A: wise allocation of funds via the one-third rule.) Across the floor was another Basketball School that doesn't care about football, and whose own wise spending (over $8 million on men's hoops) allows it to hang in the Big Whatever.

Also: Marquette wins the media guide war (hardcover, seriously!) and a big hello to Red Line alums on the Golden Eagle bench. We pine for the days of the great Great Midwest, the ghost league that makes more sense now than ever, and talk about that dream book project -- the one that would only sell 20 copies, all in the University of Cincinnati bookstore. And a reminder that without Xavier 2010, there is no Butler 2010. But there will always be BLAPP.

@midmajority Game Tweets

19:48Game No. 7-096: [6] Xavier vs. [11] Marquette. NCAA Tournament Round of 64 at Cleveland. Well, this is awkward. http://plixi.com/p/85041211
19:54 While we watch this game, we keep tabs on the potential #chiknriot in Tulsa. If you're there, please side-tweet stuff to us, we'll RT.
19:59 Marquette is not quite on our side of the Line, but this is an opportunity to visit with some old alums. Buzz Williams, for instance.
20:01 Buzz Williams was an assistant at Northwestern State AND UT-Arlington! Was going to rebuild New Orleans in 2006, but umm... left quickly.
20:02 Marquette's director of hoop ops is none other than Bart Lundy. He was head coach at High Point for six years, including the AZ Reid years.
20:02 Do it for the City. RT @gmoore21566: @midmajority Blackbirds tied with NC due to a 19-6 run. We are all LIU!
20:06 Marquette's golden Al era is difficult to resent. Especially that 1977 national champs picture that looks like a Booker T. album cover.
20:07 Should note that the entire Marquette team is wearing bowties in that picture. 12:10 1H, Marquette up 10-6.
20:09 Marquette's media guide reminds us of the pubs that used to select All-Americans. Literary Digest! The Converse Yearbook!
20:09 RT @mjpettinato: FWIW, avatar is Neil Young. Wish I could look that scary. RT @nbadraftblog: In other news, serial killer loves MidMajority. @midmajority
20:10 We'll talk Xavier and the M word plenty. A good entry into that is media guides.
20:12 Xavier spends a LOT on media guides. They are by far the nicest in the A-14. Embossed, perfect bound, slick. http://plixi.com/p/85046142
20:14 But Marquette has won the media guide battle tonight. Check it: HARDCOVER. That's high major. http://plixi.com/p/85046520
20:15 Marquette leading the basketball war as well. 15-7, end of the first quarter.
20:17 Xavier is an "exception" on our site. Everyone knows they don't like the M word, are horribly offended when people pronounce it Eggs-avier.
20:18 Page 45 this year. RT @tfelice: @midmajority Game we play with X media guides is "see how long until they mention the current years team."
20:19 The point we try to make is that X beat the system. Athletic budget: $13.5 million, 191st among 345 reporting D1 schools. No football.
20:21 According to the new OPE numbers, X spent $3.5 million on men's basketball in FY10. 27% of overall budget. Only GONZ and MEM with higher %.
20:23 So, again, the moral: if you're a little school and don't care about football and spend 1/3 of your money on hoops, you can do what X does.
20:25 And more schools should do what X does. Football at this level is a high-overhead loser. Want sports name recognition? Get NCAAT wins.
20:27 And smart financial planning has led, indirectly, to a Xavier comeback. Marquette's lead is 20-17 at 4:58 1H.
20:30 I realize that people like the mid-major debate. I can't tell anyone the name of the site without inviting it. But it's about money, baby.
20:32 @Hirsch_in_Media It requires the bravery to drop women's football.
20:39 A few of you have chimed in, but yes! Marquette is a Basketball School too. No football, $22m budget, spends a third on hoops.
20:40 Marquette was in that Great Midwest experiment, the 90s superleague that never got enough teams to get a bid. But most were invited anyway.
20:42 So Marquette got in with C-USA when that came together. Moved to the Big Whatever in 2005. Since, finishes in upper 3rd, bubble every year.
20:43 If there was any sense in this, Xavier and Marquette would be in the same conference, a mythical hoops superleague like the old GMWC.
20:45 But for now, they're playing each other in the NCAA Round of 64. It's halftime. And Marquette, the No. 11, is ahead 33-20.
20:47 Right you are! RT @mwmiller20: @midmajority Marquette and X WERE in the MCC together for a couple of years. Ch. 18 of One Beautiful Season.
20:48 RT @midmajority360: Boston University 53 Kansas 72 | BU: J. Holland 19 - KU: M. Morris 16 | http://tmm7.me/fzc
20:51 Tempo-free HT brought to you by BLAPP. Xavier: 20 points in 31 possessions (.64). Marquette: 33 points in 32 trips (1.03). X shooting 8/26.
20:55 Do you charter all your flights? BLAPP is not for you. Lager, fruit juice, grain alcohol. For middle class people who get majorly drunk.
20:56 Important disclaimer: BLAPP does not give you wings.
21:02 And is Marquette winning because they're Title R compliant? I don't know. This is getting too complicated.
21:04 Marquette is also one of the four Jordan brand teams in D1. But this is cooler -> RT @VCUPav http://twitpic.com/4aub8j
21:05 I just want the Great Midwest back. RT @mwmiller20: @midmajority some folks keep waiting for BigEast to explode and some form of MCC rebirth
21:06 Somebody told me there was a book about the short and wondrous history of the Great Midwest, but I think they lied. I'd love to write it.
21:09 The game continues on, and it's MARQ 38 XU 25 at 16:35 2H.
21:13 And it would prolly sell as many copies RT @bubbaprog @midmajority Sounds like a dissertation topic for a sports management doctoral student
21:13 Plus Mellencamp. RT @gmoore21566: @midmajority Is the Great Midwest like the Great White North minus the cool Rush music?
21:16 Did you know? X is one of only 12 schools in the NCAAT for the 6th straight year, and one of two to make the 2nd weekend in 08, 09 and 10.
21:17 It's printed on the cover of their postseason guide in 24 point type, in case you didn't. They do spend their money wisely!
21:19 47-29 Marquette at 13:27 2H. If this continues, "Shot 33% and had asses handed to us" will not be on next year's media guide cover.
21:24 I don't. More schools should follow the X model. RT @reillymcclure: @midmajority i know X > RL but sometimes it seems you root vs them. why?
21:28 But this team is playing very badly and without its usual intensity. Like there's another game tomorrow. End of the 3rd quarter, 51-38 MARQ.
21:28 RT @midmajority360: Saint Peter's 43 Purdue 65 | SPC: J. Belin 12 - PUR: E. Moore 19 | http://tmm7.me/fzd
21:29 Like there's another game tomorrow. RT @JohnGasaway: Tu Holloway: 0-of-7, 0 FTAs. Xavier can't win like that.
21:32 And Butler 2010 doesn't happen without Xavier. We must NEVER forget that. Here's the storybook version: http://bit.ly/ii4X9d
21:33 RT @gmoore21566: @midmajority Give #LIU credit. Only down 10 w just less than 2 mins left & have had 3 guys foul out.
21:36 @reillymcclure You are incredibly kind and I thank you.
21:37 Much respect. RT @gmoore21566: @midmajority. Blackbirds ended up losing by 15. But they put up 87 on UNC and played hard for the city. #LIU
21:38 RT @midmajority360: Long Island 87 North Carolina 102 | LIUB: J. Boyd 18 - UNC: T. Zeller 32 | http://tmm7.me/fze
21:42 Xavier had chipped it down to three possessions, but now it's back up to five. Band and cheerleaders, who are over on our side, subdued.
21:43 End. RT @midmajority360: http://tmm7.me/fzg #BU
21:50 The Xavier huddle is just as sad as any of the others we've seen in similar circumstances over the last two days. Down 10, 3:35 to go.
21:51 X's coaching staff is very Big 6. Pat Kelsey studied under the late great Skip Prosser at Wake, Travis Steele: Indiana, Rasheen Davis: Pitt.
21:54 I'm right next to the Xavier mascot, and he's yelling inside the suit for the Muskies to mount a miracle comeback. "MMMPH! RR! MMPH!"
21:57 Like there's another g... yeah. RT @sevenandsevens: @midmajority Someone investigate Xavier. They've had the worst body language.
21:58 So. Marquette-Indiana State on Sunday. Amirite? #TreeFever #halfanhouraway
22:01 The 2010 Xavier Musketeers, as the Jordan Crawford said, "went out like warriors." The 2011 version, not so much. 66-55 is the final.

