{"id":52588,"date":"2023-08-18T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2023-08-18T12:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=52588"},"modified":"2023-08-17T14:39:15","modified_gmt":"2023-08-17T18:39:15","slug":"xavier-basketball-preview-2023-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2023\/08\/18\/xavier-basketball-preview-2023-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Xavier Basketball Preview 2023-2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Big East Conference looks to be one of the best in college basketball, and Xavier Basketball has a chance to make things interesting. With a new roster that has successful players, Xavier could compete well in the Big East.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Xavier Basketball Preview 2023-2024<\/span><\/h2>\n

Background on Xavier<\/span><\/h3>\n

Xavier had an impressive season in 2022-2023. The Musketeers went 27-10, with a 15-5 Big East Conference record. Finishing second in the Big East, they lost in the\u00a0<\/span>Conference Championship<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0<\/span>Marquette<\/span><\/a>. With their success, they went into the NCAA Tournament as a three-seed. While they made a nice run, Xavier lost in the Sweet 16 to Texas. Their season was a success in\u00a0<\/span>Sean Miller’s<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>first year back in Ohio.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Areas of Success<\/span><\/h3>\n

Offense<\/span><\/h4>\n

Xavier was one of the better offensive teams in the country. They were\u00a0<\/span>16th in offensive efficiency<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in 2022-2023, producing 1.09 points per possession. Additionally, the Musketeers were 5th in overall field goal percentage in the country at 49.2%. They were also first in the\u00a0<\/span>Big East<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in field goal percentage and points per game. Fair to say, offense was the strength of this basketball team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Areas of Weakness<\/span><\/h3>\n

Defense\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

While they produced one of the best offenses in the country, Xavier did not yield as\u00a0<\/span>good of a defense<\/span><\/a>. They were 166th in defensive efficiency last season, according to team rankings. They were also 9th in the Big East. Their struggle came from the fact that they were second to last in the Big East at defending the three.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Structure of Their Team: Key Returners<\/span><\/h3>\n

Zach Freemantle<\/span><\/h4>\n

Xavier loses five of their six scorers from a year ago but retains<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Zach Freemantle<\/span><\/strong><\/a>. Freemantle had a foot injury, that kept him sidelined for much of the season. However, he is healthy and produces when he is on the court. Averaging 15.2 points and 8.1 rebounds, Freemantle is a dominant inside-out threat for the Musketeers. Furthermore, Zach is incredibly efficient. Last season, Freemantle shot 58.5% from the field and 63.6% from three-point range. In a season marked with uncertainty because of their losses, Xavier still has Freemantle. Nevertheless, Zach must stay healthy and show better production on the defensive end.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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