Forward missed 3 games
For Isaiah Philmore, watching Xavier?s first three regular-season basketball games from the bench was even more agonizing than his sit-out year as a transfer.
The 6-foot-8 junior forward was suspended from the Musketeers? Fairleigh Dickinson blowout, Butler win and Robert Morris nail-biter because of a paperwork snafu that occurred prior to his two seasons at Towson. Xavier officials discovered during his transfer that Philmore had not filled out a form validating his amateur status.
So he sat and watched and waited until the end of the Robert Morris game, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.
?I was more happy that we won because that?s all that it?s about. I was also glad that I could come back and actually help,? Philmore said.
Xavier plays three games in four days in a tournament that includes Cal, Drake, Drexel, Georgia Tech, Rice and Saint Mary?s. It?s a business trip for a Musketeers team aiming for the program?s first exempt event title since the 2008 Puerto Rico Classic.
The good news for Xavier is that it?s at full strength for the first time this season and has an additional rebounder in Philmore. Xavier lost the battle of the boards to Butler (31-29) and Robert Morris (28-27).
?He?s a strong kid with a good frame and good mind for the game,? coach Chris Mack said. ?He?s also a detail-oriented guy, meaning when the shot goes up, he?ll block out. He?ll be more than willing to do the dirty work. We?re adding a guy that can certainly help us on the glass.?
Philmore ? nicknamed ?Zeke? by his peers, after 12-time NBA All-Star Isiah Thomas ? hopes to provide toughness and leadership, too.
He arrives just in time for a Pacific frontcourt featuring skilled forwards Travis Fulton and Ross Rivera. They stretch defenses by firing from the perimeter and are efficient with mid-post catches and face-ups.
A sprained ankle limited Fulton to four minutes in Pacific?s loss to Oral Roberts Monday night. Coach Bob Thomason said Tuesday that the senior?s availability against Xavier would be a game-time decision.
Philmore is happy to be back to normal, health-wise, after battling his own ailment ? severe tendinitis in his left knee. It developed last February and bothered him again in August, requiring treatment that kept him out of basketball-related activities for four weeks.
Summer was also when Philmore learned of the paperwork oversight. He said he was confused and devastated, and then shocked about a preliminary suspension estimate.
?I heard it was going to be half a season or something like that,? Philmore said.
He said his teammates helped him through it and continue to support him now. Philmore described the group as ?very fun? and said players developed a close bond during the difficult offseason.
Philmore, who logged 22 minutes in Xavier?s exhibition win over Kentucky State, has been practicing with the team, hitting the gym at night with transfer Matt Stainbrook, and eagerly awaiting his opportunity to contribute in the regular season.
?I?m ready to go out there and do whatever my team needs to do,? Philmore said.
For Isaiah Philmore, watching Xavier?s first three regular-season basketball games from the bench was even more agonizing than his sit-out year as a transfer.
The 6-foot-8 junior forward was suspended from the Musketeers? Fairleigh Dickinson blowout, Butler win and Robert Morris nail-biter because of a paperwork snafu that occurred prior to his two seasons at Towson. Xavier officials discovered during his transfer that Philmore had not filled out a form validating his amateur status.
So he sat and watched and waited until the end of the Robert Morris game, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.
?I was more happy that we won because that?s all that it?s about. I was also glad that I could come back and actually help,? Philmore said.
Xavier plays three games in four days in a tournament that includes Cal, Drake, Drexel, Georgia Tech, Rice and Saint Mary?s. It?s a business trip for a Musketeers team aiming for the program?s first exempt event title since the 2008 Puerto Rico Classic.
The good news for Xavier is that it?s at full strength for the first time this season and has an additional rebounder in Philmore. Xavier lost the battle of the boards to Butler (31-29) and Robert Morris (28-27).
?He?s a strong kid with a good frame and good mind for the game,? coach Chris Mack said. ?He?s also a detail-oriented guy, meaning when the shot goes up, he?ll block out. He?ll be more than willing to do the dirty work. We?re adding a guy that can certainly help us on the glass.?
Philmore ? nicknamed ?Zeke? by his peers, after 12-time NBA All-Star Isiah Thomas ? hopes to provide toughness and leadership, too.
He arrives just in time for a Pacific frontcourt featuring skilled forwards Travis Fulton and Ross Rivera. They stretch defenses by firing from the perimeter and are efficient with mid-post catches and face-ups.
A sprained ankle limited Fulton to four minutes in Pacific?s loss to Oral Roberts Monday night. Coach Bob Thomason said Tuesday that the senior?s availability against Xavier would be a game-time decision.
Philmore is happy to be back to normal, health-wise, after battling his own ailment ? severe tendinitis in his left knee. It developed last February and bothered him again in August, requiring treatment that kept him out of basketball-related activities for four weeks.
Summer was also when Philmore learned of the paperwork oversight. He said he was confused and devastated, and then shocked about a preliminary suspension estimate.
?I heard it was going to be half a season or something like that,? Philmore said.
He said his teammates helped him through it and continue to support him now. Philmore described the group as ?very fun? and said players developed a close bond during the difficult offseason.
Philmore, who logged 22 minutes in Xavier?s exhibition win over Kentucky State, has been practicing with the team, hitting the gym at night with transfer Matt Stainbrook, and eagerly awaiting his opportunity to contribute in the regular season.
?I?m ready to go out there and do whatever my team needs to do,? Philmore said.
