'I don't change.' J.P. Macura enters Xavier Hall of Fame the same way he came to campus

When he was introduced by former head coach Chris Mack at the Xavier Hall of Fame Induction Dinner Friday night at James & Caroline Duff Banquet Center, J.P. Macura brought a sheet of paper to the microphone for his speech.

That paper, filled with talking points about Macura's time at Xavier and people to thank, wasn't needed after all.

More: 5 observations as No. 19 Creighton Bluejays snap Xavier Musketeers' 3-game winning streak

More: Xavier Musketeers hosting New Zealand Class of 2025 big man Julius Halaifonua

"I didn't look at it once. If I looked down, I might freeze."

Instead, Macura spoke from the heart. He's never had a problem with being himself and Xavier fans loved him for it.

"It's easier to speak from the heart because it's something that I care about," Macura said. "It was fun."

Macura was part of the six-member Xavier Hall of Fame class to be inducted over the weekend. He was joined by former teammate Trevon Bluiett (who is currently playing overseas and couldn't attend the event), a tandem that helped lead Xavier to its first-ever Big East regular-season championship and No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2018.

"It felt like home," Macura said. "Just to see the Xavier community, all the support and to be honored is just incredible. I never expected to be in the Hall of Fame or even think about that. It's been pretty cool to see that hard work really paid off."

The hard work is obvious. Just look into the rafters at Cintas Center. There are multiple years on an NCAA Tournament banner that Macura had a hand in, helping lead the Musketeers to March Madness in all four of his seasons (2015-18).

Macura-led teams didn't just get to the tournament, they won on the big stage, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2015 and Elite Eight two years later. Macura and Bluiett tied a school record with seven career NCAA Tournament victories.

"I'm just incredibly happy at the impact I made," Macura said. "I didn't come to this university to score as many points as possible; I just came here to help win games and have a lasting impact on the fans and the community."

That he did.

Take Saturday, for example. Before being honored during Xavier's game against No. 19 Creighton, Macura was stopped multiple times for pictures.

His announcement at halftime drew the biggest wave of applause of the inductees, further proving his name still carries weight around Cintas Center. Go to any game and you'll still see No. 55 jerseys from students who may have never seen the Minnesota native in a Musketeer jersey.

How did he become such a fan favorite? Macura's authenticity was second-to-none.

He brought the same fire to every practice and game. Whether it was Northern Arizona in a non-conference season-opener, or against Arizona and then-former Xavier head coach Sean Miller in the Sweet 16 in San Jose − you could never question Macura's drive.

Opposing fans couldn't stand him. Infamously, Macura clashed with then-UC head coach Mick Cronin after the 2017 Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout.

Cronin said Macura "wouldn't play for him." Mack had his player's back: "J.P. is my guy. J.P. will fight for every inch on the basketball court. He's a great kid. I'm not going to let anybody control the narrative on who they think JP Macura is."

Macura never cared about any narrative.

"I don't change myself," he said. "I'm the same person every day. If you like me, you like me. If you don't, who cares?"

Xavier Nation liked Macura − that's all that mattered. They still do.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: JP Macura on induction into Xavier Hall of Fame: 'It felt like home.'