Travis Steele isn’t letting COVID-19 or the loss of his two top players lower his expectations for next season.
Speaking Monday on the College Hoops Today Podcast, Steele made it extremely clear what he expects from Xavier in the immediate future.
“We want to compete for a Big East championship (next season),” Steele said when asked what his expectations were for the upcoming year. “I told the guys last week when they got back to campus that I don’t want to wait — I want it now. I think we’ve got the talent to do it.”
Xavier lost its top two scorers and rebounders — Naji Marshall and Tyrique Jones — from last year’s team that finished 19-13. Steele does return four players — Paul Scruggs, Jason Carter, Zach Freemantle, and KyKy Tandy — who averaged 18.5 minutes or more last season.
If the Musketeers are going to surprise people and emerge as a top tier team in the Big East, their newcomers are going to have to have a major role.
Xavier will add three freshmen in Dwon Odom, C.J. Wilcher, and Colby Jones along with a graduate transfer from Gardner Webb in Nate Johnson. 6-8 forward Bryan Griffin also transferred to the Musketeers from Mercy College (Division II).
Steele added that Xavier has filed a waiver with the NCAA for Hampton transfer Ben Stanley to gain immediate eligibility for the upcoming year while Belmont transfer Adam Kunkel will redshirt.
All of the Musketeers’ newcomers were brought in to address two specific areas — rebounding and shooting.
“Nate Johnson shoots the crap out of the ball,” Steele said. “C.J. Wilcher shoots the ball at a high level. Colby Jones shoots the ball at a high level. We were not a great shooting team last season. Our workouts look much different right now.”
Xavier shot 31.2 percent from three-point range as a team last season and was projected sixth in Monday’s Big East Preseason Power Rankings.
