The Xavier University men’s basketball team kicked off fall practice on Wednesday afternoon. There is less than six weeks remaining until Xavier begins the 2023-24 season against Robert Morris at Cintas Center.
Here are some thoughts on the Musketeers as the countdown to opening night begins.
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When will Xavier’s new-look roster gel?
It’s been well-documented this summer how many new pieces are on the Xavier roster after last season’s Sweet 16 run. Xavier has just four returning players, though two, Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter, are out with injuries. There’s no timetable for Hunter’s return and Freemantle could miss the entire season, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium.
“It was almost like a ‘I just got here,’ feeling,” Xavier head coach Sean Miller said. “We’re basically dealing with a brand-new beginning. It’s challenging and I think it’s a lot of fun.”
But Xavier had a busy summer of practice, a team bonding paintball trip and a foreign excursion to Nassau, Bahamas for the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, where they won both games.
“That’s the beauty of this trip. It gives everybody the luxury to learn more about our team, our program, themselves and we can pick up right where we left off when the trip ends,” Miller said after Xavier’s win over the University of Victoria Aug. 8.
Xavier will be tested early and often
The Big East always presents a challenge and this year is no different. Xavier will have eight conference games against four teams that made the NCAA tournament last year, including reigning national champion UConn along with Creighton, Marquette and Providence. The Musketeers will also host and visit NIT participants Villanova and Seton Hall.
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Xavier will get a test right out of the gate. One week after the season-opener, the Musketeers visit Purdue, a No. 1 seed last March led by national player of the year Zach Edey. That same week, Xavier heads to Las Vegas and will play either national runner-up San Diego State or St. Mary’s in Las Vegas. Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars come to town Dec. 1 and the annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout is eight days later.
Desmond Claude set to make the next step
Sophomore guard Desmond Claude was the team’s lone healthy returner and had an excellent summer as he transitions into a pivotal role after playing just over 20 minutes a night last year. Over the two exhibition games in Nassau, Claude combined for a team-high 43 points on 16-of-27 shooting with 12 rebounds and three assists.
“Personally, I want to make the big jump this year and they (coaches) want me to make the big jump, too,” Claude told The Enquirer. “We all locked in together and figured out ways to help me. The big thing for me was confidence on top of building off the experience from last year.”
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Who else will step up offensively?
Xavier ranked 94th in the country in scoring in 2021-22, but the Musketeers jumped to 10th in the nation (80.9 points per game) in Miller’s return last year. Will the offense be as high-flying this winter? For starters, Xavier will look for production from its backcourt. Transfers Dayvion McKnight and Quincy Olivari were efficient in The Bahamas, and Olivari was the team’s best threat from the perimeter.
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Miller stressed the importance of the team’s transfers, including big men Abou Ousmane (North Texas) and Logan Duncomb (Indiana), having Division I college basketball experience. Olivari was 10th all-time in scoring at Rice University and McKnight was a 1,000-point scorer at Western Kentucky.
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The freshmen files
On a team with minutes to be had, which freshman will step up? Xavier’s 2023 class was highly ranked and the next 30 practices before the season-opener will be an opportunity for some of those players to step up into bigger roles. In the backcourt, Miller called Trey Green “one of the best shooters in the country” after the freshman scored 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting in The Bahamas. Columbus native Dailyn Swain has the size and athleticism as a guard/forward to be a versatile piece for Miller when he sees the floor.
There are more opportunities in the front court with Hunter and Freemantle sidelined. Kachi Nzeh was the only starting freshman in The Bahamas and turned in a double-double. Xavier added down low with three international forwards this summer: Gytis Nemeiksa, Lazar Djokovic and Sasa Ciani. Nemeiksa was the lone international addition to suit up in exhibition play, scoring seven points and grabbing 10 rebounds against Bahamas Raw Talent Elite.
Previewing the 2023-24 Xavier Musketeers
Xavier University’s Victory Parkway Preview is on Monday, Oct. 2 at Cintas Center. Jason Benetti of Fox Sports is the host and guest speakers will include Miller, Xavier women’s head basketball coach Billi Chambers, Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman and Xavier Vice President and Director of Athletics Greg Christopher.
The annual Musketeer Club season preview show is Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Hofbrauhaus in Newport, Kentucky. Xavier Hall of Famer Byron Larkin and Andy MacWilliams will preview the 2023-24 Musketeers.
Doors open at 5 p.m. and the analysis of the team will begin at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $12 for Musketeer Club members and $15 for non-members. Attendance is limited to the first 100 reservations and no reservations will be accepted after Oct. 20.
Coming soon
Big East Media Day is on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 5 thoughts on Xavier Musketeers basketball as fall practice begins
