Busting Brackets
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Xavier Basketball: Examining the Musketeers 2018 and 2019 recruiting classes

By Daniel Benjamin

ST LOUIS, MO - MARCH 18: The Xavier Musketeers mascot performs during the game between the Weber State Wildcats and the Xavier Musketeers in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Scottrade Center on March 18, 2016 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO - MARCH 18: The Xavier Musketeers mascot performs during the game between the Weber State Wildcats and the Xavier Musketeers in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Scottrade Center on March 18, 2016 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /
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Steele still has some work to do to finish off his first two recruiting classes.

Xavier went 29-6 last season and won the Big East regular season for the first time in program history. It was the Musketeers 18th regular season crown overall. The Musketeers win total was their most since 2007-08. But, they were bounced in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years.

Xavier lost five players last year to graduation including stars Trevon Bluiett and JP Macura. The Musketeers did bring in five newcomers for the 2018-19 with three being transfers and two freshmen.

All three transfers are expected to make an immediate impact. 6-foot-9 forward Ryan Welage is the top newcomer. Welage, who set a SJSU record with 161 career 3-pointers, averaged 18.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 2017-18 for the Spartans a year ago.  He shot 46.1% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc while knocking down two a game last season.

Kyle Castlin and 6-foot-11 Zach Hankins are also expected to have major roles. Castlin, a 6-foot-3 guard, contributed 10.3 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 49.6% from the field for Columbia in 2017-18. In the meantime, Hankins previously played at Ferris State where he was named the 2018 Division II Player of the Year and the division’s NCAA Tournament MOP last year.

6-foot-4 Keonte Kennedy and 6-foot-7 small forward Dontarius James are the Musketeers remaining 2018 recruits. Incoming freshman center Jake Walter didn’t enroll in school for the start of the semester per SBNation.

Therefore, Xavier will have 10 scholarship players in 2018-19. All three of the incoming transfers have just one year of eligibility remaining and the Musketeers have already received commitments from three players for next season. Meaning that the Musketeers are projected to have three more scholarships available for the 2019-20 season.

Steele will likely focus on improving the team’s frontcourt depth in filling the remaining three scholarships. As current junior Tyrique Jones along with 2019 recruits Freemantle and Ramsey are the only three frontcourt players projected to be on next year’s roster.

According to the Musketeers Report, Xavier is interested in 2019 big men Robbie Beran (Richmond, VA), Aidan Igiehon (Woodmere, NY), Zeke Nejri (Hopkins, MN), CJ Walker (Orlando, FL), Jaylin Williams (Nahunta, GA), Trae Jackson (Wichita, KS), Tre Mitchell (Woodstock, CT), Jalen Thomas (Detroit), Quinn Slazinski (Huntington, WV), Robert Jones (Prior Lake, MN), Chase Paar (Ellicott City, MD), Jalyn McCreary (Acworth, GA), and Dieonte Miles (Walton, KY). Beran is reportedly the only big man on the team’s “high priority list”.

Others on the Musketeers’ 2019 “priority list” includes four-star combo guard Harlond Beverly, three-star combo guard Jalen Gaffney (Westtown, PA), four-star combo guard David Johnson (Louisville, KY), four-star combo guard Dahmir Bishop and 6-foot-4 shooting guard Brandon Newman (Montverde, FL).

dark. Next. Preseason Big East Rankings for 2018-19

Xavier is also expected to have at least four more scholarships available for the 2020 campaign. The Musketeers have 18 open offers to players that are high school juniors. Four-star point guard Caleb Love (Saint Louis, Mo.), as well as four-star shooting guard Zeb Jackson (Maumee, OH), are believed to be the team’s top targets.