Richard Pitino left New Mexico for Xavier following Sean Miller’s departure to Texas. Following a brief stint in the Mountain West, Pitino seeks to bring success back to the Musketeers. He lost some of his best players to Texas and Louisville, but he has made important moves already. After picking up transfers like All Wright from Valparaiso, Pitino added two more strong mid-major players on Saturday. Florida Atlantic junior forward Tre Carroll committed to Xavier Saturday morning, while Evansville freshman Gabriel Pozzato committed in the afternoon. Will the influx of mid-major talent help Xavier take the next step forward?
Xavier Adds Two More Key Mid-Major Transfers in Tre Carroll and Gabriel Pozzato
What Tre Carroll and Gabriel Pozzato Bring to Xavier
Carroll is a strong offensive presence at 6-foot-7. He averaged 12.2 points on 52.3% from the floor and 38.8% from three to help Pitino spread the floor. His 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game show his ability to compete down low. Carroll won’t be a game-changer, but he provides quality depth to Xavier in the frontcourt, potentially starting for the Musketeers.
Pozzato is a dynamic scorer, averaging 14.9 points per game as a freshman at Evansville. He can improve his three-point shooting, but he was efficient from the floor, shooting 44.7%. Pozzato added 1.3 steals per game defensively to go along with 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Pozzato may need to prove himself among better competition, but he brings a scoring mentality to Xavier that won’t go away.
Where Does the Roster Need Help?
As always, competing in the Big East requires size and strength. So far, Anthony Robinson from Virginia represents the only center in the transfer class. They don’t have any size in their high school recruits either. With only a limited number of centers in the class, Xavier needs to pick up a big body soon.
They also lack a true point guard. While they have picked up some key recruits in the wing positions, without a strong ball-handler and big man below the rim, they will struggle in Big East play. Pitino has time to bring in more recruits, especially in a strong guard class. However, the longer he goes without picking one up, the more worrisome the class becomes.
Will Mid-Majors Hold Up?
Players like Tre Carroll and Gabriel Pozzato have made schools like Xavier successful frequently in the last few seasons. Dusty May’s squad at Michigan was anchored by mid-major talent. Louisville built an ACC contender with the same strategy. While neither of these teams competed for a national championship in the first year, the mid-majors proved themselves to be more than adequate at holding down the fort. The game is different, but Pitino targeted young talent that has time to develop.
Xavier is in a tough conference, but with a weaker conference than some seasons, the Big East and ACC may be the best two conferences to make the jump. With a potential merger coming, the power conferences provide an easier transition to higher competition. Neither conference will be easy, but the young talent should have no problem elevating the Musketeers to a potential NCAA Tournament bid next season. However, none of that matters if Pitino can’t fill the roster out with more talent.
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