Big East Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2021-22 season
480. . . . Musketeers . 2. team
2020-21 season record: 13-8 (6-7)
The Musketeers were devastated by the constant covid pauses and went from being a top-25 team and 8-0 to out of the NCAA Tournament picture. The good news though is that they bring back just about everyone back, with the exception of forward Jason Carter.
That includes star forward Zach Freemantle, who averaged 16.1 ppg and 8.9 rpg on 51% shooting. He had several 20+ point games, including a 30 and 15 game against UConn. Two other double-digit scorers are back in Paul Scruggs and Nate Johnson, who each elected to use a 5th year.
There are five other role players coming back that averaged between 6-8 ppg, including rising sophomore guards Dwon Odom and Colby Jone. Sharpshooter Adam Kunkel and Kyky Tandy add instant production and Benjamin Stanley will be back after playing just four games after dealing with injuries. The 6’6 wing averaged 20 ppg while at Hampton so if he can be a double-digit scorer for Xavier, they’ll have more than enough firepower to win at a high level next season.
The Musketeers also solved their potential frontcourt depth issues with incoming transfers Jack Nunge from Iowa and Jerome Hunter from Indiana. They’ll take some pressure off of Freemantle inside and add versatility to create various lineups as well.
There’s no excuse for Xavier not to be in the top-3 of the Big East next season with how much talent they have on the roster. They just now have to get it all clicking at once and consistently throughout the season.