An Open Letter to Xavier Fans

[NovaBall]

Dear Xavier basketball fanatics:

My name is Novaball and I root for Villanova. How are you doing? I am doing good! Anyway, your team is pretty sweet. Right now Xavier and Villanova are the best teams in the conference. And the nation knows this as evidenced by the national voting polls.

What I am writing about is our teams' matchup in Cincinnati at the end of next month. Lots of games for both our teams between now and February 23, but if they can continue to keep rolling there is a good chance that will be a top five battle. The first top five battle of the new big east, and the first in Xavier history. Even as a nova fan, with our long and storied history, I know how special those type of matches can be. Villanova had a few back in 2006. A great win at the Pavilion against Oklahoma, randy foye going for 40. A couple games against UConn. They don't happen all that often, so you really have to appreciate each of them.

So I guess what I am saying is that I am now rooting for Xavier from now through the end of February, and then for another top 5 game in the big east finals. I suggest you root for villanova the rest of the way too! I suspect that will upset many of the fanatics of other schools, as some people get mad when you root against their favorite team. But whatever. We can root for whoever we want to root for, right!

Good luck the rest of the way,
Novaball


P.S. It is great to see sumner back. That kid can play. I didn't like winning while you were short handed a few weeks ago. Hope we get your best shot in February.

[Masterofreality]

Good lookin Nova. Good win at GTown today.

I root for the success of all Big East Teams. Obviously we are all involved in turf wars now, but the good of the conference is important.

[Xudash]

With you all the way, ball.

A Top 5 in-conference game in February will just add to the prestige and perception of the BE.

If it does take place, the environment in the Cintas Center will be hell on Earth for Nova, and Nova will know that and will have had plenty experience with that environment.

Xavier will be jacked for that game regardless

In the meantime, as it is trending, let's get at least 4 teams in, well positioned with strong seeds.

[NovaBall]

Good chance the polls this week are:

1. Oklahoma
2. Kansas
3. Unc
4. Villanova
5. Xavier

Nice work doing your part.

So you have Georgetown on Tuesday and we have seton hall on Wednesday. Okay opponents. Not good, not bad, but rather okay. If either plays a ridiculous game I guess they could win, but both Xavier and Nova should be decent favorites.

Yo, what's up with Providence??? I thought they were going to hang with us this yr. They Looked horrible today. Missing free throws, turning it over late, stupid fouls by Dunn for numbers four and five, unable to convert near the rim. looks like they are falling back to the middle of the pack with butler and seton hall and Marquette.

[stever20]

Good chance the polls this week are:

1. Oklahoma
2. Kansas
3. Unc
4. Villanova
5. Xavier

Nice work doing your part.

So you have Georgetown on Tuesday and we have seton hall on Wednesday. Okay opponents. Not good, not bad, but rather okay. If either plays a ridiculous game I guess they could win, but both Xavier and Nova should be decent favorites.

Yo, what's up with Providence??? I thought they were going to hang with us this yr. They Looked horrible today. Missing free throws, turning it over late, stupid fouls by Dunn for numbers four and five, unable to convert near the rim. looks like they are falling back to the middle of the pack with butler and seton hall and Marquette.

didn't see it- but Dunn has a horrible habit of picking up awful fouls at times. He's such a great players that it makes no sense. What's up with it?

[NovaBall]

One was a stupid offensive foul when he had three with at least ten minutes to play, and e other was kind of a cheap call, but it was on a breakaway and there was contact. Just bonehead moves that the best player in the nation cannot be making.

But not sure what this has to do with nova and Xavier fans coming together rooting for a top five match up in the end of February, and again on Broadway in early March.

[NovaBall]

A pair of 1 seeds according to CBS right now.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

[stever20]

A pair of 1 seeds according to CBS right now.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

Palm isn't a good bracketologist. One of the worst quite frankly...

Lunardi much better. He had Xavier and Nova both as 2's before this week. Now since then- UNC and Kentucky both lost(his other 2 2's) and Maryland, Michigan St, and Kansas all have lost. So VERY possible come tomorrow when his next bracket comes out that both of them are 1's.

[pki1998]

A pair of 1 seeds according to CBS right now.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

The two one seeds are a possibility. But I don't understand CBS bracket.

1) they have the play in game between 10 seeds. Even when they have St Bonniee as an at large 12 seed.

2) why would you put Villanova as the one seed in the west and Kansas in the east?

[CoachK]

A pair of 1 seeds according to CBS right now.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

The two one seeds are a possibility. But I don't understand CBS bracket.

1) they have the play in game between 10 seeds. Even when they have St Bonniee as an at large 12 seed.

2) why would you put Villanova as the one seed in the west and Kansas in the east?

I believe St. Bonnie is getting the auto bid in that scenario. Because when that bracket was done, they were in 1st place in the A-10. And overall, that's why 10 seeds are in the play-in game. Because you have a bunch of teams in the 11 & 12 seeds that are leading their leagues and therefore getting the auto bids right now. Valpo as an 11 is an auto bid, so are/were Wichita State and Boise State. And Memphis is a 13 but leading the American League (non-SMU) with a 3-1 record, so they are get the auto bid because, well, someone from that league has to make it....