Big East Basketball: Vital questions facing the conference for 2018-19

2. Who takes the biggest leap for Xavier?

Similar to just about every other Big East team, Xavier lost a ton of talent this offseason, including star player Trevon Bluiett and head coach Chris Mack (now at Louisville). However, these two were not alone in departing. In fact, the team also had to bid farewell to J.P. Macura, Kerem Kanter, Kaiser Gates (professional pursuits), and Sean O’Mara. Now, with these players gone and Travis Steele now at the helm of the program, Xavier basketball is entering a brand new era.

So, who will be the face of the first season under the new regime?

When looking ahead to this upcoming season, there is no clear-cut answer to this question. Due to the fact that Xavier does not return a single double-digit scorer from last season, it will be interesting to see who takes the offensive reins this season. Thankfully, though, there are a few options in regards to players who could lead the team in scoring this season.

At the forefront of these scorers will likely be junior Quentin Goodin (8.7 points, 4.9 assists) and sophomore Naji Marshall (7.7 points). These are the top returning scorers from last season and were just underclassmen a year ago. With an entire offseason to develop since the end of this past season, both players could be poised for big years. In my opinion, Marshall will be the one who emerges as the leading scorer on the team and a potential All-Big East player but Goodin could be the engine that drives the team due to his playmaking ability.

In terms of potential dark horses to lead the Musketeers in scoring, both Tyrique Jones (7.0 points) and Paul Scruggs (4.9 points) might be in for breakout seasons now that they will take on more offensive responsibility. With these four players running the show, head coach Travis Steele will have enough talent to compete for an NCAA Tournament bid. Still, in order for this to happen, someone will have to lead the way.