Xavier's backcourt is relatively celebrated, crowded and competitive. The frontcourt? Simple. David West, Kevin Frey and Help Wanted.

        “Kevin and David will obviously play a lot of minutes for us,” coach Skip Prosser said. “After that, it's pick 'em.”

        Not that XU won't use backups at center and power forward. It just doesn't know who. Seniors Reggie Butler and Marcus Mason and junior Khalil Nixon will jockey for those critical minutes. Freshman Anthony Coleman is a long shot to play and might redshirt.

        “In recent years, we've always played with three big guys, and we'd go to a fourth because of foul trouble,” said Mark Schmidt, XU's assistant in charge of the frontcourt. “The role of those (backups) is to do the dirty work: putbacks, play good defense and rebound.”

        XU lost Aaron Turner, who averaged 20.7 minutes last year at power forward, so there is a void to fill. A breakdown:

        • Because of a redshirt year, the 6-foot-10 Butler is in his fifth year in the program. Insiders say he has worked as hard as any player in the program's history — slimming down from 287 pounds as a freshman to 255 — but he remains an odd fit in XU's running game.

        Butler had two 10-point games last year, but he couldn't earn consistent time in the lineup. He averaged 1.7 points and 1.9 rebounds in 7.5 minutes.

        This summer, he returned to Pete Newell's famed Big Man Camp in Hawaii and also did a weeklong camp run by Trail Blazers assistant coach Tim Grgurich.

        “This summer was way more of a confidence-booster, because I was working out with pros at both camps,” Butler said. “I've just got to put myself in position in practice where (Prosser) puts me out there for the games.”

        • The 6-7, 220-pound Nixon, a junior-college transfer from the College of the Sequoias, was recruited to defend the inbounds pass in Xavier's full-court press. That's the spot Torraye Braggs and James Posey filled in recent years.

        “It's a big adjustment coming to this level,” Nixon said. “But it's everyone's dream to come to a program and start, and mine is no different. I'm not conceding anything.”

        • The 6-9, 250-pound Mason struggled last year, coming from a junior-college program that didn't play man-to-man defense. He played just 29 minutes all season. Rebounding is his strength.

        “Hopefully he can give us those five or 10 minutes of good post defense and be a solid role player,” Schmidt said.

        SHOOTING STARS: Through three 24-minute intrasquad scrimmages, XU is shooting well overall (50 percent), but the Musketeers are struggling on 3-pointers (17-of-59, 29 percent) and free throws (64 percent).

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