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Badin grad leads Xavier women into NCAA tourney

Kevin McGuff’s Musketeers host East Tennessee State today at Cintas Center.

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By Rick Cassano, Staff Writer 12:32 AM Sunday, March 21, 2010

CINCINNATI — Kevin McGuff is riding the wave and likes the view.

Who wouldn’t?

His Xavier University women’s basketball program is among the country’s best, ranked fifth in both polls and gearing up to host opening-round NCAA games.

And McGuff, a 1988 Badin High School graduate who grew up in Hanover Twp., is hot, a coach of the moment, a generator of buzz throughout this sport’s world.

It’s all good. Yet McGuff still views himself simply as a hard-working coach in a very good situation. He’s a small-town guy who hasn’t been blinded by the lights on the big stage.

“It’s all very fleeting,” McGuff said. “Next year could be a down year, and everybody thinks you’re a bum. I understand that. I enjoy what we do with our players here and how we help them develop. If we just continue to do that and recruit the right kids, I think success will follow.”

McGuff and the Musketeers will be in the spotlight today, March 21, when they begin Sacramento Regional play at the Cintas Center. Third-seeded Xavier (27-3) hosts No. 14 East Tennessee State (23-8) at 2:30 p.m.

XU has never failed to advance to postseason play in McGuff’s eight years (182-69) at the helm. This is his fifth trip to the NCAA tournament, though he’s still seeking that first victory.

The Musketeers continue to battle for respect. Such is life in a mid-major conference like the Atlantic 10.

Xavier’s No. 5 national ranking is the best in program history, yet it only got a No. 3 seed in the regional. McGuff is diplomatic about that.

“It was close, but a lot of people played really well at the end, and it’s very competitive at that level,” he said. “I thought we were treated fairly. It’s more about embracing the opportunity and the path that you have than it is the seed you attain.”

Today, that path starts on Victory Parkway. McGuff would love to have a large, vocal crowd on his side.

“We really need the community to be behind us,” McGuff said. “I think this is a tremendous opportunity.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2194

or rcassano@coxohio.com.

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