Just one thing here: Xavier Basketball

Remy Abell, former Indiana Hooser, announced just hours ago that he will be transferring to Xavier. He'll have to sit out this coming season and then will have 2 years of eligibility.

While you might be asking why Xavier would want a guy who only played 12.5 min/gm last year, don't forget who else was on Remy's roster. The team was loaded with All American candidates and future NBA stars.

So that's the 3rd Musketeers reeled in this week! 2014 Detroit guard Edmond Sumner and 2013 Bulgarian forward Aleksandar Vezenkov were earlier this week before today's news of Abell.

The Muskies are on a roll! 

Chris Mack's quick trip to Europe between games a few months ago has paid off huge. Aleksander Vezenkov, a 6'8" forward from Bulgaria, committed to Xavier yesterday. AND he will be enrolling this fall and should be eligible immediately.

There has been some debate on his eligibility due to him playing on a pro team in Greece. He has never signed a pro contract or been paid to play for the team so he meets all NCAA guidelines regarding this issue.

Vez (much easier to write and say than his full name) will just be turning 18 this summer but has already played against some very good competition in Europe. Vez is a scorer and can shoot well for being 6'8". He's listed anywhere from 200 to 220 pounds; he'll certainly need to add to that in the weight room in his time at X.

The Xavier staff is looking great as they add one player after another. A guard at Indiana, Remy Abell, will likely make his decision on where he will transfer today. Word is that he is now down to just SLU and XU. He would have to this out this coming year and then would have 2 years of eligiblity at X.

Go MUSKIES!!!

Travis Steele and company reeled in a 2014 commitment from a Detroit-area point guard last night. Edmond "Skinny" Sumner" is a 6'2", 160 pounder who has just recently come up on big schools' radar. As a point guard, he'd be the likely man to fill in the shoes of Semaj Christon, should Semaj leave for the NBA after this coming season or next.

Credit Coach Steele & Xavier for finding Edmond early on and being the first college program to show interest in Skinny.

Sumner joins Melvin Swift as 2014 class is starting to shape up. There will be much more recruiting news this summer. Xavier's staff has been looking at possible transfers in as well as high school players. Expect the Muskies to keep delivering good news on this front!

I've heard about this through other Xavier alumni and thought I'd spread the word. A young man in Philadelphia is trying to raise money to attend his dream college, Xavier. He's been accepted but is in the foster care system and does not have the money to pay the balance due ($17,000) after financial aid. Last week this was mentioned on the Musketeer Madness and Xavier Hoops chatboards and since then the money raised has shot up from a just over a thousand to over $7,000 as of the morning of April 25th. I think and hope a lot of Xavier alumni are supporting this dream.

Read more about it and consider contributing here:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-dollar-and-a-dream?c=home

Good luck Marquise! Hope your dream comes true.

There's lots of time and practices before the season starts in November but here's a very, very early prediction for the starting 5 when the season starts.

Guard - JR, Dee Davis
Guard - SO, Semaj Christon
Forward - JR, Justin Martin
Forward - SR, Isaiah Philmore
Center - JR, Matt Stainbrook

Christon, Philmore, and Stainbrook were named team captains for this coming season which makes sense. I think all 3 will be big-time contributors on the floor this season. The reigning Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year, Christon, will have a year of experience under his belt and another summer of workouts and practice with his teammates. Hopefully knocking on the door to compete for a starting guard position will be Freshman Brandon Randolph. I say hopefully as I never expect a Freshman to start at Xavier. But, as we saw with Semaj last year, we know it's a possibility. Myles Davis, a red-shirt Freshman who was not eligible to play this past year, is a shooting guard who will have the tall task of trying to edge Dee, Semaj, and Brandon for playing time.

As far as the forwards and center go, a lot of XU fans are looking forward to getting redshirt Freshman Jalen Reynolds to play this season. Reynolds played on the same team as Michigan Freshman Mitch McGary last year and occasionally started ahead of McGary, an impressive feat. Reynolds has a huge wingspan and is very athletic. Transfer Chris Cantino will be eligible this year and, along with Freshman Kamall Richards, will likely be behind Justin Martin on the depth chart at the 3 spot. James Farr will hopefully see more of the court his Sophomore year but will certainly need to improve on the defensive end.

Walk-on Landen Amos and walk-on-turned-scholarship player Erik Stenger return for their Senior seasons. Both guys go all out on the court, making them tough to keep off the floor. But with Davis, Randolph, Reynolds, and Richards, Chris Mack will have many talented young options at his dispense this year so Amos and Stenger will have an uphill battle for PT.

Even if Stenger is awarded a scholarship this year, the Muskies still have one spot open for their 2013-2014 roster. There are lots of Division I players in the process of transferring right now so there are endless possibilities as to who could fill that spot, if anyone. We'll keep you posted.
 
Is it November yet??? GO MUSKIES!