'Learn who they are.' Sean Miller emphasizing patience with Xavier Musketeers' transfers

Xavier head coach Sean Miller spent time this offseason comparing transfer guard Dayvion McKnight to Souley Boum.

The connection between the two hasn't stopped early in the season. Rewinding a year ago, Boum was four games into his Xavier career, averaging 14 points per game on a veteran-laden club. While there were encouraging signs, few could forecast that the UTEP transfer would become a key catalyst to an NCAA Tournament run.

More: 'We worked together': Xavier bounces back with 66-49 win over Saint Mary's in Las Vegas

"I don't know if any of us would've predicted he (Boum) would be a first-team all-Big East performer," Miller said.

Now, McKnight hopes to follow the same path. In his first four games, McKnight, despite 16 rebounds and 17 assists, was averaging just 5.5 points per game after scoring over 1,000 at Western Kentucky. Miller said he "needed more" from McKnight after a win over Jacksonville. He had 8 points against Purdue but was just 1-of-6 from the floor in his second 2-point outing in the loss to Washington on Friday.

On Sunday, McKnight handed in his best performance at Xavier with 14 points (6-of-9) to go with 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

As much as fans, players and coaches alike want immediate results, Xavier is a work in progress on a fresh-faced roster.

Miller, speaking Sunday night from T-Mobile Arena, echoed the need for patience when it comes to the transfer pieces of the puzzle finding their groove.

"I think all of us owe them (transfers), including me and my staff, the month of November and really some of December before I think they totally understand what's expected," Miller said. "Where they're comfortable, then we can learn who they are, and we can become more comfortable with them."

Miller called McKnight the team's "best player" in Xavier's 66-49 win over Saint Mary's after encouraging him to be more aggressive offensively, he did just that while handling top defensive priorities, as well.

"Listening to coach Miller and watching the film with him," McKnight said of his big night. "Just attacking it every day."

McKnight's performance Sunday was encouraging and hopefully a building block for Xavier's guards to grow into an elite group. But the same patience guidelines apply for the two other Conference USA transfer portal additions.

Quincy Olivari 'moving in the right direction'

When 3-pointers are falling, it can be bliss as it opens up your offense and challenges defenses to guard more of the floor. Quincy Olivari is Xavier's top threat from the perimeter, but was 4-of-16 from deep through three games.

In Las Vegas, Olivari went a combined 5-of-12 from the perimeter. On Sunday, Olivari's 3-for-3 start from beyond the arc helped Xavier take a 28-18 lead into the half.

Olivari is now 9-of-28 from deep this year, but Miller likes what he sees as the graduate student transitions into a new role.

"I think he (Olivari) is moving in the right direction. Quincy is not a selfish player at all. His quick shots or sometimes bad shots, it's more of a function of having a different role at Rice," Miller said. "Now that he's playing with some guys that are capable, I think he's learning to pick his spots. I do believe he'll be more efficient."

Miller called Olivari one of the best free-throw shooters he's ever coached, so his 16-for-25 start from the charity stripe (64%) is something he also believes will turn around. As a team, Xavier is just 63.2% from the line.

A promising sign is Olivari's contributions elsewhere. He's now second on the team in rebounds after grabbing 14 boards in Las Vegas on top of his improving defense.

"Quincy's rebounding, his defense, his energy, his attitude has been great," Miller said. "That's really important for me. The shooting came through tonight (vs. Saint Mary's) and he'll continue to improve in that area."

Abou Ousmane gets a reset

Attend any Xavier practice or game and you'll see that center Abou Ousmane is one of the hardest working players on the floor. Ousmane's hustle, however, didn't lead to results. He played just nine minutes in Friday's loss to Washington because of foul trouble. He fouled out for the second-straight game.

The fix? Ousmane came off the bench Sunday for the first time since his freshman year when North Texas lost to Villanova in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 21, 2021.

"He (Ousmane) wants to play so well. He practices hard every day. I thought he was overthinking it with his foul trouble."

With a chance to "watch the game unfold," Ousmane came off the bench and was +5 over 14 minutes, finishing with 8 points and 4 rebounds.

Again, patience is key.

"Back to my point with Dayvion (McKnight), you forget that event though Abou has played a lot of college basketball, he's not played for us," Miller said. "I thought it really helped him and he played a really good game."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why Sean Miller, Xavier are emphasizing patience with transfer players