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NCAA Basketball: 10 teams who need strong 2021 recruiting classes

By Trevor Sinodhinos

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 09: Head coach Patrick Ewing of the Georgetown Hoyas reacts in the second half during the game against the Marquette Golden Eagles at Fiserv Forum on March 09, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 09: Head coach Patrick Ewing of the Georgetown Hoyas reacts in the second half during the game against the Marquette Golden Eagles at Fiserv Forum on March 09, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OH – JANUARY 05: Xavier Musketeers mascot D’Artagnan the Musketeer (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – JANUARY 05: Xavier Musketeers mascot D’Artagnan the Musketeer (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Xavier Musketeers

Xavier Basketball and more importantly Coach Travis Steele need to prove they are a big-time team in a big-time conference. Some of that shine wore off when Chris Mack left Xavier to coach Louisville. Under Mack, Xavier made the tournament eight of nine years and never had a losing record in Big East play. In the two years under Steele, the Musketeers are 17-19 in Big East play.

Coach Steele’s first foray into recruiting to Xavier was successful with Ky Ky Tandy along with Dahmir Bishop signing their Letters of Intent on Nov. 16, 2018, putting the 2019 class in the top 30. The 2020 recruiting class itself is a top 25 in the nation, highlighted by No. 54 on the RSCI Dwon Odom and CJ Wilcher. With two top 30 classes the last two years, the main concern for the Musketeers is, included in the eight leaving before the 2021-22 season, are the only three who averaged double digits.

In addition, Coach Steele needs to prove he can bring in players and win with those players if he is ever going to get out of the shadow of Chris Mack that some Musketeer fans hold him in. There is little doubt that Coach Mack had success with Xavier, and now with Louisville. If Travis Steele is going to make Xavier his own, adding to Cesare Edwards (No. 100 per 247sports) in the 2021 class is essential.

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