Busting Brackets
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Xavier Basketball: Musketeers 2022-23 season preview

By Josh Mullenix

Xavier head coach Sean Miller speaks during his introduction to Xavier fans, Friday, March 25, 2022, at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati.Sean Miller 011
Xavier head coach Sean Miller speaks during his introduction to Xavier fans, Friday, March 25, 2022, at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati.Sean Miller 011 /
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KyKy Tandy Xavier Musketeers (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
KyKy Tandy Xavier Musketeers (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Key Reserves for the Musketeers

Guards

Desmond Claude

Claude is the first of two 6’5 guards coming in as part of the Xavier recruiting class. Claude has great size for a point guard and can score at all three levels with a developing jump shot. He should be on the list of players at Sean Miller’s disposal that can be versatile on the perimeter. With point guard play being a question mark heading into the season, Claude should be able to carve out a consistent role quickly as one of the first guys off the bench.

Kam Craft

Craft is another incoming freshman. What does he do well? He scores. He has a smooth jump shot with a nice mid-range game. Craft should factor into Xavier’s shooting threat this season, just how much is the question. But, of course, anybody who walks into college as a 6’5 guard with a jump shot has a chance to factor into the equation. How much he plays might end up depending on how good this next guy is this year.

KyKy Tandy

Xavier fans are patiently waiting for Tandy to follow up his All-Big East freshman performance in 2019-20. He didn’t really improve in the COVID season and then got five games into his junior year before missing the rest of it due to a stress fracture in his leg. Assuming he can stay healthy, he should provide a spark in the scoring department off the bench. But his health is far from a foregone conclusion at this point.

Forwards / Bigs

Jerome Hunter

Hunter began his career at Indiana before transferring back to the state of Ohio last year. His relatively productive offensive year as a sophomore didn’t follow him to Xavier. He shot just 21 percent from beyond the arc and 32 percent from the field. In theory, he provides a different type of depth as a forward from the other bigs on the roster.

Dieonte Miles

The starting frontcourt is more than proven, the depth is anything but. Miles appeared in 18 games last season, starting nine of them but played just 8.7 minutes per game. He’s bouncy and a promising shot blocker averaging almost a block per game in limited minutes the last two seasons. He’ll be asked to provide depth as a rebounder and rim protector

Cesare Edwards

Edwards played in 15 games last season averaging 5.7 minutes per game as a freshman. Sean Miller has said he likes both of these players and both should see more playing time in 2022-23.