Team preview: Xavier

Editor's Note: ESPN Insider has teamed with Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook to provide a comprehensive look at all 326 Division I teams. To order the complete 25th anniversary edition of Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, visit www.blueribbonyearbook.com or call 1-866-805-BALL (2255).

(Information in this team report is as of October 1.)

Something strange happened in A-10 country in 2004-05: Xavier didn't earn a postseason tournament invitation for the first time in nine years.

Perhaps we shouldn't have been all that surprised as Xavier had a new head coach (Sean Miller succeeded Thad Matta, who bolted for Ohio State) and Miller inherited an inexperienced roster with no returning double-figure scorers. This year, it looks like Miller's team is well stocked enough to start a new streak of postseason trips. Miller welcomes back all five starters, including four double-figure scorers.

"There is more of a known quantity about this year's team than there was a year ago," Miller said. "The unknown a year ago extended throughout the season. We had a lot of different parts come together. This year, there will be more consistency in terms of defined roles. There is also a lot of competition for playing time, a lot of competition for starting roles."

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Email
• Subscribe