It’ll be Zach Freemantle’s last run with Xavier basketball and he’s hoping to go out in a historic way.
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Xavier basketball.
Coming off a losing season, Xavier basketball has some of the highest expectations heading into this season. The Musketeers return some talent from last year’s team, but the main deal is Zach Freemantle, who missed last season with an injury. The star forward, when healthy, is one of the best players in the Big East and can help Xavier basketball contend for a conference championship.
There’s plenty of talent to surround Freemantle, including point guard Dayvion McKnight. His return gives Xavier a massive boost in the backcourt.
But what really stands out about this team is the depth Sean Miller added in the portal. Dante Maddox Jr., Marcus Foster, and Ryan Conwell each averaged over 15 PPG at good mid-major programs, and John Hugley IV has IV years of power conference experience under his belt.
The Musketeers couldn’t avoid the injury bug, losing Lassina Traore for the season, but this team can still go 10 players deep and will force teams to play a full 40 minutes of basketball every time they step on the court.
Sean Miller’s had some pretty good teams in his coaching career, and talent-wise, this one might be close to the top.
Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Head coach: Sean Miller (3rd season at Xavier, 20th season overall)
2023-24 record: 16-18 (9-11)
2024 postseason finish: Lost to Georgia (78-76) in first round of NIT
Notable departures:
- Quincy Olivari (19.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.4 SPG, 40.9 3P%)
- Desmond Claude (16.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.1 SPG)
- Abou Ousmane (6.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.2 BPG)
- Gytis Nemeiksa (5.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 0.9 APG, 36.4 3P%)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Wake Forest (Nov. 16)
- vs. South Carolina (Nov. 25)
- vs. Michigan OR Virginia Tech (Nov. 27)
- at TCU (Dec. 5)
- at Cincinnati (Dec. 14)
Projected Rotation
PG: Dayvion McKnight (6-0, 190, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 12.4 PPG, 4.8 APG, 3.7 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 37.2 3P%
SG: Dante Maddox Jr. (6-2, 200, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 15.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 40.2 3P% (Toledo)
SF: Ryan Conwell (6-4, 215, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 16.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 40.7 3P%
PF: Zach Freemantle (6-9, 227, Gr.-Sr.)
*Missed 2023-24 season*
2022-23 stats: 15.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, 58.5 FG%, 63.6 3P% (14-22)
C: John Hugley IV (6-11, 270, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 8.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 54.8 FG%, 39.4 3P% (Oklahoma)
6: Marcus Foster (6-5, 215, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 17.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.0 SPG (Furman)
7: Trey Green (6-0, 168, So.)
2023-24 stats: 5.6 PPG, 1.1 APG, 1.0 RPG, 35.9 FG%
8: Jerome Hunter (6-8, 225, Gr.-Sr.)
*Missed 2023-24 season*
2022-23 stats: 7.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.3 APG, 57.5 FG%
9: Dailyn Swain (6-8, 220, So.)
2023-24 stats: 4.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.0 SPG
10: Cam’Ron Fletcher (6-7, 230, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 6.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 7 GP (Florida State)
Xavier Basketball team MVP: Zach Freemantle
I doubt Freemantle would have returned if he wasn’t promised to be the focal point of this year’s Xavier basketball offense. When healthy, he’s a whole lot to handle, playing with a unique blend of power and finesse. It was a shame he couldn’t see the floor last season, but he has the chance to go out on a high note.
With so many great players surrounding Freemantle – especially on the wing – it’ll give him a lot of space to to what he does best, which is post up on offense. He’s got a lot of moves around the hoop, and with the right spacing, it can put opposing teams in nearly impossible situations.
Of course, staying healthy is Freemantle’s biggest key, and also Xavier’s. In college basketball, you can’t afford to lose your star, so hopefully, it’s an injury-free season for the Xavier star.
Xavier Basketball make-or-break player: Trey Green
Green impressed as a freshman, even if he did post some slightly inefficient shooting numbers, at just below 36% from the field.
Still, Green had some nights to write home about, with 10 points against Purdue in his third-ever game, 10 against Saint Mary’s six days later, and a season-high 23 at Providence.
As the season wore on, Green’s double-digit performances became more spread out, but he showed the potential to be a microwave off the bench. There are a lot of proven mid-major scorers who transferred into Xavier, but he already has a year of power conference play under his belt. Don’t be surprised to see him compete for a lot of minutes and elevate the Xavier backcourt even more.
Key analytic: Offensive RPG
Last season, Xavier ranked 66th in the nation ripping down 11.8 offensive boards per game. This year, the return of Freemantle gives the Musketeers some hope to keep that same presence.
This does come with a caveat. Abou Ousmane led the Musketeers with an incredible 2.8 ORPG and he will be sorely missed. In fact, six of their top offensive rebounds from a year ago are gone. But Freemantle and Jerome Hunter should make up for part of what’s lost and Hugley was also a strong inside addition.
I’m not sure if they’ll be quite as good on the offensive boards, but for a team with a ton of depth in the backcourt, the frontcourt isn’t a sham either.
Xavier Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 5th in the Big East
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Exit