Monday, February 26, 2001
Xavier Notebook
Frey clutch at crunch time
By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer
PHILADELPHIA — With another win tucked away and a week off ahead, Kevin Frey was obsessing Sunday about the sundae bar.
“I don't eat stuff like that; I'm a health freak when it comes to food,” he said. “But I'm having a big sundae tonight and treating myself because my fingers hurt so bad.”
Xavier's junior forward was deserving of some sweets. He totaled 13 points, 11 rebounds and three assists Sunday, his second consecutive double-double. He has averaged 15.7 points and 11.7 rebounds the past three games.
“He's playing so incredibly hard right now,” XU assistant coach Dino Gaudio said. “I told him after the last game (St. Bonaventure) that in my 19 years of coaching, I don't think I've seen anyone play harder than he did in that game. And that just carried over to (Sunday).”
Frey had grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds with 12 points against the Bonnies, and he already had nine points and six rebounds at halftime Sunday. But on the first possession of the second half, he tumbled backward over La Salle's Anwar Wilson, bracing his fall with his right hand.
Frey said his index and middle fingers were hyperextended, bending back enough that the fingertips touched his wrist. Yet after icing it a couple of minutes, he returned and played 13 more minutes. He reported only swelling afterward.
“I just wanted to be out there,” Frey said. “My hand hurt to shoot, but there's a lot of other parts to the game than shooting.”
Frey said he has taken it upon himself to help XU reach its NCAA Tournament goal.
“You've gotta do whatever it takes,” he said. “I just feel I can help this team a lot of ways.”
TOURNEY SCENARIOS: XU appears to be mathematically alive for any of the top three seeds in the upcoming Atlantic 10 Tournament. St. Joseph's (13-1 A-10) has clinched a share of the regular-season title and all but wrapped up the top seed.
At 12-3, XU is a half-game ahead of Massachusetts (11-3). XU would lose a tiebreaker with UMass for the second spot because the Minutemen beat XU twice.
FAN OF THE GAME: Fred Irwin, a 1964 XU alum, flew in from Frankfurt, Germany, for the weekend to watch the Musketeers. He flew over for two earlier XU games this season: at Princeton and vs. San Francisco.
“I keep up with the team by reading your (Enquirer) Web site,” Irwin said.
UP NEXT: XU visits Dayton (16-11, 7-7 A-10) at noon Sunday in the regular-season finale. The Musketeers have lost five consecutive games at UD.
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Frey clutch at crunch time
