Here’s where Xavier Musketeers were picked to finish in Big East Conference

NEW YORK CITY − A lot can change in college basketball. For proof, just look at the Xavier Musketeers.

Seven months after being knocked out of the Big East Tournament quarterfinals by UConn in a 27-point blowout, Xavier is back at Madison Square Garden for Media Day expected to be in contention for a conference title this season.

Wednesday marked the unofficial start to the college basketball season at “The World’s Most Famous Arena.” Optimism for each program was accompanied by polling projections and all-league selections with the season less than two weeks away.

Xavier men’s basketball was picked to finish third in the Big East preseason coaches’ poll.

The Big East preseason poll has been hit or miss during the second edition of the Sean Miller era. In 2022, Xavier was picked to finish second in the league, and they did just that, going 27-10 and reaching the Sweet 16. Last season, Xavier checked in at sixth in the poll and finished ninth.

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The jump to the No. 3 spot stems from Xavier’s work in the transfer portal. The league’s coaches are believing in Miller to get the Musketeers back into March Madness with a reloaded roster. At this time last year, Xavier was trying to get a team full of first-year players ready for the college basketball grind. Now the Musketeers have two frontcourt returners in Jerome Hunter and Zach Freemantle from that Sweet 16 run, as well as several impact transfers through the portal and a pair of sophomores (Dailyn Swain, Trey Green) who were thrown into the fire last year.

Freemantle and returning point guard Dayvion McKnight were selected to the preseason All-Big East second team while Indiana State transfer Ryan Conwell was selected to the third team. Freemantle was Xavier’s lone preseason all-conference selection last season, earning an honorable mention nod despite being sidelined for the year.

Jerome Hunter (2) is back for Xavier this season after…

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Author : The Enquirer

Publish date : 2024-10-23 13:39:00

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