The Xavier Musketeers took on the Tennessee Volunteers Thursday night in Knoxville, where they picked up an 86-70 victory. This was a promising performance for the Musketeers, as Tennessee has been garnering major national attention this offseason for their portal class.
In case you missed it, we did a live blog with thoughts throughout the game. Find it here:
The Positives
Senior guard Tru Washington is a true facilitator on offense. He got the start tonight at point guard, and he was able to do a great job overall. He carried his own weight with scoring with 10 points. The real highlight of his game were the 12 assists he put up. Washington was finding his guys all night long, keeping the Musketeer offense moving throughout. Through two exhibition games, we view Tru as a “glue guy” for Xavier who may be becoming a star before our eyes. Post-game, coach Pitino mentioned that Tru has been asking to play the point guard for “years”. He finally got the opportunity and took full advantage of it.
Fifth year forward Filip Borovicanin was back on the court for the Musketeers. His performance was nothing special, going for 3 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Despite that, just seeing him back on the court was a promising site for Xavier fans. Suiting up and playing in a game on such short notice certainly has an effect on one’s play style. He will continue to improve over time. Having a returner on this team who has been through the absolute grind that is the Big East is overwhelmingly positive.
Redshirt sophomore forward Gabriel Pozzato continues to shake off his rust, putting up 11 points and 5 rebounds in 25 minutes for Xavier. He flashed his athleticism multiple times throughout the game, showing what he will be at full strength for X. As the regular season gets closer, he will get closer and closer to his normal self.
Junior guard Ruben Dominguez continues to shoot the ball extremely well despite his slow start, going 4/9 from three. On top of that, he grabbed 5 boards. The junior continues to show us that he is a knock-down shooter who will play scrappy and fight for every ball that goes his way.
Senior forward Nikolaos Chitikoudis put up a team-high 17 points, showing significant strength and poise down low. Seeing him step up and lead the Xavier front court after Nwoko left the game was a great notion to the Musketeers’ depth.
Xavier grabbed 13 offensive rebounds, which produced significant second chance opportunities around the rim. This was a promising look, as the Musketeers struggled to rebound the ball at times last season. Overall, this year’s squad has looked much improved through two exhibitions. Rolyns Aligbe was dominant on the offensive glass, pulling down 4 offensive boards. In his first action this season, his physical traits stood out and he was able to make an impact from his first possession.
Aligbe and Chitikoudis have to step up in the rotation consistently throughout the year, especially as Mike Nwoko continues the foul trouble trend that has plagued him throughout his career.
The Negatives
Senior forward Mike Nwoko fouled out after just ten minutes of game action. In those minutes, he was able to put up 6 points and 4 rebounds, showing his potential to be an offensive force. Despite that, he wasn’t able to stay on the court very long. He needs to work on his defensive discipline, or the Musketeers could be depleted down low this year.
Senior guard Chance Westry is yet to fully show his potential as the Musketeers’ lead. In 15 minutes, he put up 4 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. After the exhibition with Dayton, head coach Richard Pitino said he believed Chance had the potential to be one of the best point guards in the nation. Musketeer fans are still waiting to see that full potential on the court.
Xavier had a total of 17 turnovers in this game, while Tennessee only had 14. Winning the turnover battle is critical throughout the season, but early in the season, it’s not surprising to see sloppy play.
Looking Ahead
Next Friday (Oct. 23), the Musketeers will host the Kent State Golden Flashes in their final exhibition of the year. Sansom Sports Media plans to have game coverage and will be dropping multiple exciting pieces next week!