NCAA transfer portal: Here's where Xavier Musketeers' roster stands

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It didn't take long for the ball to start rolling on the Xavier Musketeers' roster reload after the program's first losing season in nearly three decades wrapped up with a first-round NIT loss to Georgia.

Over the past six days, Xavier has seen seven scholarship players depart from this year's team and have added one transfer. Here's where the roster sits right now and what to expect moving forward.

Who has Xavier lost in the NCAA's transfer portal?

An offseason of change tipped off less than a day after Xavier's season came to an end in Athens when sophomore guard Kam Craft became the first Musketeer to enter the NCAA's transfer portal.

Craft was soon joined by freshmen forwards Kachi Nzeh and Sasa Ciani, center Abou Ousmane and senior Gytis Nemeiksa. Freshman guard Reid Ducharme was the sixth Musketeer to exit when he hit the portal on Wednesday.

Center Logan Duncomb, a Moeller High School product who left the Musketeers in October for health reasons, also entered the transfer portal, along with walk-on Brad Colbert. According to Sean Miller, Colbert is considering a transfer to a Division II program for an increased role.

On Thursday, Xavier freshman Lazar Djokovic announced on X that he has entered the portal.

Of course, it's worth mentioning that Xavier will also lose leading scorer Quincy Olivari (19.1 points per game), who is out of eligibility.

Who has Xavier added in the portal?

So far, Xavier has made one transfer portal splash. On Wednesday, Furman transfer guard Marcus Foster committed to the Musketeers.

Foster has one year of eligibility left and will use it at Xavier after spending five seasons at Furman. He redshirted his first season, then averaged 10 points per game over the last four. Last season, the 6-foot-4 senior guard averaged 17 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game.

In 2023, Foster helped guide the Paladins to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 43 years. In the first round, he scored 14 points in Furman's upset of Virginia.

Foster brings experience and versatility to the Xavier lineup. Foster won't completely replace Olivari as a sharpshooter from deep (he's hit at a 33.3% clip from downtown his collegiate career), but he's a weapon from both inside and beyond the arc. Foster also gets to the free-throw line frequently and shot over 80% from the charity stripe in each of the last two seasons.

He can also dive down and crash the boards, a welcomed trait after the Musketeers struggle to rebound throughout last season. Xavier allowed 10.7 offensive rebounds per game, which was 10th in the Big East.

Who is left from last season?

Xavier's roster has been trimmed, but some key pieces still remain.

Starting in the backcourt, Dayvion McKnight (12.4 ppg) has already announced his intention to stay at Xavier and use his additional year of eligibility. He would be slated to join current sophomore Desmond Claude in Xavier's backcourt next season. That tandem − along with Olivari − made up Xavier's Big 3 that carried the weight for the Musketeers all season.

Claude was named the Big East's Most Improved Player after averaging 16.6 points per game. McKnight developed as a scorer over the second half of the season and finished 19th in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Could other Musketeers leave?

The short answer − yes.

From how the roster is shaping up in the early stages of the portal, there are a few question marks left on the table in freshmen Trey Green and Dailyn Swain. Swain, a Columbus native who showed glimpses of his potential late in the season before an appendectomy ended his year, appears to be staying.

It would be a surprise given Claude's role for Xavier moving forward, but he's yet to publicly announce his intention to stay with the Musketeers.

There have yet to be any reports regarding Green, a freshman guard who garnered valuable Big East playing time in his first collegiate season.

Every player looking for a new opportunity has to be in the portal by the time it closes May 1. There is plenty of time for more moves to be made, though the majority of entrants seem to hit the portal early enough to talk to potential suitors.

Who is Xavier targeting in the transfer portal?

Foster won't be Xavier's only transfer portal addition before the calendar flips to May. Expect the Musketeers to add at least one or two more pieces for next season. Remember, Xavier only has one scholarship filled by its incoming recruiting class in Centerville product Jonathan Powell.

With the backcourt already beefed up by the addition of Foster, all signs point to Xavier trying to find some help near the rim. Down low, 6-foot-10 transfer centers Josh Cohen (UMass), Michael Nwoko (Miami, Fla.) and Amari Williams (Drexel) have heard from Xavier, according to reports.

A Wednesday report from On3Sports' Jamie Shaw stated that Youngstown State forward D.J. Burns has also received interest from Xavier. Burns was top-5 in the nation last season in rebounds (11 per game) and posted 22 double-doubles.

Don't forget, Xavier's biggest additions for next season are already on the roster in forwards Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter, two projected starting forwards who were lost to season-ending injuries.

Analyzing Xavier's roster changes so far

None of these are particularly surprising given the changes expected at Cintas Center going into next season. Craft and Ducharme would've been buried on the depth chart behind a strong, balanced backcourt.

Xavier's frontcourt was a well-known weakness all season with inexperience after Hunter and Freemantle went down in the preseason. You could've seen one of those pieces hanging around for a smaller role, but the portal gives the potential promise of playing time and NIL opportunity for its entrants, and some difficult conversations with the Xavier brass were probably held once the season ended.

It will be interesting to see if Green were to enter the transfer portal. He would come off the bench next season but has the potential with his shot-making ability to make a second-year leap in the Big East.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Where Xavier's roster stands entering Day 11 of transfer portal