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Xavier Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Musketeers

By Jerran Anderson

CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 09: The Xavier Musketeers logo on the floor before a college basketball game against the Oklahoma Sooners on December 9, 2020 at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 09: The Xavier Musketeers logo on the floor before a college basketball game against the Oklahoma Sooners on December 9, 2020 at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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Xavier Basketball head coach Travis Steele Xavier Musketeers Basketball Practice
Xavier Basketball head coach Travis Steele Xavier Musketeers Basketball Practice /

Xavier basketball had an interesting time in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic during the 2020-21 season. They began the year 11-2 before going 2-6 across their final eight contests, finishing with an underwhelming 13-8 record.

As things get back to a sense of normalcy, it looks like NCAA Tournament or bust for head coach Travis Steele and company. Paul Scruggs and Zach Freemantle are back as are the other three starters from last year’s group. Their experience along with some key additions in the frontcourt should allow this squad to compete for the Big East basketball title.

Jack Nunge (Iowa), Jerome Hunter (Indiana), Cesare Edwards, and Elijah Tucker will give them some quality frontcourt players to work with alongside Freemantle, Dieonte Miles, and Ben Stanley.

Freemantle returns as the team’s leading scorer (16.1 ppg) and rebounder (8.9 rpg) from a season ago and Scruggs is the unsung playmaker for this group after leading the way with 5.7 apg and with both leading the way, Xavier basketball should be very good in 2021-22.

It’s easy to understand early frustrations with this year’s AP Preseason Top 25 poll as the Musketeers found themselves on the outside looking in on the preliminary rankings, but it should only be fuel to the fire for this squad.