Xavier basketball put their stamp on the national scene last season by being remaining a top ten team throughout the season. More of the same is expected for the Musketeers in 2016-17.
XAVIER MUSKETEERS
Last Season: 2nd, 14-4 in Big East, 28-6 overall
Predicted Big East Finish: 2nd
Projected Depth Chart
C: RaShid Gaston (Sr)/Sean O’Mara (Jr)
F: Trevon Bluiett (Jr)/Kaiser Gates (So)/Tyrique Jones (Fr)
SG: J.P. Macura (Jr)/Malcolm Bernard (Sr)
G: Myles Davis (Sr)/Quentin Goodin (Fr)
PG: Edmond Sumner (So)
Gone: C-James Farr, C-Jalen Reynolds, SG-Remy Abell, PF-Makinde London (transfer-Chattanooga), PG-Larry Austin (transfer-Vanderbilt)
Strengths:
The Musketeers possess a four-headed monster on the perimeter led by playmaking point guard, Edmond Sumner. The 6-5 redshirt sophomore made a huge impact for Xavier last season and is surrounded by sharpshooting wings, Trevon Blueitt (who figures to be in the discussion for Big East Player of the Year), Myles Davis, and J.P. Macura.
When those guys get hot from the outside, the Musketeers can put points on the board in a hurry. A pair of newcomers should add depth to that group led by Florida A&M grad transfer, Malcolm Bernard. Freshman Quentin Goodin is a combo guard who should also see spot minutes when Xavier basketball coach Chris Mack goes deeper to his bench.
Question Marks:
James Farr and Jalen Reynolds provided a potent, physical 1-2 punch at center last season but Farr graduated and Reynolds made a silly decision by entering the NBA Draft a year early and ended up not getting selected. That leaves a huge hole inside and Mack will rely heavily on Norfolk State transfer, RaShid Gaston.
He was a double-double machine as a junior posting 18 games with double digit points and rebounds but takes a big time step up in his level of play. Sean O’Mara serves as the backup big man and should see an increased workload,
Xavier basketball Player to Watch:
With his size, length, and athleticism, Sumner can be electrifying at times when attacking the basket. Though his outside shooting still needs work, he has caught the attention of NBA Scouts and could end up being a lottery pick if he shows more consistency with his jumper. His ability to get to the basket will be extremely beneficial since he should be surrounded by knockdown shooters.
X-Factor:
Like Gaston, Bernard faces the challenge of adjusting from a low major conference to the Big East. Bernard averaged 14.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season and can play anywhere from the two to the four. On a team that lacks experienced depth, his addition and versatility helps Xavier immensely.
Looking Ahead to 2017-18 Xavier basketball:
Mack already has three players committed from the 2017 class including top 100 small forward, Naji Marshall. Xavier will lose three valuable seniors and could take a bigger hit if Sumner and/or Bluiett decide to leave school early.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/17 vs. Missouri (Puerto Rico Tip-Off)
11/18 vs. Clemson/Davidson (Puerto Rico Tip-Off)
11/20 vs. Oklahoma/Tulane/Northern Iowa/Arizona State (Puerto Rico Tip-Off)
11/26 vs. Northern Iowa
12/3 at Baylor
12/7 at Colorado
12/10 vs. Utah
12/17 vs. Wake Forest
1/26 at Cincinnati
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Milwaukee to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet (Yup, repeat champ… #humblebrag), and finished with the second most accurate 2013 NBA Mock Draft (nearly a three-peat.) You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.