After a disappointing 17-14 finish a year after a Sweet 16 birth, the Musketeers look to rebound and return to the NCAA Tournament. The Musketeers will no longer be playing in the A-10. The team is moving to the newly formed Big East with the Catholic 7, which includes Georgetown, Villanova, and Marquette. Gone from the Musketeers will be Travis Taylor, Jeff Robinson, and Brad Redford, but Xavier should be much improved from last season. Chris Mack could start to be on the hot seat if he cannot make the tournament in his 5th season. Xavier has a new Athletic Director who could be looking to eventually make a change if the Musketeers do not have success next season. Mack has an impressive 90-44 record, but needs to make the next step deeper than the Sweet 16 with a talented unit. Mack should follow Butler's road map to make that final push into the Elite Eight and Final Four.
Xavier returns an emerging stud in sophomore point guard Semaj Christon. Christon was the A-10 Rookie of the Year and will only get better after averaging 15.2 points and 4.6 assists per game. Christon will have the green light to create his own offense next year. He should be in the NBA in the next 2 seasons once he adds some weight. Dee Davis and Isaiah Philmore will be solid contributors to the team, but these two upperclassmen cannot carry a team like Christon has the ability to do. The wild card in the returning players group is Justin Martin. Martin, who averaged about 8 points and 4 and a half boards last year, will be a junior and has the pedigree to develop into a Derrick Brown or a BJ Raymond. He has a smooth jumper and was a top 100 recruit out of high school. Martin needs to become more consistent to reach that potential.
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