Last season: 29-6, lost to Florida State in second round of NCAA Tournament.
Who’s gone: Coach Chris Mack (Louisville), guard Trevon Bluiett, guard J.P. Macura, forward Kerem Kanter, forward Kaiser Gates, forward Sean O’Mara.
Who’s back: Junior point guard Quentin Goodin (8.7 point per game) is Xavier’s most experienced returning player and will be one of the team’s leaders, along with sophomore forward Naji Marshall, who started 18 games last season. Marshall averaged 7.7 points and is Xavier’s most diverse offensive player. Forward Tyrique Jones (7 ppg, 4.5 rebounds) is counted on to play a bigger scoring role on the front line. Sophomore guard Paul Scruggs (4.9 ppg) also moves into an expanded role.
Who’s new: Three graduate students. Forward Zach Hankins set school records for blocked shots and field goal percentage at Ferris State. Guard Ryan Welage set the school record for 3-pointers in three seasons at San Jose State. Guard Kyle Castlin is a team captain after coming over from Columbia, where he averaged 10.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
The Skinny: Xavier is in a transition season with a new head coach and a significantly different roster. The Musketeers lost five of their top seven scorers including Bluiett, who averaged 19.3 points per game. Xavier was ranked as high as No. 3 last season, won its first Big East regular season title and got its first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before blowing a 12-point lead and losing in the second round. Steele was Mack’s top assistant and moved up when Mack went to Louisville.
Expectations: Las Vegas oddsmakers have Xavier as a long shot to win the NCAA Tournament at 120-1, on par with Louisville, St. John’s and Butler. Defending national champion Villanova is one of the top favorites at 10-1.
CINCINNATI (AP) — With a senior-laden team, Xavier won its first Big East regular season championship and got its first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. A second-round loss abruptly ended everything and began a transition that’s still in progress entering the new season.
Coach Chris Mack left for Louisville and was replaced by Travis Steele , his top assistant. Five of the top seven scorers are gone, including Trevon Bluiett, who averaged 19.3 point per game. And the Musketeers find themselves with a lot of newness as they open the Steele era.
No matter who was the head coach, the Musketeers would have been expected to take a step back because of the turnover from their 29-6 season. Their top three scorers were seniors Bluitt and J.P. Macura (12.9 points per game) and graduate transfer Kerem Kanter (10.9).
What’s left is a roster with limited experience in Xavier’s system. Three graduate transfers will fill it out, but they have to get used to playing a different style.
NEW LEADER: Goodin was among the players who lobbied for Steele to get the head coaching job, providing stability in the program. Steele is staying with Xavier’s offensive and defensive systems, though tweaking them to account for the significant roster change. Goodin said Steele has kept most things the same.
TRIO OF GRADUATE TRANSFERS: Forward Zach Hankins set school records for blocked shots and field goal percentage at Ferris State. Guard Ryan Welage set the school record for 3-pointers in three seasons at San Jose State. Guard Kyle Castlin is a team captain after coming over from Columbia, where he averaged 10.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. All three are counted upon to play significant roles during their one season at Xavier.
YOUNGER LEADERS: With no seniors who came up through Xavier’s program, the Musketeers are counting on Goodin, junior Tyrique Jones, and sophomores Naji Marshall and Paul Scruggs to provide more leadership as the newcomers learn their way.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Xavier’s defense slipped last season, often allowing teams to go on long runs that got them back into games. The perimeter defense was a problem in particular. Steele has tweaked the Musketeers’ man-to-man defense to try to get more turnovers and transition baskets.
NEW BIG EAST LOOK: The top two teams in the league have undergone significant roster changes — Xavier the regular-season champion and Villanova the national champion. With those two teams in transition, there’s room for others to rise up in the league, especially in the early going.