Big East Basketball Power Rankings: Butler, DePaul keep rising

Xavier has been just fine to begin this season and it’s hard to complain too much. Even though the Musketeers have dropped out of the AP top-25, they are still 8-1 on the year and ranked at No. 27 in KenPom. There should be no doubt about the idea that Xavier will be an NCAA Tournament team this season on the back of its tremendous defense. While the Musketeers might not be exceeding expectations so far this year, it is important to state that they haven’t necessarily underachieved, either. They’ve just been fine, going about their business against a relatively mediocre non-conference schedule.

With all of that said, though, it feels as though the Musketeers still have a shot at reaching their ceiling this season. Their defense is already outstanding and both Naji Marshall and Tyrique Jones have the ability to dominate with their finishing in the paint. There are always several areas to improve for every team in the country, but Xavier’s most-pressing concern continues to be a lack of 3-point shooting. The Musketeers are shooting just 27.8% from beyond the arc this season (312th nationally) and that is hurting their entire offense.

If, though, the team somehow catches fire from three, possibly behind the return of freshman sharpshooter KyKy Tandy, they will be a very difficult team to beat. Xavier’s defense is one of the best in the country and they feature an exceptionally balanced roster…if they are able to knock down perimeter jumpers with any consistency. It might not be fair to constantly harp on the same weakness every single week in these rankings, but it is the one thing that is holding Xavier back right now.

Due to Xavier’s defensive play, the team’s floor is quite high and they can be a consistent threat to win games. Their ceiling, though, depends on offensive improvements – which appears to be the opposite of most teams in the conference.