Frontcourt

Last season, David West did it all. He scored inside, he scored outside, he rebounded, he blocked shots and at times he carried Xavier to the Atlantic 10 championship.

Expect even more this season. Having returned for his senior year, West is arguably the top power forward in the nation, and at 6feet9, 240 pounds, he can play like a center or a small forward.

He has added a more consistent 3-point shot to his arsenal and is the best shot-blocker on the team. West will have some help on the boards with 6-9, 245-pound junior-college transfer Anthony Myles at center. Myles plays good post defense but won't be counted upon to put up a lot of points or venture far from the basket.

Myles' ability to step up when West is double-teamed will be crucial to keeping defenses honest and keeping West out of foul trouble from trying to do too much.

Backcourt

This is the area that has to play well every game for Xavier to move into a class with the nation's elite.

It starts with junior Romain Sato and has little to do with his jump shot and a lot to do with his versatile defense. At 6-5, 205 pounds, Sato can overwhelm smaller shooting guards. He was also the second-leading rebounder last season, grabbing 6.6 a game.

"He's come a long way defensively," coach Thad Matta said. "Last year I thought at certain points in the year, when he's tuned in, he's one of the best defenders in the country. He took guys and really shut them down last year."

Sato's long-range shooting will be key to maximizing offensive execution. Last season he made 41 percent of his 3-point attempts, including a 5-of-10 performance in a season-ending loss to Oklahoma in the NCAA Tournament when he scored 28 points.

At the point, senior Lionel Chalmers is poised to control what could be an explosive offense if he can get a handle on turnovers.

Chalmers' history as a shooting guard makes him a threat from behind the 3-point line as well. Swingman Dave Young returns after scoring eight points and getting 3.6 rebounds a game last season.

Bench

Unlike last season, the reserves won't be sitting for too long. This group is athletic and eager, starting with last season's sixth man, Keith Jackson.

The 6-5 sophomore from Purcell Marian worked on his rebounding and jump shooting in the offseason and needs to make a bigger difference when he enters games.

Backup center Will Caudle will see plenty of time and actually has better offensive moves than Myles. Caudle could find himself in the starting lineup by the end of the season.

One player sure to make a difference, both good and bad at times, is freshman Dedrick Finn. A speedy, 6-1 point guard, Finn is full of potential and capable of spectacular plays. But his decision-making has to be at a level higher than a freshman's to make a positive impact.

Freshman Angelo Smith has a knack for getting to the ball, which could mean considerable minutes for him.

Intangibles

Second-year coach Thad Matta's simplistic style got through to players last season, his first at Xavier, and the team seems to have adopted his business-like attitude.

The potential for this team is obvious with four returning starters, one of whom is a preseason first-team All-American. But you won't hear much talk about potential. Matta actually appears physically uncomfortable talking about what this team could do in March, or even December for that matter.

Players admit they think about what they could accomplish - but not without saying how important it is to win the St.Peter's game Monday.

Games to watch

Nov.20, Stanford/Boston U. winner: Regardless of whether Xavier plays at Stanford or plays host to Boston in the second round of the Preseason NIT, this one is big because a win is a ticket to Madison Square Garden and nationwide exposure. A loss means a missed opportunity at two games that could boost not only the Musketeers' ranking but also their strength of schedule.

Dec.7, at Cincinnati: The pain of watching the Bearcats dominate the second half at Cintas Center last year lingers. West comes into this one with something to prove after going out with an ankle injury last year.

Dec.31, Creighton: Missouri Valley opponent at home, Alabama in five days. Xavier has reason to look past this one. If it does, Creighton will take advantage. The Blue Jays return all five starters from last season's team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament's second round.

Jan.18, at Massachusetts: The first conference road test, it also happens to be on ESPN2. Win this, and Xavier sends a message that it will be more of the same in the A-10.

Feb.8, Dayton: Xavier returns from a three-game road trip to face the Flyers in the first of two meetings with Dayton in 14 days.

- Dustin Dow

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