Busting Brackets
Fansided

Xavier Basketball: Myles Davis reinstated to program Sunday

By Carmine Carcieri

Mar 20, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard Myles Davis (15) reacts during the first half of the second round against the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard Myles Davis (15) reacts during the first half of the second round against the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Xavier basketball is getting a key piece to the puzzle back on Sunday, as Myles Davis will be reinstated.

Chris Mack’s Xavier Musketeers are currently ranked 16th in the country in the latest AP Poll. However, they’ve played the entire season without a key contributor and leader.

Related Story: Five reasons why Xavier will win it all

On Sunday, the Musketeers will officially reinstate senior guard Myles Davis after he served an indefinite suspension in relation to two criminal charges. Davis was suspended over the summer after being charged with disorderly conduct (he pled guilty) and property damage in a pair of incidents with his ex-girlfriend.

Davis did not participate in the team’s offseason practices and missed Xavier’s first 15 games of the season.

https://twitter.com/_mdavis15/status/817868081502584832

Last season, Davis averaged 10.8 points, 4.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 0.9 steals, while shooting 40 percent from the field overall, 38 percent from long range and 85 percent from the free throw line. He was one of the leaders on an Xavier team that earned a number two seed in the NCAA Tournament, and he provided depth and toughness in the backcourt next to Edmond Sumner.

More from Xavier Musketeers

This season, things are expected to be a little bit different. With Xavier already halfway through the season, Davis is going to have to earn a role with the roster and will have to play a secondary leadership role next to Sumner, Trevon Bluiett and others who have been with the team since day one.

However, Davis does give the Musketeers a different dimension. He gives Mack an extra ball handler that he can pair with Sumner, which helps take pressure off of the sophomore point guard. Davis can play on or off the ball, initiating the offense or knocking down open threes from the perimeter.

On defense, Davis is tough and aggressive. He doesn’t have the physical attributes or tools of Sumner (he’s not speedy or long), but he plays with a high IQ.

Meanwhile, this is perfect timing for the Musketeers, as they get set to deal with arguably their toughest stretch of the season. They will travel to Villanova on Tuesday night before taking a trip to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon to battle Butler. Then they host 10th ranked Creighton and Georgetown before battling Cincinnati in a rivalry game on January 26.

While Quentin Goodin has been a solid back-up point guard, he’s still a freshman and doesn’t give the Musketeers much from beyond the three point line. Davis hasn’t played in a while, but he is a calming presence that they could use in these type of games.

Next: Best Bets for Saturday conference play games

The Musketeers went 13-2 without Davis, and they’ll likely get that much more dangerous in Big East play with him in the lineup. Xavier has a chance to be a top 15 team for the rest of the season if Davis capitalizes on his opportunity to gain back his role.