Xavier basketball notebook: Observations from the Musketeers as fall practice continues

Twenty-two practices remain for Xavier men's basketball before they welcome Robert Morris to the Cintas Center for the season-opener on Nov. 6.

After wrapping up Thursday morning, Xavier has completed eight of its allotted 30 fall practice sessions before the regular-season tips off. Here are observations from a new-look roster looking to live up to the high expectations set from last year's Sweet 16 run.

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Dayvion McKnight is running the show

When describing guard Dayvion McKnight during Monday's Victory Parkway Preview, Xavier head coach Sean Miller was interrupted by Fox Sports Broadcaster Jason Benetti, who said, "you have that coach's smile on your face" when talking about the Western Kentucky transfer.

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"I love the way he plays. He’s the quintessential two-way player: point guard, runs the show," Miller said.

McKnight has run the show so far for Xavier and is destined to be the key facilitator for a Xavier team that ranked 10th in the country in scoring (80.9 points per game) last season, albeit with a veteran group. McKnight has shown off the skills that made him a 1,000-point scorer and three-time all-conference selection at WKU, controlling the tempo of the offense, finding the open man and scoring in traffic at the rim with an array of crafty finishes.

Balance in the backcourt

Desmond Claude may be one of the lone returners to the Musketeers, but it isn't the same guy who averaged 4.7 points over 35 games off the bench last season as a freshman. On Monday, Miller said Claude has made the biggest jump going into this season and would be able to "score easier." It's been an accurate forecast based off of Claude's performance this offseason.

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The sophomore wants the ball in his hands and has shown the ability to score from the outside or attack the hoop and take on defenders at the rim. Two months ago, Claude was the team's leading scorer in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League and has continued his offensive aggressiveness with the eagerness to hit the tough jumper with a hand in his face or connect from the perimeter. He was only 12-of-41 from beyond the arc last season but expect those percentages to jump exponentially.

Speaking of the three-pointer, transfer Quincy Olivari was the all-time leader in triples at Rice and he'll make his mark from distance when he suits up for the Musketeers. The Atlanta, Georgia-native is not just a lethal deep threat, though. He's shown he can attack off the dribble, split a double team and pull-up with an effective mid-range jumper, as well.

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Freshman guard Trey Green, who Miller called, "one of the best shooters in the country," is another perimeter threat who seems comfortable running Miller's fast-paced attack.

The newest newcomers

In less than three months, a Xavier roster with hefty turnover received even more first-year Musketeers with the international additions of forwards Lazar Djokovic (Serbia) and Gytis Nemeiksa (Lithuania) and center Sasa Ciana (Slovenia).

How have they looked? Nemeiksa was the only one of the international transfers to play in the Bahamas, scoring seven points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Djokovic, who committed to Xavier Aug. 11, likes to play above the rim and will likely have a few emphatic dunks to send Cintas Center into a frenzy this season. He brings the same active style on the defensive end, commonly using his length to deflect and break up entry passes. Ciana has been with Xavier less than a month and is still finding his way in the offense, but natural ability at his size (6-foot-9, 240 pounds) helps in physical rebounding battles down low.

Finding the forwards

In the frontcourt, Xavier is trying to replace Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter. Where will the minutes go? North Texas transfer Abou Ousmane told The Enquirer in July about learning the importance of defense, and it's translated so far this offseason. Ousmane is routinely challenging at the rim, grabbing boards and altering shots when he can't swat them. Ousmane may not light up the stat sheet on offense, but his presence will go beyond the box score.

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You can still see the rawness of freshman Kachi Nzeh's game from a footwork standpoint and arsenal of offensive moves, but it's hard to deny that he's one of the hardest workers on the court with great leaping ability and hands.

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Freshman forward/guard Dailyn Swain looks like a different player in the fall compared to this summer. Swain is arguably the most athletic player on the roster but appeared to be taking a cautious approach in his first few weeks on campus. Over the last two weeks, Swain's athleticism has been evident when driving to the rim or leaping for a lob and finish at the bucket. He's even stepped outside and been a threat from the perimeter in spots.

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Previewing the 2023-24 Xavier Musketeers

The annual Musketeer Club season preview show is Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Hofbrauhaus in Newport, Kentucky. Xavier Hall of Famer Byron Larkin and Andy MacWilliams will preview the 2023-24 Musketeers.

Doors open at 5 p.m. and the analysis of the team will begin at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $12 for Musketeer Club members and $15 for non-members. Attendance is limited to the first 100 reservations and no reservations will be accepted after Oct. 20.

X-Men Baseball Camp

The X-Men Baseball Camp, featuring current Xavier University baseball players Tyler DeMartino, Jonathan Kelly, Matt Deprey and Jarred Cushing, is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 29 at Hayden Field from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The camp, which is for ages 7-14 and costs $79 (includes camp t-shirt and autograph session), will focus on helping players develop their hitting, fielding and base running skills. To sign up, email Mark Fields at allstarcamps.kyoh@gmail.com or call 513-365-0115.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Xavier basketball: Observations from 2nd week of fall practice