Xavier Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Musketeers

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 16: Head coach Chris Mack of the Xavier Musketeers reacts in the second half against the Maryland Terrapins during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Amway Center on March 16, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

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ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 16: Head coach Chris Mack of the Xavier Musketeers reacts in the second half against the Maryland Terrapins during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Amway Center on March 16, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Coming off an appearance in the Elite Eight last season, what is in store for Chris Mack and Xavier basketball during the upcoming 2017-18 campaign?

The “new” Big East has quickly risen over the past few years into one of the best conferences in college basketball. It may not be grouped with the “Power-5” football conferences, but the Big East has produced a National Champion in the Villanova Wildcats and has consistently sent multiple great squads to the NCAA Tournament. For Xavier basketball, they are one of the top programs in this elite conference.

Last season, the team had high hopes as one of the top teams nationwide thanks to their sensational duo of Trevon Bluiett and Edmond Sumner. With a talented core around them, there were hopes of a deep NCAA Tournament run as a potential top-10 team in the country. Yet, these dreams seemed to be dashed with Sumner went down with an ACL injury in late January.

Even though the team won their next three games after Sumner’s injury, they entered a rough patch after that, losing a staggering six games in a row (this also included two games without Bluiett). Nonetheless, the team finished the regular season and conference tournament strong enough to be awarded a No. 11 seed in the Big Dance.

Behind top-notch play from Bluiett, Xavier basketball got “hot” at the right time. After taking care of No. 6 seed Maryland in the first round, the Musketeers completely dismantled the No. 3 seeded Florida State Seminoles by 25 points. After squeaking by No. 2 seed Arizona, Xavier had made the deep run the program was hoping for in the preseason. Although the team fell to No. 1 seed Gonzaga in the Elite Eight, it was a very successful season.

For this upcoming campaign, expectations are once again very high for head coach Chris Mack. He returns the majority of his team from last year and they have the ability to potentially compete with Villanova (and Seton Hall) for the Big East title. Let’s take a quick peek at their starters, key reserves, schedule, and a general overview of their expectations.