ESPN's Andy Katz is reporting IU is close to hiring Marquette's Tom Crean. Don't breathe too easy Musketeer fans.

Here's the rumors I've been hearing for a couple of months now talking to my college basketball contacts -- word is LSU has been wooing USC's Tim Floyd for a while. Tim Floyd would go accept a bucketfull of cash from the Tigers to return to Louisiana. USC would then hire Jamie Dixon from Pittsburgh.

Where do you think the first place Pittsburgh would look?

I've said before, I have complete faith in Mike Bobinski and the crew at X to sustain the program. But if they don't have to find another coach, it would obviously be best. However it would be tough for Sean Miller to pass up a chance to go home.

Stay tuned...

To long-time Xavier radio announcer Joe Sunderman, this Musketeer team could be the one to make it to the Final Four for the very first time in the program's history.

It was just four years ago when the team was in a similar situation -- how similar? Very.

Three years ago, the team was led by three seniors -- two guards and an inside force with Lionel Chalmers, Romain Sato and Anthony Myles. Fast forward to 2008 and there's Stanley Burrell, Drew Lavender and Josh Duncan -- three seniors, two outside and one inside -- leading the Musketeers once again to the Elite Eight. Thad Matta's final Xavier team was one win from heading to the Final Four in San Antonio, the same host site as this year's Final Four.

"I think it's interesting the (Sean) Miller was present for both teams," said Sunderman, a member of XU's Hall of Fame. "He was an assistant under Thad Matta and they share a the same philosophy that if you have seniors and leadership, you have a chance to be successful in March. Thad may have gotten away from that a little (at Ohio State), but Sean's been talking about that since the summer and again in November. He was happy to have that trio of leadership."

The trio in 2004 had its own group of followers -- guys like Justin Cage, Justin Doellman and Dedrick Finn -- but the difference this season maybe that while there was a nice group of followers back then, now the three leaders have their own large posse with their back.

"This team has more options," Sunderman said. "There are more potential heroes. You just go through the first three games so far this tournament -- the first game (against Georgia) it's Duncan and (Derrick) Brown, the next game (against Purdue) it's (C.J.) Anderson and then (Thursday) it's Duncan and (B.J.) Raymond. The question becomes, who do you guard? Hopefully that'll be the problem for UCLA."

Just as it was four years ago, the Musketeers have a No. 1 seed in their way to make it to the Final Four. In 2004 it was Duke with Chris Duhon, J.J. Reddick and Sheldon Williams; in 2008 it's UCLA with Kevin Love and Darren Collison.

As much talent as the Bruins have, they can't match the depth of the Musketeers. Xavier has an astounding six players averaging from 12.4 points per game (Duncan, the team's leading scorer) to 9.8 points per game (Burrell). In between are Lavender (10.9), Anderson (10.8), Brown (10.8) and Raymond (10.1). Sunderman says it's without a doubt the deepest Xavier team he's ever seen.

"When you talk about balance, it's not just the shots, it's using the whole court," Sunderman said. "It really makes the floor bigger, in the NCAA tournament, coaches will identify weakness and shut down your stars."

That's what Rick Pitino was able to get his Louisville Cardinals to do to beat Tennessee on Thursday and it's what Bob Huggins' West Virignia team was unable to do against the Musketeers. Sunderman said Huggins' strategy was to try to isolate the 5-foot-7 Lavender in the post.

"As short as he is, he fights like a junkyard dog in the paint," Sunderman said. "I've never seen anyone exploit him in the point. In watching the game, they tried and he wouldn't allow it."

It also allowed the Musketeers to get out to a big early lead before pulling out a close game. If there's one thing these Musketeers have learned how to do, it's pull out the close games. Thursday was the sixth game the Musketeers had won by five points or less. They'd also been able to pull away tight games in the tournament against Georgia and Purdue.

UCLA has done the same, but in less impressive fashion. The Bruins, ranked third in the Associated Press poll, led Western Kentucky by 21 points, which the Hilltoppers erased to just four. UCLA also escaped a scare from Texas A&M to reach the Sweet 16.

Four years ago, Duke had rolled through the competition, winning its first three games by 35, 28 and 10 points respectively before meeting up with the Musketeers. Duke won that game by three points, but the teams were tied at 56 when Reddick put them ahead for good with a 3-pointer with 2:55 remaining. The Musketeers couldn't overcome the loss of Myles, who fouled out early in the second half.

"I think, things could have easily been different last time," Sunderman said, remembering the '04 team. "It comes down to things at the end -- just like it did (Thursday)."

This time the Musketeers made the plays in the clutch and the other team didn't. With another shot tomorrow night, it'll be seen if history repeats or this time the Musketeers find their way to San Antonio for the Final Four.