By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

They are called the dog days, those early November afternoons in the gym when practice has been a daily routine since mid-October.

Players haven't gone against anyone but themselves. Coaches have to invent motivational techniques until the first exhibition game.

The best teams are easy to coach during the dog days. Players want to keep practicing because they have set season-long goals. Other teams aren't so excited. They practice because they have to. Unless there's a game on the schedule, practice isn't so important.

"That's not really a problem for us," Xavier coach Thad Matta said. "We realize that this is when good teams get better. I really enjoy practice, and we're still working hard."

Musketeers center Will Caudle has had as much practice as anyone. That's all he could do last year as he sat out as a partial qualifier.

"I never get sick of practice," Caudle said. "That's how you get better. In our practices, we weed out the soft guys. If you don't practice hard, you don't play hard."

But that doesn't stop Caudle from looking ahead, just a little, to Tuesday's exhibition game against EA Sports.

"I'm excited about it," Caudle said. "I can't wait. But I try to stay focused."

ILLINOIS STAR VISITS: Shaun Pruitt, a highly touted junior at West Aurora (Ill.) High, made an unofficial visit to Xavier this weekend and was at Saturday's practice along with his family.

XU is one of six schools Pruitt is considering.

"I'm also looking at Marquette, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana and Purdue," he said.

Pruitt, a 6-foot-7 power forward, was on crutches because of a broken right ankle he injured during preseason conditioning. He is expected to return near the beginning of the season.

Pruitt won the Most Valuable Player award at the High School Elite Top 50 Junior Showcase on Oct.13, a tournament that brings together Illinois' top 50 juniors for three games in Chicago. Pruitt averaged 27 points in the tournament, which is in its second year.

Tournament director Frank Rusnak, who operates an Illinois recruiting Web site, Highschoolelite.com, said Pruitt is one of the top two juniors in the state, along with Peoria Central's Shaun Livingston.

"When you look at the top guys in the state," Rusnak said, "you could almost say there's no one in front of (Pruitt)."

Xavier has one commitment for the class of 2004, Detroit Denby guard Darryl Garrett.

BOBBLEHEAD MADNESS: The David West bobblehead dolls have arrived. Xavier will give them away to the first 3,000 fans at the Dec.31 game against Creighton.

GILLEN COMING BACK: Current Virginia coach and former Xavier coach Pete Gillen will be inducted into the XU Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 15. Former rifle team member and Olympian Jason Parker and former basketball and volleyball standout Karen Ohe Jagers will also be inducted at the Cintas Center ceremony. For ticket information, call 745-2970.

E-mail ddow@enquirer.com