A week into the transfer portal, Xavier has emerged near the top of the portal rankings.
With several high-end additions, along with departures that Xavier can manage, the Musketeers are assembling a quality class this offseason.
Xavier Is Winning the Transfer Portal This Offseason
Despite finishing in the tenth spot of an eleven-team conference, Xavier is preparing for a turnaround this offseason. The Musketeers added three 4-star-rated players via the portal. Per On3, the ranking is excellent: third in the country. Although there are still two weeks left in portal play, Xavier’s big moves have already made a giant impact on the roster depth.
Receiving two guards and a forward so far, the 2026-27 roster looks promising for the Musketeers. Xavier is also looking forward to adding Kalek House. The 4-star, son of Eddie House, pledged his allegiance to the Musketeers in September.
Portal Ins & Outs
Richard Pitino and Xavier have experienced a plethora of roster changes this week. They’ve scored big so far in transfer portal additions.
Their first commit came in the form of Michael Nwoko. Nwoko, a center from LSU, averaged 13.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Xavier will be his fourth team in four years. Friday and Saturday saw Xavier land two more high-profile names. Ruben Dominguez came first, out of Texas A&M; he averaged 10.2 points and 1.4 assists as a guard last season for the Aggies. Tru Washington followed immediately after. He enters after an impressive junior season at Miami (FL), where the guard helped the Hurricanes make the NCAA tournament and finish 24th in the AP poll.
Four players from last season’s roster are departing. Big names that have entered the transfer portal include Roddie Anderson III and All Wright. Last season featured high production from the pair. Anderson scored just under 11 points a game, while Wright contributed 7.5 points and 2.0 assists.
Thankfully, the incoming talent is set to help cover their portal losses, and then some.
Key Returning Talent
With the transfer portal giving way for very turbulent roster shuffles, it’s a great feeling when a team gets confirmation that talent is staying for another season. Xavier has been fortunate this offseason with two players coming back. Jovan Milicevic confirmed last month that he is returning for his junior year and second season with Xavier. The forward returns after a dominant campaign, averaging 12.4 PPG and draining 67 three-pointers; his return is massive for the Musketeers.
Also returning is Gabriel Pozzato, who was sidelined due to injury last season. Pozzato averaged nearly 15 PPG as a freshman for the University of Evansville. Retaining him is a big win for the Musketeers, who are excited to see how he does in his first year playing for them.
Xavier’s Expectations
With three high schoolers and four transfer players joining the roster next season, expectations are high. Pitino knows the stakes, and with their early offseason success, they hope to change Xavier’s standings. While teams like Seton Hall and Providence have struggled to find their footing in the portal, Xavier’s wins hope to be impactful in conference play and the standings.
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