5 storylines from Xavier's Victory Parkway Preview of men's, women's basketball teams

Speaking with Fox Sports' Jason Benetti Monday night at the Victory Parkway Preview event, Xavier head men's basketball coach Sean Miller started by thanking the fans for providing such a home court advantage at Cintas Center.

"It something that is the lifeblood of many things here at Xavier and it's something we all really appreciate," Miller said.

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He added that the Musketeers are going to need a big-game atmosphere at each home contest because of all the new pieces on the team. While the roster's turnover is one of the main storylines of the 2023-2024 club, Miller touched on a wide range of topics to preview this season. Benetti, who also serves as a Chicago White Sox announcer, talked with Miller, Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman, women's head coach Billi Chambers and Xavier Vice President/Director of Athletics Greg Christopher.

Here are the highlights.

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Xavier will look different as the season progresses

When will Xavier's team that includes 10 new players gel? You shouldn't expect it right away, which isn't necessarily a problem. Xavier will be tested in the non-conference schedule with marquee matchups against Purdue, Houston, Cincinnati, Washington and either San Diego State or St. Mary's. The early parts of the regular-season slate will be a period of growth.

"What we can't lose sight of is whoever we are at the beginning of November, we have to be different and better by the end of November," Miller said.

Miller said there will naturally be ebbs and flows of the season with a new-look roster and a difficult schedule, but the Musketeers have potential if they come out better on the other side.

"I believe we can become a team that nobody wants to play, that hits our stride at the right time of the year and goes on to have a unique, magical season," Miller said.

NCAA Tournament is the goal

Miller said he most enjoyed the several players on the team finally getting a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament last year. It was a proud moment when, in front of a large Cintas Center crowd, Xavier was announced as a No. 3 seed on Selection Sunday.

"Their hunger and desire to make it happen; it was fun to be a part of," Miller said.

Miller said moving forward, reaching the NCAA Tournament is the goal, eventually leading to a program with sustained success.

"If you keep getting there, it's amazing how all of a sudden you end up being in the Final Four or that Elite Eight playing for the Final Four," Miller said. "You can't get to the Final Four if you're not in the tournament. I think that's something we understand and we're working to build."

Miller searching for talent across the globe

With forwards Jerome Hunter and Zach Freemantle out, Miller and company quickly got to work this summer to round out a roster of fresh faces.

To do that, the Xavier brass went into the international pool and landed a trio of frontcourt prospects in forwards Lazar Djokovic (Serbia), Sasa Ciani (Slovenia) and Gytis Nemeiksa (forward). It was a philosophy Miller stressed when he was interviewing to return to Xavier.

"We are dedicated on our staff, in particular (assistant coach) David Miller," Miller said of their interest in finding international talent. "I think it's something that has to be a full-time thought process and job. You have an ingredient that this game is international now."

Desmond Claude and the 'big jump'

It took just two exhibition games in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League in Nassau, Bahamas, to see a different Desmond Claude. The sophomore guard was aggressive running the show on offense for the Musketeers in two wins, scoring a team-high 43 points on 16-of-27 shooting with 12 boards and three assists.

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"I think he's made the biggest jump of anyone who's on our team," Miller said of Claude, who worked this summer to put on muscle after landing on the Big East All-Freshman Team. "I think he has a chance to be a really terrific player as a sophomore."

As expected, Miller said transfer guards Quincy Olivari (Rice) and Dayvion McKnight (Western Kentucky) should round out the starting backcourt. Olivari will be Xavier's top shooting threat and McKnight is the "quintessential two-way player," according to Miller.

Billi Chambers takes over Xavier women's basketball program

Xavier named Billi Chambers as the ninth head women's basketball coach in program history in April. Chambers is trying to rebuild a program that has had just two winning seasons since going to the NCAA Tournament in five straight years from 2007-2011.

"The foundation is the most important," Chambers said Monday. "You take your time with the foundation; you take your time with implementing everything on and off the court. We want to make sure that when we put our product on the floor, we're really proud of what we do."

Chambers said the program will look to take advantage of the local talent in Cincinnati. She added two Cincinnati natives to her staff in recruiting coordinator Myia Johnson (Winton Woods) and assistant coach Brianna Sanders (Princeton).

"This is a hotbed of talent for women's basketball. We want to do a strong job of recruiting local student-athletes, being present in our local community and bringing in extremely talented players − keeping them home."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Highlights from Xavier's Victory Parkway Preview of basketball teams