Xavier Basketball: Breaking down Musketeers 2024-25 non-conference schedule

Year Three for Sean Miller at Xavier begins this fall, with Miller hoping his third act goes better than his second. After a surprisingly successful debut in 2022-23, the Musketeers fell down the Big East totem pole last season, finishing 9-11 in the league and below .500 overall. However, considering the injuries and adversity Xavier had to deal with throughout last season, the step-back was an understandable one.

The prognosis for 2024-25 looks much better for the Musketeers, at least on paper. Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter, both of whom were expected to play key roles on the team, were lost for the season before things even had a chance to get rolling, robbing Miller of two cornerstones of his roster. Both are back, as is floor general Dayvion McKnight, providing a nice core that Miller and staff built around in the portal.

Boise State transfer Roddie Anderson and Marcus Foster from Furman will join the roster alongside big man John Hugley and Lassina Traore, bolstering an already strong Musketeer frontcourt. Hugley is on his third program after previous pit stops with Oklahoma and Pittsburgh, while Traore makes the jump to power conference ball after coming over from Long Beach State.

The blend of holdovers and incoming transfers may need some time to gel, but it looks to be a core that will have Xavier back in the mix for a return to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year hiatus. And now, with their non-conference schedule unveiled earlier in the week, the Musketeers have a better idea of what they need to do early on to begin building an NCAA Tournament resume.