The Xavier Musketeers are loaded in veteran leadership and look to take the next steps in claiming a Big East title away from projected league leaders Villanova, Seton Hall, and Marquette. In his second year as head coach, Travis Steele looks to establish his own identity and take Xavier back to the NCAA tournament.
Key Returners
- Quentin Goodin
- Paul Scruggs
- Naji Marshall
- Tyrique Jones
Xavier will be led by junior forward Naji Marshall (14.7 PPG and 7.2 RPG) and the backcourt of Quentin Goodin and Paul Scruggs. Goodin has established himself as the facilitator of the offense (4.8 APG) while Scruggs took a step forward in becoming a consistent scorer for the Musketeers. Naji Marshall struggled at times last season (27% from 3-point range and 3.3 turnovers per game) to be the lead offense player for Xavier after the graduation of Trevon Bluiett. Marshall has the skillset and ability to take the next step of being a star in the Big East. Tyrique Jones will look to man the middle, which is all-important in Steele’s offense.
QUENTIN GOODIN. POINT GUARD. XAVIER. pic.twitter.com/dnC6fMRR3w
— Xavier Gameday (@XavierGameday) March 9, 2017
Key Losses
- Ryan Welage
- Zach Hankins
Welage and Hankins grad transfer presence was prominent last season. Hankins, in particular, has the highest offensive rating per 100 possessions (131.9) while Welage had the highest defensive rating per 100 possessions (111.9) amongst players that logged significant minutes.
Key Newcomers
- Jason Carter (Ohio)
- Bryce Moore (Western Michigan)
- KyKy Tandy
Carter and Moore look to add a veteran presence and offset the loss of production that left the program with Welage and Hankins. Carter averaged 16.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2 assists per game for Ohio University last season. Western Michigan grad transfer, Bryce Moore looks to help Xavier remedy their 3 point shooting woes. Moore shot nearly 40% from downtown and is recognized as an intense defender. This MAC transfer duo gives Xavier a leadership edge over nearly everyone in the Big East. Freshman, KyKy Tandy can be a key contributor this year off the bench in spelling Goodin and Scruggs. The 4-star recruit who ended up #89 in 24/7 final rankings is a superior athlete with great ball-handling skills.
Projected Starting 5
- Quentin Gooden
- Paul Scruggs
- Naji Marshall
- Tyrique Jones
- Jason Carter
Naji Marshall (@NajMarshall) goes off for a career-high 31 PTS, 6 REB, 3 STL in @XavierMBB‘s fifth straight win#BIGEASThoops Highlights: pic.twitter.com/7Z4Aou7QXI
— #BIGEASThoops (@BIGEASTMBB) March 1, 2019
Xavier Musketeers Season Outlook
The Xavier Musketeers are going to have an uphill battle this year in the Big East with Villanova, Seton Hall, and Marquette. However, this Xavier team has veteran leadership that will inevitably lead them to a postseason birth and a top-five Big East finish. Last season was a true transition year for Xavier with Travis Steele establishing himself as the head man after moving up from the top assistant role when Chris Mack departed to Louisville. Also, Naji Marshall had to make the jump from being a key role player to the leader of the team when Xavier’s favorite Trevon Bluiett graduated. Last season the transition was evident in their six-game losing streak in conference play that hit a low point by losing to lowly DePaul at home. After that debacle, they showed their promise and went on to win six of their last seven games. This included wins over Seton Hall and Villanova. The development of Scruggs as a reliable second scoring option and the integration of grad transfer Jason Carter will be key for this upcoming season.
Record Prediction 22-7 (12-6)
Looking forward to their schedule, they have a few challenging nonconference tests hosting Missouri, Lipscomb, and Cincinnati in the annual Crosstown Shootout rivalry. They’ll also have road tests at Wake Forest and TCU. I look for them to go relatively unscathed in non-conference play. In conference play, the schedule is brutal early on with Nova, Seton Hall and Marquette all in their first 5 games. The latter part of their schedule gets a bit easier with playing DePaul, Providence, Butler, and St. Johns before taking on Nova again. Overall, Xavier has the make-up of a team that can not only make the NCAA Tournament but will be a tough out during the opening weekend. Anything short of the NCAA Tournament will be a disappointment for Musketeers.
