Stanley Burrell just ripped the A-10 coaches for their all-conference selections. Here's most of his comments regarding the selections that included no Xavier players on the A-10 First Team. Sean Miller was named Coach of the Year; Burrell was named Defensive Player of the Year and Josh Duncan received the Sixth Man award. Duncan and Drew Lavender were voted onto the Second Team, and Burrell was a Third Team selection. No other Xavier player was honored.
Burrell:
"I've never been so upset. You'd think after getting the awards I got, I'd be happy right now. I'm really upset about how things turned out. I called this after the Dayton game, and no disrespect to Brian Roberts, but I said things like this are going to happen; we're going to be left out. I've got champions in that locker room. B.J., C.J., Derrick. Those guys shouldn't have been left out like that. No way. Those guys are champs. Where would we be without them. I'm so upset."
"It's ridiculous. This league is pathetic. We went 14-2, top 10 in the nation. Forget first team, Josh is probably the player of the year. You've got the best team and nobody on the first-team all-conference team? It's ridiculous. You talk about not having motivation? We got plenty now. I'm really looking forward to Atlantic City now."
"I should be happy right now. I got a good award and that's great. But my teammates got left out. No way. I'm the leader of this team, and I'm not going to sit here and say it's OK. I know how I'd feel if I got left out like that if I gave for the good of the team; if I sacrificed and was all about doing what's best for the team. I'm so upset, so upset."
"You see the teams and you're like, put B.J. in place of a Darnell Harris or somebody who went .500 or below. Put Derrick in place of a Bryant Dunston. You don't leave C.J. out. You don't leave guys out who just won a championship. Those guys could easily go to other teams and easily be getting 14, 15, 16 points a game. They decided to be here and play team ball. And they get left out for that? For being unselfish? It's not right, man. I don't care what I got. That Defensive Player of the Year? That's my team's award."
"I can't believe my team got left out like that. I'm happy for Coach; hell, he should have been Coach of the Year last year too. We won the league last year too. It's ridiculous. I'm sick of people overlooking us. I'm sick of us being labeled as a mid-major; we don't get no respect, man. And we're going to keep winning. We're going to stay together and keep doing what we do. We're going to stay focused, and we're not going to let people take us off our path. I feel bad for my teammate [nudging Raymond who was sitting next to him] because he deserved it. He bought out this year. He deserved to be recognized for his play this year. Where would we be without B.J.? Where would we be without C.J.? Where would we be without Derrick? Thost guys should be recognized, and I'm trying to hold myself together, but I love those guys to death. They did everything for us this year. They sacrificed like crazy. And they don't get nothing to show for it. I don't even want to answer no questions, man"
And with that, Burrell got up; walked off the dais and out of the room to the locker room. I caught up with him before practice, and he said everything he said in the media room was genuine.
WOW HAHAH I KEEP SAYING HOW MUCH I LOVE STAN AND THIS IS THE ICING ON THE CAKE!
Stan is the man but I think he may have run his mouth off a little too much. While I do appreciate the enthusiasm (especially in defending his team mates) I think he stepped out of line on saying the league is pathetic. Bold statements like that can get us in trouble but then again, I hope the team takes this steam and uses it to run deep come tourney time.
I agree with the previous poster, but this does put a little fire under our muskies that has been lacking over the last couple of weeks. Who cares how the media reacts to this, I want to see the team come out and dominate the A-10 tournament in preparation for the NCAA tourney. Stanley is talking like a senior leader of this team, now it's time we get out on the court and win some trophies.
By getting us in trouble I mean giving us bad press. While the comments Stan's made lights a fire for our Xavier boys, the bad press can have the reverse effect and lower moral saying that they're spoiled and unappreciative. The A10 didn't chastise the team last year when Sean Miller said that the league officials were terrible...yet did you realize how biased the officiating was against Xavier for the rest of the year? I fear a similar effect not from the zebras but from the common A10 basketball fan who support us year in and out in the Tourney.
Wow.. big words from Burrell, but was it really a surprise that no one from Xavier got first team. Now I am not taking anything away from Xavier. They have a hell of a team and are a legit Final Four team if not at least the Elite 8, but there is no one individually that stands out on Xavier. That is the gift and the curse of having such a great TEAM! Duncan is good and he deserves sixth man of the year and same with mighty mouse, but individually they didn't have to carry their team such as Forbes, Daniels, Christmas, and Roberts. I mean I feel like he just trying to get himself and Xavier fired up for the tournament which I guess is a good tactic. I wonder if Sean Miller will take that vacant spot in Bloomington???
It doesn't matter that their numbers werent better than other players in the a-10 what matters is our 6 guys would be the best player on any other a-10 team. X got stiffed massively. Looks like a-10 coaches just screwed over all the teams looking to win the tourney. B/c X will not lose after this outrage
Stan needs to shut his mouth and just play. I am not a Xavier fan, but Xavier has had a great season and I believe they have a possible chance to make it to the Final Four. Xavier has had a dream season and it will all be a waste if they bomb in the NCAA tourney. What makes Xavier special is the fact that they do not have to rely on just one or two players (like most teams in the A-10, they have six legitimate solid players. What does Burrell want more, an A-10 tourney championship and a possible birth in the Final Four ? Or a First Team All Conference member and a second round flop (Huggins style)? Stanley, remember its just the A-10. Nobody outside of the A-10 (and possible inside) cares who made the All Conference Team. However, people will remember a National Champion.
I like what stan is doing. He is standing up for his teammates who deserve more respect. We may not have great numbers, but all of our players are good. I think we could of had our top six on one of these three teams.
You have to now thonk that Xavier will come out READY for St. Louis/Dayton. The A-10 coaches are just jealous of the fact that X has dominated the last few years.
Congrats to the Women on the A-10 Tourney Title!!!
I dunno. Maybe its because we're playing with our pointguard out of the game. Speaking of which, do you guys have any predictions on Lavender's return? I know he's not 100% but I hope he's at least 90 by thursday
To a certain extent, he has a point. Xavier is by far the best team in the conference; its not even close. For that reason, they should have gotten more recognition from the league. But naming Bryant Dunston and Darnell Harris as guys who shouldn't be recognized was uncalled for. Fordham didn't play well at all this season, but I saw Dunston play, they would've been awful without him. He averaged 1.5 more rebounds a game than anyone else in the conference. And as for Darnell Harris, looking at the record you wouldn't know it, but La Salle had a major turnaround this season and has come back a long way over the last four years. He was the biggest reason for that, and he set the school, conference, and Philadelphia Big 5 records for three point shooting. You want to tell me that Dunston and Harris don't even deserve to make Second Team All-Conference? That's absurd.
