The Xavier Musketeers will be back in the Cintas Center Friday night when they host the Kent State Golden Flashes in their third and final exhibition of the season. This is a game that Xavier should win, and it’s a great opportunity for head coach Richard Pitino to experiment and continue to learn new things about the team. Here’s what we are looking for Friday.

What to Expect from Xavier

Junior transfer guard Ruben Dominguez will continue to shoot the ball from deep, as shown by his 15 attempts through two exhibitions.

Returning junior Jovan Milicevic will continue to be a heavy source of offense. Through two exhibitions, he’s got 29 combined points.

Returning fifth year Filip Borovicanin to step-up into a leadership role.

As a team, Xavier will continue to let it fly from deep. Last week they shot 27 threes in their win over Tennessee.

Redshirt sophomore Gabriel Pozzato will continue to shake off his rust, improving his game each time he steps on the court. His explosiveness and versatility were on full display last week in Knoxville and he should continue to display that Friday night.

Some guys will play a larger role than they are set to play in the regular season, as Xavier could be short multiple guys, such as the freshman duo of Kalek House and Asher Elson.

LSU transfer Mike Nwoko will continue to be dominant down low when he plays. However, he has to stay on the court without fouling.

What We’re Watching for:

Can Mike Nwoko begin to show some improvement and stay on the court more than he has the first two games?

Will freshman guard Kalek House play after missing the game against Tennessee?

Will Nikos Chitikoudis continue his large role he played against Tennessee? How about Rolyns Aligbe?

Can Chance Westry take control of this offense like many expected? His defense has to improve before that can occur.

How will Filip Borovicanin fit into the Musketeers after a week of adjustment?

Will Xavier carry over their hot shooting against Tennessee?

Playing against a lesser opponent, will Xavier be able to lessen their turnovers?

Projected Starting Five

Guard: Chance Westry

15.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 5.5 APG at UAB last season

Guard: Ruben Dominguez

10.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.4 APG at Texas A&M last season.:

Guard: Tru Washington

11.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.8 APG at Miami last season

Power Forward: Jovan Milicevic

12.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.4 APG at Xavier last season

Center: Mike Nwoko

13.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 0.8 APG at LSU last season

Look at the Golden Flashes

Kent State is led by head coach Rob Senderoff, who is entering his 16th year with the Golden Flashes. In the MAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, they are projected to finish fourth in the conference.

They added numerous players through the transfer portal this offseason, those being Minnesota guard Chansey Willis Jr, ETSU guard Jaylen Smith, Fordham forward Christian Henry, Eastern Michigan transfer Godslove Nwabude and Portland forward Cameron Williams. Smith won SoCon Sixth Man of the Year last season, showing his potential at a mid-major level. Willis played limited minutes at Minnesota, but thrived at Western Michigan in the 2024-2025 season, averaging 16.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 5.8 APG. Henry averaged 10.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 5.1 APG at Fordham last season. Nwabude averaged 5.4 PPG and 5.5 RPG last season at EMU. Williams put up 10.6 PPG and 4.6 RPG at Portland.

As most of the country is, the Golden Flashes were heavily reliant on the transfer portal this offseason.. Key returners for the Flashes include guard Jamal Sumlin, forward Latif Diouf and guard Quinn Woidke. The trio mixes retention and continuity with new faces and talent for head coach Senderoff.

Projected Starting Five

G Quinn Woidke

G Chansey Willis Jr. – Preseason All-MAC First Team

G Jamal Sumlin

F Christian Henry

F Cameron Williams

The Golden Flashes are a respectable team, which is perfect for the Musketeers to learn and experiment with their roster Friday night. Sansom Sports Media will have in-person coverage all game. Look for our Live Blog around 30 minutes before tipoff!

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