There’s nothing like the start of a new season to make hope spring eternal.
The last time Xavier took the floor of the Cintas Center, the Musketeers suffered a 86-80 loss to No. 8 Marquettea fitting regular season finale in a year where Xavier was constantly knocking on the door of a decisive victory but could never finish the job.
But that was almost eight months ago. In the world of the NIL and the transfer portal, roster overhauls can be quick and a team that was below .500 and lost early in the NIT can quickly reload and aspire to a deep NCAA Tournament played on a only offseason.
This is where Xavier is as it opens the season Monday night at home against Texas Southern.
This one counts
Despite the Off-season loss of big man Lassina TraoréXavier remains a confident group with the weapons they have. The Musketeers were impressive in their handling of the Dayton Flyers on the road, 98-74, during a charity exhibition competition on October 20.
Xavier was picked to finish third in the Big East. But the days of offseason paper fodder for fans and basketball pundits are over and a quick start is imperative. Last season, Xavier went just 6-5 in non-conference with two blowout losses at home (Oakland, Del.) setting the tone for the program’s first losing season in nearly 30 years.
More: Xavier men’s basketball preview: Musketeers seek March Madness return with reloaded roster
Xavier vs. Texas South
Advice: Monday, 7:30 p.m., Cintas Center (10 224)
Television/Radio: FS1/55 KRC
Notes: Xavier is #34 in KenPom to start the year. Texas Southern is #284.
History: Two days before the Nashville Nightmare (when No. 1 overall seed Xavier was upset by Florida State) in the Round of 16 of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, top-seeded Xavier opened March Madness with a 102-83 win over Texas Southern at Bridgestone Arena. This is the only previous matchup between the two programs.
Note: Xavier has won 34 consecutive regular season openers.
More: Rankings: Who has the best college basketball program in Ohio? Xavier is #1 on UC, OSU
Texas Southern Tigers Scouting Report
Save: 16-17 (12-5 SWAC) in 2023-24
Head coach: Johnny Jones (106-90 at Texas Southern, seventh season)
Offense: 70.2 points per game (last season)
Defense: 71.1 points per game (last season)
Preview: Texas Southern had a streak of three straight NCAA Tournament appearances snapped last season after a 16-17 record. Head coach Johnny Jones still signed a three-year extension in April.
The Tigers lost both of their double-digit scorers from last season, but return fifth-year forward Grayson Carter (7.1 points per game last year), who began his career at Georgetown.
Texas Southern was picked to finish second in the SWAC while two players, Carter and Kenny Hunter, were preseason second-team all-league selections.
Projected programming
(Pos., Height, Stats last season)
Kavion McClain (G, 5’10”, 6.2 ppg at Abilene Christian)
Jaylin Jackson-Posey (G, 6’3″, 7 ppg at New Mexico State)
Alex Anderson (G, 6’6″, 11 points per game at Incarnate Word)
Kenny Hunter (F, 6’8″, 5.6 points per game)
Grayson Carter (V, 6’10”, 7.1 points per game)
Xavier Musketeers reconnaissance report
Save: 16-18 (9-11 Big East) in 2023-24
Head coach: Sean Miller (163-75 at Xavier, eighth season)
Offense: 75.9 points per game (last season)
Defense: 74.6 points per game (last season)
Projected programming
(Pos., Height, Stats last season)
Dayvion McKnight (G, 6’0″, 12.4 points per game)
Ryan Conwell (G, 6’4″, 16.6 points per game at Indiana State)
Marcus Foster (G, 6’5″, 17 points per game at Furman)
Dailyn Swain (V/F, 6’8″, 4.6 points per game)
Zach Freemantle (F, 6’9″, DNP)
More: “It’s pretty dark.” Zach Freemantle relishes his return to Xavier Musketeers basketball
Players to watch
Jerome Hunter
The wait is over for Hunter and Freemantle. After missing all of last season, the duo is expected to receive a warm welcome at the Cintas Center on Monday evening. Hunter will likely come off the bench, which is not a foreign role for the sixth-year forward. Hunter made just 15 starts in 2023, but became one of the key cogs in Xavier’s Sweet 16 run as he emerged as one of Miller’s best players at a critical point in the season.
Hunter’s defensive presence and rebounding ability are the focal points of Xavier’s production off the bench. Hunter and the rest of Xavier’s frontcourt are tasked with fixing the rebounding issues that were present all of last season.
Dayvion McKnight
McKnight was part of a backcourt trio last season that kept Xavier afloat for most of the season. McKnight actually led a high-profile Xavier team last season, but now has weapons everywhere at his disposal with Freemantle, Hunter and John Hugley IV down low and multiple scoring options at guard.
The keys to a Xavier victory against Texas Southern
Take care of the ball
Texas Southern’s offense has ranked no better than 221st in the nation in efficiency, according to KenPom, since 2019. Last year, the Tigers were a defensive-minded team that ranked ranked 64th in opponents’ effective field goal percentage.
It’s no secret that Xavier will pick up the pace every night. The key to doing this effectively is taking care of the basketball. Luckily for the Musketeers, McKnight was one of the best in the country (19th in assist-to-turnover ratio) at doing just that last year. If Xavier can avoid costly turnovers in the backcourt, they can find their scorers for quality looks on the other end.
Dominate the boards
With Xavier’s struggles on the board last season, this year’s club will be scrutinized from the start with its performance on the glass.
The opportunities should be there for Xavier to force several one-off possessions. Texas Southern was No. 10 in the SWAC last season in field goal percentage and one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country. Xavier’s ability to limit the Tigers to one shot per possession will decide whether they can come out on top in this game.
This article originally appeared on the Cincinnati Enquirer: Preview: How Xavier can earn a season-opening win over Texas Southern
