Sometimes the tiniest, seemingly most inconsequential one-line item in the paper can cause the deepest scars. Check Page 4 of the sports section today, in For the Record, under "Moves.'' Way down at the bottom of that column, under Colleges, there's this: "PROVIDENCE//Announced junior basketball G Jeff Xavier has transferred from Manhattan.''

I'll give the Maryland fans a minute to remember where they know that name from.

Think...

Ahhh, now you remember.

Jeff Xavier, all 6-1 (listed) of him, absolutely torched Maryland in the biggest debacle of last season, one of the more disgraceful performances in a long time here, the 87-84 loss in the opening round off the NIT at home against Manhattan, before a small but hostile gathering on a Saturday morning, days after Maryland had to be cajoled and/or browbeaten into accepting a bid in the first place, and after railing against the injustice of being left out of the NCAAs in favor of some of those undeserving mid-majors (like George Mason, although the Terps head honchos didn't mention that school specifically).

Xavier scored 31 points, and in between the wailing and gnashing of teeth over the way Maryland played, there was a lot of wondering about why this kid was at Manhattan. Well, now he's in the Big East. He might blowup big from there, or he might disappear. But he'll hold an unpleasant place in Terps history for a while, at least until the program gets back to where it should.

You probably didn't need to be reminded of that NIT game, especially with the problems bubbling under the surface this offseason. If so, feel free to vent. So many of you have already.