Xavier Basketball: Why Ryan Conwell is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

In his first season back at the helm of Xavier, Sean Miller led the Musketeers to 2nd place in the Big East and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen. Last year was his second season and it certainly fell short of expectations. The Musketeers finished under .500 and limped to an 8th-place finish in their conference, with the offense taking a measured step backwards. What exactly is in store for Miller’s third season at the helm?

Among the talent from last year, top scorer Quincy Olivari is in the NBA while talented guard Desmond Claude transferred to USC. A few other important left town, though the Muskeeters do have two very valuable players coming back. Dayvion McKnight enters his final collegiate campaign looking to become the impact scorer, having done that previously at Western Kentucky. Xavier also gets Zach Freemantle back after the feisty frontcourt talent missed all of last season with injury.

Xavier also cast a wide net in the Transfer Portal and lured a few intriguing players to Cincinnati. The backcourt grew with a pair of mid-major shooting guards, nabbing Marcus Foster from Furman and Dante Maddox Jr. out of Toledo. The Musketeers added both talent and experience in the frontcourt, landing Lassina Traore after nice play at Long Beach State and a pair of power conference forwards in Cam’Ron Fletcher and John Hugley IV.

There are varying levels of expectations for these new pieces, though Ryan Conwell certainly shines as the brightest of the group. A 6’4 guard originally from Indianapolis, Conwell spent his freshman season doing decent work at South Florida before transferring to Indiana State last offseason. That decision proved excellent as Conwell became a major part of Indiana State’s standout season. He himself earned Second Team All-MVC honors after averaging 16.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists a game.

Conwell wasn’t the biggest name among that talented crew of Sycamores, but his contributions were unforgettable. He made nearly 41% of his 3-pointers, 61% from inside the arc, and more than 85% from the charity stripe. Conwell was one of the most dynamic shooters and offensive players in the MVC and figures to transition decently well into life in the Big East. He’s an all-around talent who figures to take on a major role at Xavier this year as a junior.

As we previously mentioned, McKnight does return for the Musketeers, so they won’t need Conwell to come to town and immediately be the lead guy. Instead they form a potent backcourt, especially if both can maintain their standing as hot shooters. A lot for Xavier depends on what they get out of the frontcourt, especially with Freemantle’s injury woes and plenty of new faces, though they could have one of the best backcourt duos in the entire league.

Only so much can change in a single offseason, though Xavier has made some proactive moves to hopefully get themselves back into that NCAA Tournament conversion. In a Big East filled with talent, the Musketeers have certain potential. Do the new faces in town live up to that potential and get Xavier back to the Big Dance? Can Conwell have another elite shooting season and be that key cog?