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NCAA Basketball: Ranking teams in the 2019 Charleston Classic

By Mychal Hunter

CINCINNATI, OHIO - FEBRUARY 24: Tyrique Jones #0 of the Xavier Musketeers celebrates after the 66-54 win over the Villanova Wildcats at Cintas Center on February 24, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - FEBRUARY 24: Tyrique Jones #0 of the Xavier Musketeers celebrates after the 66-54 win over the Villanova Wildcats at Cintas Center on February 24, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TN – MARCH 18: Goodin #3 of the Musketeers dunks. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN – MARCH 18: Goodin #3 of the Musketeers dunks. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

2. Xavier Musketeers

The Musketeers will head into the 2019-20 season as possibly one of the most overlooked teams in the country. For one reason or another, there is little hoopla for a team that returns a quartet of double-digit and 125 starts in the 2018-19 season. They were only 19-16 overall, but there is something to be said for continuity.

The group of returnees is led by 6-foot-7 swiss army knife Naji Marshall. While Marshall put up nice counting statistics on the season he was not very efficient in doing so. In fact, of the 14 players in the Big East who played 900 minutes and averaged 14 points or more, Marshall was the only one to shoot below 40% from the field. Now, that regression could be due to adjusting to a new head coach as Marshall was far more efficient during his freshman campaign. That question will be answered soon enough. Regardless, Marshall is talented.

Also returning are senior point guard Quentin Gooden (11.0 points, 4.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds), guard Paul Scruggs (12.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists), and forward Tyrique Jones ( 11.3 points, 7.7 rebounds 0.9 blocks), all of which started at least 26 games last season.

Second-year head coach Travis Steele will also be welcoming a quintet of talented freshmen. The most highly regarded of which, combo guard KyKy Tandy, is sure to be a fan favorite. Tandy is a highflyer who plays with tremendous aggression and athleticism. Dahmir Bishop will also provide quality guard depth while a trio of frontcourt first-year guys will vie for time either behind or beside Jones. One to look out for is Norcross, GA product Daniel Ramsey. He may not be as highly regarded as other big men in his class, but the 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward runs the floor well, displays good hands, and loves to punish the rim.

This Charleston Classic field sets up pretty perfectly for Coach Steele’s squad to make some early noise in the season and solidify themselves as a top 25 team. Early-season wins over Connecticut and possibly Miami or Florida would be nice resume starters as the Musketeers attempt to get back into the NCAA tournament.

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