Boxscore

MARQUETTE 66, XAVIER 55
03/18/2011


MARQUETTE 21-14 (9-9) -- J. Butler 5-8 5-6 15; D. Johnson-Odom 6-11 3-5 19; J. Crowder 4-6 2-2 10; D. Buycks 3-7 1-2 8; J. Cadougan 2-2 1-3 5; C. Otule 0-2 0-0 0; D. Gardner 2-4 0-0 4; E. Williams 2-3 1-1 5; V. Blue 0-1 0-0 0; J. Fulce 0-0 0-0 0; J. Jones 0-0 0-0 0; R. Frozena 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-45 13-19 66.
XAVIER 24-8 (15-1) -- D. Jackson 4-11 1-2 10; T. Holloway 1-8 2-2 5; K. Frease 4-6 4-4 12; M. Lyons 3-9 0-0 6; J. McLean 1-6 2-5 4; A. Taylor 7-8 2-2 16; J. Robinson 1-3 0-0 2; J. Canty 0-0 0-0 0; G. McKenzie 0-0 0-0 0; J. Latham 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-51 11-15 55.

Three-point goals: MARQ 5-12 (D. Buycks 1-3; D. Johnson-Odom 4-6; E. Williams 0-1; J. Crowder 0-2), XU 2-13 (D. Jackson 1-5; T. Holloway 1-5; M. Lyons 0-2; J. Robinson 0-1); Rebounds: MARQ 24 (J. Crowder 6), XU 26 (J. McLean 9); Assists: MARQ 13 (J. Butler 4), XU 11 (T. Holloway 5); Total Fouls -- MARQ 18, XU 19; Fouled Out: MARQ-C. Otule; XU-None.