By Lowen Holthaus, Guest Writer

While the Musketeers may not be playing basketball in the earliest stage of the offseason, in the new era of the transfer portal, it may be the most exciting part of the offseason. Fans get to have a first look at all of the names that they will hear booming throughout Cintas come November.

The first transfer that committed to Xavier is senior guard Marcus Foster from the Furman University Paladins. He has a strong ability to finish at the rim, especially in transition. Being a proficient rebounder at the guard position is a strong asset that is underrated in such a physically demanding conference like the Big East. Foster comes in at 6’4” and 200 pounds and has a big frame. Foster was a good passer with Paladins, maintaining a 12% assist rate this past season, extremely good for his position. Musketeer fans should be thrilled to see him this coming season. He will be a great addition to the team.

Another fantastic move for the Muskies this offseason is the addition of junior power forward/center John Hugley IV, transferring from the Oklahoma University Sooners. Hugley puts the “big” in big man, standing 6’10” and weighing 275 pounds. He uses his body well, playing more of an old-school post-up game. He averaged 8.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists on a 54% shooting clip in just 18 minutes per game this past season. He was elite in the pick and roll as a Sooner and was used in a lot of different and unique sets even though he came off the bench. Being able to stretch the floor in this offense will serve as a huge benefit as he shot 39% from three in the 2023-24 season. Hugley is dynamic and it will be fun to see what his role with Xavier will entail. 

Our third transfer that was brought in, junior guard Dante Maddox Jr., most recently played for the Toledo University Rockets, averaging 15.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game last season. His style of play revolves significantly around his innate ability to shoot three’s at a high percentage from a deep range. He made 22 threes from more than 25 feet from the basket. His shooting ability sets up more opportunities for him to create space for his mid-range shot, which he loves as well. As a good passer, look out for Maddox to make a few splashes in the Big East as a shooter and a highly effective defender.

Ryan Conwell, a sophomore guard from the Indiana State University Sycamores, is the most recent transfer that Xavier has landed. Conwell had 16.6 points per game this past season, shooting an elite 40.7 percent from three last season. He is a shifty guard that can get to the rim at will with his speed. He is comfortable shooting threes in transition and operating as a pure sharpshooter that can knock down shots at a high clip from anywhere. During the Sycamores’ recent success in the NIT tournament, Conwell made at least three threes, sometimes more, in four of the five tournament games, as well as 20 points or more in three of the five games. 

These four transfers are all talented players. Fans may want to remember the different styles of play that each thrive in and decide for themselves how successful they will be for our Xavier Musketeers in hopes of bringing home a national championship.