Is Chris Mack Throwing Xavier Under the Bus?

[BigEast1]

Came across this earlier today https://twitter.com/rumbleSBN/status/1019647489345978369 Kind of surprising if true that Mack would refer to Xavier as a mediocre program when he took over.

[Xudash]

Mack is dead to me if he uttered "mediocre" to the kid.

It could be the kid taking things out of context, but I don't know how he would have gotten to the tweet he posted without hearing Mack say something less than appropriate about Xavier.

BTW, Mack being in the position of having to perform in the cutthroat recruiting environment is no excuse here. Firstly, it would simply reflect a lack of class and even perhaps a little desperation on his part for having gone down this road. Secondly, he's at Lullville now: he shouldn't have to stoop to such measures, recruiting against his former small Jesuit school.

[adoraz]

XU fans will probably disagree, but since Mack left I'm happy that Xavier got bounced early when the pressure was on this year.

Had Xavier done what Nova did and then Mack left, that'd be a pretty bad look for the conference. Rather, the Tournament proved Wright is still the flagship coach for the conference, and nobody else is close.

I think Steele will do an excellent job. XU, like Butler, is about the program and not the coach. That'll be true until proven otherwise.

For other schools like Providence, that may not be the case. Fortunately we probably won't need to find out anytime soon.

[billyjack]

Mack is a good coach but was a sourpuss with no personality.
Steele from a PR standpoint seems great, and i think will be a good promoter and positive face for XU and the Big East.

[GumbyDamnit!]

Much ado about nothing IMO. We live in an ultra-sensitive world in which every sound bite can be parsed and dissected. Unless Mack said the same from his own lips and was captured on video/audio then this is a big nothing burger.

[GumbyDamnit!]

Additionally, X doesn’t have to recruit like L’ville. One of the pressures at a school like L’ville is to compete with the likes of UK, Duke, KU, UNC. The temptation may be to woo as many McD AA’s as possible, fit be damned. He may find that it’s not as easy to bake the same cake with different ingredients, in a new kitchen. The BE way seems to be less OAD’s and more 3 and 4 year players. Will be interesting to see if Mack follows that same script or tries to be something he is not.

[NJRedman]

[kayako]

Additionally, X doesn’t have to recruit like L’ville. One of the pressures at a school like L’ville is to compete with the likes of UK, Duke, KU, UNC. The temptation may be to woo as many McD AA’s as possible, fit be damned.

I don't think Louisville's produced a single one-and-done in 15+ years under Pitino. Which is kind of funny if you ask me.

[scoscox]

Came across this earlier today https://twitter.com/rumbleSBN/status/1019647489345978369 Kind of surprising if true that Mack would refer to Xavier as a mediocre program when he took over.

Someone pointed out that he may have been saying that Xavier was great when he took it over, he made it mediocre again for a few years and then built it back up, which makes sense. But seriously, I don't think it's that big of a deal. Coaches are gonna say stuff. Sean Miller said way worse to recruits after he left.

[gtmoBlue]

As much as I admire, respect, and luv Xavier, I'd have preferred he said freight train...

However, X has a grand history of coaching continuity and that should unfortunately continue. Xavier is fine.