This may be just the beginning but things didn’t quite go according to plan at Xavier last season. Richard Pitino’s first season leading the Musketeers didn’t result in a massive turnaround at all. Xavier went just 15-18 and tied for last place in the Big East standings. A busy first offseason saw Pitino and his new staff build a roster that just didn’t do enough.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a similar act in his second offseason at the helm, with a significant exodus of talent both through graduation and the transfer portal. We will note that the Musketeers do return a very notable piece in Jovan Milicevic, who put up 12.4 points per game as a sophomore and will be even more of a backbone in the lineup next season, especially as the team yearns to replace so much lost production.
A pretty solid recruiting class includes 4-star point guard Kalek House and 3-star forward Asher Elson, but it’s all about how this new mix of transfers comes together in Cincinnati. Former LSU big man Michael Nwoko will certainly play an important role in the frontcourt while Tru Washington, the former Miami guard, looks equally important in the backcourt. Xavier added five players who averaged double-figures last season, and certainly expect something out of players like Ruben Dominguez out of Texas A&M.
The most important and highest-rated transfer of the group is Chance Westry and the Musketeers are certainly hoping for big things from him. He’s a 6-6 point guard originally from central Pennsylvania who has had quite the wild ride in college ball. A former Top 40 prospect, Westry barely saw the floor at Auburn, then sat out a year and played only a few minutes at Syracuse. This past season at UAB was the first time we really saw him in action.
Westry showed his potential as a starter for the Blazers, averaging 15.5 points and 5.5 assists per game, garnering Second Team All-American honors while leading that conference in assists. He did considerable work on the offensive end both as an interior scorer and distributor and showed potential on defense as well. He now slides into a major role leading this new-look Xavier lineup while likely running the point full-time.
Last season Xavier just didn’t have the right mix of talent and the Musketeers fell short of many expectations. This time around Pitino and company are hoping that they have the pieces to be competitive in the Big East. Having a leader at the point like Westry is important, though it’ll be interesting to see if he can be just as valuable as a Big East guard.
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