CCT's 'Five Questions' Series: Chris Mack, Head Coach - Xavier
College Chalktalk recently caught up with Chris Mack, second-year mentor of the Xavier Musketeers. Here, Mack shares his thoughts on a few topics pertaining to the state of Xavier basketball. Note: This interview was conducted prior to recent reports of Monmouth's Travis Taylor transferring to the Musketeers.
Tell us a little bit about your incoming recruiting class. What players have you signed and what will each bring to the table individually to strengthen your team?
Chris Mack: We are extremely excited to add four new faces to the program for this season. All four players were very highly recruited and bring unique talents to our program both on and off the floor. Each one chose Xavier over a variety of BCS offers because they believe in the Xavier tradition and the vision we have in place for our program.
Jay Canty is a terrific player and an even better young man hailing from High Point, N.C., a few miles down the road from where Coach Kelsey and I worked for years. We are thrilled to have him in the Xavier family. His length and athleticism at the wing position and his ability to finish at the rim is of the highest level. He has that "inspector gadget" look around the basket as his arms seem to be everywhere. He could be a dominant rebounder and defender in our system as well.
Jordan Latham is an extremely long and powerful forward out of Baltimore. Jordan felt that there wasn't a better fit in the country than Xavier University for his academic and basketball future. Jordan has the size, quickness and toughness to cement his place at a program that former NBA great Reggie Miller once deemed "Power Forward University". Most importantly, Jordan is a winner. Jordan won Maryland State Championships in both 2009 and 2010 under Coach Mike Daniels at City College High School.
Justin Martin a wiry versatile sharpshooter from Indianapolis. Playing his first three years under legendary coach Jack Keefer at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, Justin finished his high school career at Mountain State Academy in Beckley, W.V. Justin has a high IQ for the game, can shoot it from deep and is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential as a player. Justin is more than a shooter. He can really pass and has the ability to rebound defensively and push the ball.
Griffin McKenzie was one of the most sought after skilled post players in the country last July. We are thrilled and lucky to have a young man with his skill set and size in our program. Griffin will be a major weapon for us in the coming years, his ability to stretch defenses will make us even more difficult to guard. Most importantly, Griffin is a great student and will be a great ambassador for our school and basketball program. As a Cincinnati native I'm sure he will always be a crowd favorite!
College basketball fans and experts alike will discuss the the loss of Jordan Crawford in terms his scoring and offensive output, but what else will your team miss about Jordan which may have gone unnoticed by many?
CM: The fact that Jordan was selected in the first round of the 2010 NBA draft speaks volumes to his amazing talents especially on the offensive end. Jordan played with a chip on his shoulder all season; he was out to prove that he was truly one of the best guards in the country. Jordan led our league in scoring at more than 20 ppg and found a way to increase that average to nearly 30 ppg during our magical run to the Sweet 16. While Jordan's tremendous ability to score will be sorely missed, his competitive nature may be his greatest asset. Jordan is one of the most competitive players I have ever coached, which includes several NBA players like All-Stars David West and Chris Paul. He consistently demanded the best out of his teammates and coaches alike. Jordan's desire to win every drill and every game was something that helped propel our team. In many ways that passion was every bit as valuable as his ability to make a three-point shot or a floater in the lane. We are hopeful that our upper-classmen will collectively replace his competitive burning desire to succeed and refuse to lose mindset!
Let's talk about Jason Love and his tremendous improvements from
year to year. He was a major part of your defense last year
and he shored up his offensive game as well. What did Jason
pass on to this group that will benefit them in 2010-11?
CM: When Jason Love concluded his final game in a Xavier uniform he left with the most wins of any player in Xavier Basketball history. He has more wins than Larkin, Hill or West... All of which have their jerseys hanging from the rafters in the Cintas center.
When Jason Love arrived on campus the summer leading into his freshman year he was a 290 pound project. To his credit, he tirelessly worked his tail off for the ensuing four years to become one of the best post players in the entire country by the conclusion of his senior year.
Jason has always been a quality defender and was the anchor of our defense for the last two seasons. His ability to block and rebound at a very high level helped us to win a ton of games during his career. What made Jason's senior season even more special was the growth that he showed on offense. Spending just one season under the tutelage of who I consider the best post coach in the country, Pat Kelsey, Jason became a very reliable interior scorer. This new found ability will help Jason do very well financially over the next 10 years, whether it is in the NBA or overseas. Jason's "Hard Hat and Lunch Pail" mentality will have a lasting effect on our team for many years to come.
Dante Jackson averaged just over six points a game last year, but anyone who has watched your team knows he hits big shots and makes clutch plays. How do you describe his ability to have that certain "it" factor?
CM: While Dante Jackson will never put up the eye popping scoring numbers of Jordan Crawford or grab as many rebounds as Jason Love, his value to our team is immeasurable. Not only does he have an uncanny knack for knocking down clutch shots, he is without question the "Heartbeat" of this team.
Dante is a natural born leader... he has that "it factor" that you spoke of. He's rarely the most physically gifted player on the court at any time, but I guarantee there is never a player out there with a bigger heart. Dante cares about one thing... winning!
As a player he has played on three straight Sweet 16 teams and is gunning for number four, and he is a 20 win season away from dethroning Jason Love as the Xavier Win's King. As a testament to Dante's confidence in this program, his teammates and himself, he will be the first to tell anybody that will listen that he will conclude his senior season with another deep NCAA run. He recently asked me, "Who was the last player to play in four straight Sweet 16's?" While I didn't have an answer to his question, I hope he will join that elite list. As a young head coach there are a lot of restless nights, but one thing is for sure I will rest a lot easier this year knowing Dante Jackson is in my huddles.
Now that you have completed your first year as a head coach, what thoughts come to mind about the season? How have you had to adapt as coach and leader in your new position, and was that change natural for you?
CM: I learned to manage your program day to day. Things change, circumstances change but to always remain true to what you and your coaches believe in strongly. When we left Winston Salem, North Carolina at 8-5 last year, there was a lot of negativity on whether our young team and young staff could get the job done. But, our kids and coaching staff continued to believe in our system and the way we do things at Xavier.
I was proud of that group and they will always hold a special place in my heart. I think in this day and age you have to be flexible. You have to be firm but fair. I don't ever want to be too set in my ways to not be able to see both sides of the story. Having said that, we're all in this together, players and coaches to win championships and represent Xavier to the best of our God given abilities. I cannot wait until the start of 2010-11.
(Photo of Chris Mack/Terrell
Holloway courtesy of Frank Victores)
(Photo of Jason Love courtesy of Xavier University Sports
Information)
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