Xavier Basketball: Dahmir Bishop adds to talented 2019 class

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CINCINNATI, OH – FEBRUARY 17: Xavier Musketeers fans react as the team takes the floor before a game against the Villanova Wildcats at Cintas Center on February 17, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Where does Xavier go from here?

Xavier still has two open scholarships for the 19-20 season, but I think they will only use one of them on a 2019 recruit. Even though the Musketeers have secured a commitment from 2020 four-star guard Dwon Odom, they seem to be looking for a PG in this year’s class. This guard will join a veteran backcourt and playing time will be sparse in his first season. Goodin will be a senior and Scruggs will be a junior so the depth chart will open up by the time the 2019 guard is a junior.

The most likely candidate for this spot seem to be Jalen Gaffney. Gaffney is visiting Xavier on September 29th, but may move the visit up. The other three schools he is visiting and considering are UConn, Clemson, and St John’s. Unfortunately for Xavier, this will be a tough competition to land Gaffney as all three schools really need a lead guard. Shelton Mitchell (Clemson) and Jalen Adams (UConn) are graduating after this year and Shamorie Ponds (St. John’s) could leave early for the NBA.

The Musketeers have also been mentioned with a trio of top 100 talents, wing Brandon Newman, SG Harlond Beverly, and combo forward Robbie Beran. Given the current state and depth of the roster, I’d expect all three players to eliminate Xavier from consideration, unless a key player unexpectedly transfers.

Next. Analyzing Xavier's 18-19 Rotation. dark

Bishop is a great get for Xavier and the Musketeers beat out other strong programs like URI, Florida, VCU, Providence, and Penn State. URI will likely take this loss the hardest as Bishop was their top overall target and was seen as the favorite until very recently. Bishop will certainly be worth tracking over the next few seasons.