Xavier
Last season: 29-6, lost to Florida State in second round of NCAA Tournament.
Nickname: Musketeers.
Coach: Travis Steele.
Conference: Big East.
Who's gone: Coach Chris Mack (Louisville), guard Trevon Bluiett, guard J.P. Macura, forward Kerem Kanter, forward Kaiser Gates, forward Sean O'Mara.
Who's back: Junior point guard Quentin Goodin (8.7 point per game) is Xavier's most experienced returning player and will be one of the team's leaders, along with sophomore forward Naji Marshall, who started 18 games last season. Marshall averaged 7.7 points and is Xavier's most diverse offensive player. Forward Tyrique Jones (7 ppg, 4.5 rebounds) is counted on to play a bigger scoring role on the front line. Sophomore guard Paul Scruggs (4.9 ppg) also moves into an expanded role.
Who's new: Three graduate students. Forward Zach Hankins set school records for blocked shots and field goal percentage at Ferris State. Guard Ryan Welage set the school record for 3-pointers in three seasons at San Jose State. Guard Kyle Castlin is a team captain after coming over from Columbia, where he averaged 10.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
The Skinny: Xavier is in a transition season with a new head coach and a significantly different roster. The Musketeers lost five of their top seven scorers including Bluiett, who averaged 19.3 points per game. Xavier was ranked as high as No. 3 last season, won its first Big East regular season title and got its first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before blowing a 12-point lead and losing in the second round. Steele was Mack's top assistant and moved up when Mack went to Louisville.
Expectations: Las Vegas oddsmakers have Xavier as a long shot to win the NCAA Tournament at 120-1, on par with Louisville, St. John's and Butler. Defending national champion Villanova is one of the top favorites at 10-1.
