Xavier Musketeers make final list for 2 NCAA transfer portal targets

The NCAA transfer portal is on fire right now with over 700 college basketball players searching for a new opportunity elsewhere.

From the Xavier perspective, the Musketeers lost seven scholarship players to the transfer portal, along with walk-on Brad Colbert. Since freshman Lazar Djokovic entered the portal March 28, Xavier's roster rebuild following a 16-18 season has been quiet.

Xavier's added just one player via the portal so far in Furman guard Marcus Foster. Could that be changing soon? Xavier has reached out to several portal prospects. According to reports, Xavier has made the final lists for a pair of targets looking for a new school.

Dante Maddox Jr.

According to Sam Kayser of 24/7 High School Hoops, Maddox, a 6-foot-2 guard from Toledo, has Xavier among his final eight schools along with Louisville, Creighton, Oklahoma, Illinois, Kansas, TCU and Michigan.

Maddox is tabbed by 247Sports as a four-star prospect in its transfer rankings and the 57th overall player in the portal. Maddox has one year of eligibility left after playing four seasons with two different schools. The Chicago Heights, Illinois native started his career at Cal State Fullerton, where he started 20 of 39 games and averaged 8.9 points per game.

Maddox transferred to Toledo prior to his junior season. He was a double-digit scorer in both seasons with the Rockets, including a career-high 15.6 points per game last season to lead the highest-scoring offense in the MAC (80 points per game). Maddox added 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

What impact would Maddox have at Xavier?

It starts on the perimeter. On top of its departures in the portal, Xavier has to replace guard Quincy Olivari, who just set the school's single-season record for 3-pointers. Xavier's backcourt is its strength right now, but the Musketeers don't have an experienced, consistent shooter from beyond the arc with Olivari's exit.

More: Xavier's Quincy Olivari selected for All-Star Game at Final 4

Dayvion McKnight shot 37.2% from deep last season over just 86 attempts (2.5 per game), Desmond Claude is a 25.3% career shooter from downtown. He is looking to develop the long ball into a consistent part of his game along with freshman Trey Green, who shot 32.2% last season as a freshman, but has the ability to grow into a sharpshooter. Foster is a career 33.3% three-point shooter in four seasons at Furman and shot a career-low 29.7% from distance last season.

Maddox is a career 40.1% three-point shooter and ranked fourth in the MAC in made triples (2.3) per game last season for the Rockets.

Sam Alexis

The Musketeers are looking to add to their frontcourt and Chattanooga transfer Sam Alexis has narrowed his final list to five schools.

According to a Wednesday report from On3 Sports, Alexis has a final five of Xavier, Providence, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi State.

Xavier is not one of the two visits Alexis has scheduled for later this month, The Enquirer has learned.

Alexis entered the transfer portal on March 20 and has trimmed down a lengthy list of suitors, which included nearly two dozen programs.

In his first season as a full-time starter in 2024, the sophomore was one of four double-digit scorers (10.8 per game) while shooting 55% from the field for the Mocs, who finished 21-12. His big contributions came on the glass, though. The 6-foot-9 forward was fourth in the Southern Conference in rebounds per game (9.1) with nine double-doubles. Alexis also led the Southern Conference in blocks (2.1) and was named to the Southern all-conference and all-defense team.

What impact would Alexis have at Xavier?

Sean Miller has been a head coach for 19 seasons. In his weekly in-season radio show, he said last year's team was the 19th best at rebounding.

Far too often, Xavier was beaten on both the offensive and defensive glass. Xavier was tied for last in the Big East Conference in offensive rebounds allowed and ranked No. 176 in KenPom in rebounding. Alexis helped Chattanooga rank second in the Southern Conference in defensive rebounds (27.3) last season.

At some point, Xavier will add to its frontcourt given the big men its lost in the transfer portal. Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter will return, but the Musketeers lost five forwards (Kachi Nzeh, Sasa Ciani, Lazar Djokovic, Abou Ousmane and Gytis Nemeiksa) in the portal.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Xavier basketball makes final list for 2 NCAA transfer portal targets