Man oh man. Some things in this beautiful life we live never get old. Striping a drive down the first tee, cracking your first beer to the start of a weekend, sitting down with old buddies and shooting the shit, and walking into the Cintas Center for the first game of the year. Tonight was therapeutic and exhilarating at the same time. The Cintas Center was ready, loud, and pumped to have another Sean Miller lead team on the floor. There was still a minor contact high from last year’s Sweet 16 run in the building and an almost entirely new roster was rolled out onto the floor for the first time.

The Musketeers faced off against the Robert Morris Colonials to kick off the season and were able to secure the 77-63 victory over the Pittsburgh foe. While achieving sky high accomplishments under Sean Miller in his first year back, this is a much different looking Xavier team than last year. Two. The number of returning scholarship players Xavier has returning from last year with Desmond Claude and Kam Craft both beginning their second seasons in the Xavier uniform. Kam is still getting into things after spending much of the offseason injured, a common theme for this Xavier team. Desmond Claude, man oh man, looked his part tonight. The sophomore guard finished with 25 points and was oozing confidence all night. He was getting to his spots, making the right plays, and plays staunch defense. There had been rumblings of Claude’s offseason and after tonight I understand why. People have been talking.. __ Team All Big East? I think so.

Much of the hubbub coming into this season was the freshman recruiting class and the incoming transfers. In a night where Xavier is still feeling out their footing, XU fans were exposed to the majority of new players as Sean let most of them run and get their feet under them. The backcourt is headlined by two transfer guards in Dayton McKnight and Quincy Olivari. McKnight finished with 10/5/4 and seemed to be the primary ball handler for the Musketeers. He is a strong, quick, and athletic guard who is capable of running a big time offense. Expect him to be a leader and main operator on the floor for the Miller lead Musketeers this season. Olivari showcased his highly touted shooting abilities as he went 2/3 from beyond the arch. Quincy was having fun out there and was one of the more animated Musketeers on the floor. This backcourt duo will be key in leading this younger team throughout the season. Transfer Abou Ousmane looked the part of a useful big. He converted on his buckets around the rim and caught a nice oop from Quincy Olivari, the Atlanta product.

And now on to the European takeover. One of the headlines this offseason was Sean Miller bringing in three European forwards in as reinforcement due to the losses of Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter. Miller brought in transfers Gytis Nemeiksa and Sasa Ciani from Slovenia and Lithuania. Both of these bigs looked good and played well in their respective roles. Gytis ended his night with a 12/10 double double while Sasa got some good run and looked very serviceable. Both will play large roles for the Muskies this year with the absences of Hunter and Freemantle. The other European player, freshman Lazar Djokovic, did not suit up in uniform tonight for reasons I’m unaware of (I’m sure a quick Twitter search could inform me, but it’s almost midnight and I have work tomorrow). While we didn’t get to see him in action tonight, he is maybe the most promising European player Xavier has ever landed and has drawn comparisons from other European Sean Miller coached played in Lauri Markkanen (I’ll take it). Will be very interesting to see how these three play out their careers at Xavier and the roles each play this year.

Now we can talk about the first group of Sean Miller recruited players at Xavier since 2009. This freshman class was headlined by Trey Green, Dailyn Swain, Kachi Nzeh, and Reid Ducharme. Reid Ducharme will likely be a limited role player this year as he learns the XU system and takes in the scenes of the Cintas Center. Kachi Nzeh has all the makings of a Kenneth Faried. He is crazy athletic, a rebounding machine, and a high motor player. He was able to get some run tonight and showcase some of his potential. Man oh man. Dailyn Swain is the most athletic recruit Xavier has had since a young Dez Wells in 2012 (maybe Sumner). Swain is crazy athletic, skilled, and poised to have great XU career. He showcased his potential tonight with several plays freshman simply don’t make in game 1. Stay tuned for more on him as his ceiling is the roof, as Michael Jordan would say. And this brings us to Drew Lavender, I mean Trey Green. Drew Lavender left a tremendous legacy and is a staple point guard in Xavier basketball history and that’s exactly what Trey Green has the opportunity to be. His vision, control, and shot are going to make him a fan favorite for years to come at Xavier. He has the makings to be an all-time college player. All of these freshman were able to get some real minutes tonight and showcase their talent in front of 10,000+. This freshman class has the feelings of a Blueitt/Macura and Duncan/Burrell recruiting class. Between Green, Swain, and Djokovic they have some real talent on the court and it will be a privilege to watch them grow over the next few years.

Last but not least, we have Sean Miller. Our GOAT. Our Chief Executive Officer. Our leader in battle that many people around Norwood would do anything for. He knows how to coach a team, he knows how to prowl a sideline, and he knows how to talk to his players. He was in tip top shape and didn’t let his newly released podcast get to him as he quickly chewed out several players just minutes into the game. I don’t say this lightly. I will cherish every game I’m able to watch him coach on the sidelines at Xavier. I’m not here to think about anything but right now. I’m here to appreciate and support that man. Xavier has been a breeding hotspot for coaches since the 1980’s and not many have stuck around more than a decade (while all leaving a great legacy and leaving XU better than when they found it). I’m not here to speculate or think in the future but this just feels different. Sean’s tried out his blue blood ball and now he’s back. I won’t discuss it any further, but I’ll just say I wouldn’t want any other coach on the sidelines at Xavier. None. Nobody. Not a soul.

It was a great night getting back into Cintas, seeing some familiar faces, and being apart of the atmosphere. It always is. While Robert Morris was able to hang around by 10 or so points the entire game, Xavier was able to get a little production out of all their players tonight and they look deep. This team will take some time to gel and get on the same page, but they were indeed built for March. I’m excited. I’m proud. I’m ready for another successful Xavier hoops season. Oh yeah I almost forgot that we’ve won 34 straight season openers. It’s not that crazy of a stat because we just know these things due to a rich history of hoops. The Muskies face Jacksonville at home on Friday at 6:30. Expect the student section to be rowdy and a little boozy for the first weekend game of the season. Maybe some of us will venture into Dana Gardens before (and after) the game. Following our two game home stand to open the season, the Muskies head to West Lafayette for a date with the #3 nationally ranked Purdue Boilermakers. It is college hoops anything can happen. As the great Bill Raferty says, “Onions!”.