Xavier's big men have struggled this season. Can freshman Kachi Nzeh provide a spark?

Before he became a three-star recruit, Xavier freshman Kachi Nzeh was playing NBA 2K with his brother, hoping to get a better grip on the game, its rules and terminology. They would shoot hoops in a trash can in the backyard.

Fast forward just a few years, and Nzeh might be the missing ingredient Xavier needs to make the NCAA Tournament.

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The 20-year-old forward has been glued to the sideline for the majority of his inaugural collegiate season but was practically the only bright spot in Xavier's overall lackluster performance in an 88-70 road loss to Seton Hall Wednesday.

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With Xavier facing a 20-point first-half deficit and 5:25 left until the intermission, head coach Sean Miller turned to Nzeh. who had played a combined 15 minutes in the previous 13 Big East games.

Nzeh, whose season-high in minutes was 10 against Purdue back on Nov. 13, played 20 minutes and was the only Musketeer with a positive +/- (3). He finished with 8 points on 4-of-6 shooting, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

Xavier's offense, which stumbled in the opened half with a slew of missed shots (9-of-27) and turnovers (10), shot 55.2% from the field over the final 20 minutes and won the second half, 45-41. Nzeh was a big part of that offensive turnaround, scoring Xavier's first half-dozen points in the second half.

After the game, Miller, who can fill up a tape recorder with the best of them, saved his only extensive answer for singing the praises of Nzeh.

"One of the things tonight really revealed is Kachi's ready for an opportunity," Miller said. "Obviously, in hindsight, maybe we wished we would've given it to him a little bit earlier."

Miller has been close to giving Nzeh a shot before. Out of the blue, Nzeh checked in during crunch time of Xavier's 66-65 loss at Villanova Jan. 3 and grabbed an offensive rebound in his first possession. Miller hinted at an increase in minutes, but Nzeh didn't play again for 25 days, logging nine minutes near the end of a blowout loss at No. 1 UConn.

But Nzeh has stayed ready the entire time and Wednesday's performance in New Jersey was evidence of that.

"Obviously, in hindsight, maybe we wished we would've given it (opportunity) to him a little bit earlier," Miller said. "To his credit, as a young player, he's continued to work, have a great attitude and progress. He's probably more ready for that opportunity now than he was two months ago. It was great to see him do what he did tonight."

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Xavier's frontcourt has struggled this season

Xavier men's basketball entered the season with question marks down low.

The Musketeers suffered season-ending injuries to two starting forwards in Jerome Hunter and Zach Freemantle in the offseason, meaning Xavier would have to learn on first-year, inexperienced Musketeers.

Freshman Lazar Djokovic was a breakout candidate for his athleticism and size at 6-foot-10. Djokovic added 20 pounds of muscle to bulk up for the Big East, but he hasn't been able to put it together when given an opportunity. Djokovic, who missed the start of the season with a hand injury, started four games but couldn't stick around in the lineup. He's averaging just 2 points per game and shooting 27.1% from the field.

Gytis Nemeiksa has been a starter for the majority of the year, but he and centers Abou Ousmane and Sasa Ciani have not been consistent. Ousmane has struggled with foul trouble all season and was benched in the second half of the loss to Seton Hall, playing just eight minutes.

Over the last two games, Ousmane has just 2 points (1-of-9 shooting) and 2 rebounds in 27 minutes. Xavier's given up 88 points in the paint in that stretch.

Nzeh is still a raw talent given his inexperience, but Xavier's in dire need of help down low. Nzeh's biggest problem when he first started on the hardwood was controlling his speed as a former Junior Olympic champion in the 400-meter dash. Nzeh might have too much energy at times, but his sprinter's mindset could allow him to aid a Xavier team desperately hanging onto the NCAA Tournament bubble.

"Giving him an opportunity could freshen us up in and around the basket," Miller said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Is freshman Kachi Nzeh the answer to Xavier's struggling frontcourt?