The Xavier Musketeers handled business Tuesday night against the Detroit Mercy Titans, picking up an 100-55 win to start the season 3-0. This was the final tune-up for the Musketeers before their duel with the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Our full game notes can be found here:

The Positives

Mike Nwoko was a dominant force tonight, putting up a game-high 17 points on 8/9 shooting and 5 rebounds in just 17 minutes of play. Possibly most importantly, he only committed three fouls. One of those fouls was a technical after he believed he was fouled on an alley-oop attempt. When he gets going down low, Mike is brings a presence that Xavier hasn’t seen since Tyrique Jones roamed the paint.

Kalek House led the charge in the second half, putting up 16 points and 3 assists. This was his best game of the young season. Kalek is not a starter for the Musketeers. If he can continue to bring that energy off the bench, it will provide a big boost for Xavier. Despite being a freshman, he has played with the poise of a veteran so far. He had just 1 turnover tonight.

Detroit Mercy had 17 turnovers in the game, 15 of those were steals by the Musketeers. Tru Washington and Kalek House had 3 each. The Musketeers had a whopping 29 points off of turnovers. Plus, 28 fast break points. Transitioning from defense to offense will be a key factor for Coach Pitino’s squad as they look to continue pushing the pace throughout the year. t

Nikos Chitikoudis put up 6 points and just 10 rebounds in 15 minutes of play. Having someone who can come off of the bench and grab double-digit rebounds is a huge piece for the Musketeers. Especially as Mike Nwoko struggles with fouling at times.

Tru Washington continued his role of glue guy Tuesday night, putting up 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. The Musketeers were slowing down near the end of the first half, until Tru came alive. He propelled the Musketeers to a strong close and helped bury the Titans. .

The Negatives

The Musketeers did not shoot the ball well beyond the arc, shooting just 22.9%. Xavier is a team with numerous sharpshooters, meaning they need these shots to go down. Against Detroit Mercy, it’ll pass. Against Mississippi State, it won’t. Ruben Dominguez continues to look for his shot, he was visibly frustrated at times when his shot rimmed out tonight. As they say, “shooters shoot”; he doesn’t appear to have lost any confidence in his shot.

Filip Borovicanin didn’t have his best game, going for 5 points while shooting 2/8 from the field, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. While this isn’t a “bad” line, it was below his typical production levels. He will have to be back on his game for the upcoming stretch.

The Musketeers shot 63.2% from the charity stripe. That’s not an efficient rate for a high-scoring basketball team. This is two games in a row we’re calling this out. For example, Kalek House drew a foul while shooting a three. He missed all three free throws. Free throws will win, or lose the Musketeers multiple games as the schedule strengthens up.

Looking Ahead

The Xavier Musketeers are set to face off with the Mississippi State Bulldogs Friday night in West Virginia, this is the first major test for both teams.