I have to be honest, I actually found this article funny. Most of the people on this board complain about Souhan and how his opinion doesn't matter, yet you don't like it when he rips a coach for saying his column in the Minneapolis newspaper shouldn't be bulletin board material? Everybody hates the Strib and says it is irrelevant, but you don't laugh when he agrees with you?
Souhan isn't a basketball expert, but I don't think his take on the game was off either.
-Devoe was great filling in but whether you like him or not, Nolen helps this team a lot in a lot of different ways and the team needs him. All of the Joseph fans need to realize how much it will help him to play next to a defensive stopper/unselfish point guard. Today nobody could guard any of Xavier's guards (especially Crawford) and Nolen would have prevented a lot of collapsing every time a Xavier guard took the ball to the basket and kicked it out for a 3. He also is a lot stronger with the ball. Yes, Cory Joseph would help too.
-Sampson was tenative throughout the big ten tournament and today. While he has shown flashes, a lot of improvement is needed from him next year.
-I also didn't get a great impression of the Xavier coach during the game and found it funny that Souhan ripped him. If he ripped Bo Ryan, Izzo, or a coach you hate you'd laugh. Not many people on this board watch a lot of Xavier basketball so most people are indifferent to the coach. I think he had it coming.
Everybody needs to get off their high horse on this column. You all rip Souhan, and then you defend a guy that credited Souhan for helping his team? Come on! If I started a thread that said, "I'll bet the Xavier coach used Souhan's column to inspire the team" everybody would go nuts, and rightfully so! Souhan's column shouldn't matter and any coach that uses it is lame and over-reaching on the "no respect" angle. Season is over, lighten up a bit!