# 2021–22 Xavier Musketeers men's basketball team

The 2021–22 Xavier Musketeers men's basketball team represented Xavier University during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season as a member of the Big East Conference. Led by fourth-year head coach Travis Steele for the first 32 games and interim head coach Jonas Hayes for the final four games, they played their home games at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Musketeers finished the season 23–13, 8–11 in Big East play to finish in a tie for seventh place. They lost in the first round of the Big East tournament to Butler. The team received an at-large bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they defeated Cleveland State, Florida, Vanderbilt, and St. Bonaventure to advance to the championship game. There they defeated Texas A&M to win the NIT championship.
Head coach Travis Steele was fired on March 16, 2022, the day after the first win in the NIT. Assistant coach Jonas Hayes was named the interim head coach and coached the team for the four remaining games in the NIT.
On March 19, the school named former Xavier and Arizona head coach Sean Miller the team's new head coach. Miller previously coached the Musketeers from 2004 to 2009.

## Previous season

In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Musketeers finished the 2020–21 season 13–8, 6–7 in Big East play to finish tied for seventh place. They lost in the first round of the Big East tournament to Butler.

## Offseason

On April 28, 2021, the NCAA officially adopted a measure that would allow athletes in all sports to transfer once without sitting out a season beginning with the 2021–22 season.

### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| C. J. Wilcher | 0 | G | 6'5" | 195 | Freshman | Roselle, NJ | Transferred to Nebraska |
| Daniel Rasmey | 2 | F | 6'9" | 233 | Sophomore | Cordele, GA | Transferred to Tennessee Tech |
| Bryan Griffin | 13 | F | 6'8" | 230 | GS Senior | Pomona, NY | Graduated |
| Jason Carter | 25 | F | 6'8" | 227 | RS Senior | Johnstown, OH | Graduated transferred to Ohio |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Num | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Jerome Hunter | 21 | F | 6'8" | 210 | RS Junior | Columbus, OH | Indiana |
| Jack Nunge | 24 | F | 7'0" | 245 | RS Junior | Newburgh, IN | Iowa |

### Recruiting classes
#### 2021 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Cesare Edwards #18 C | Hartsville, SC | Hartsville HS | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Jun 26, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ||||||
| Elijah Tucker #39 PF | Canton, GA | Cherokee HS | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Aug 14, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Xavier 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021. "2021 Xavier Musketeers Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021. "Xavier 2021 Basketball Commits". 247sports.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021. ||||||

#### 2022 recruiting class

College recruiting information (2022) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Tyrell Ward #14 SF | Hyattsville, MD | DeMatha Catholic High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Jul 12, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Kam Craft #12 SG | Buffalo Grove, IL | The Skill Factory Prep School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Jul 12, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Xavier 2022 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021. "2022 Xavier Musketeers Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021. "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021. "Xavier 2022 Basketball Commits". 247sports.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021. |||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 5, 2021* 7:00 p.m. | | Ferris State | W 100–59 | | 21 – Kunkel | 11 – Jones | 4 – Scruggs | Cintas Center (9,544) Cincinnati, OH |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 9, 2021* 7:30 p.m., FS1 | | Niagara | W 63–60 | 1–0 | 17 – Scruggs | 9 – Hunter | 6 – Scruggs | Cintas Center (10,003) Cincinnati, OH |
| November 12, 2021* 6:30 p.m., FS1 | | Kent State | W 73–59 | 2–0 | 23 – Scruggs | 9 – Hunter | 4 – Kunkel | Cintas Center (10,224) Cincinnati, OH |
| November 18, 2021* 6:30 p.m., FS1 | | No. 19 Ohio State Gavitt Tipoff Games | W 71–65 | 3–0 | 14 – 2 tied | 14 – Nunge | 4 – 2 tied | Cintas Center (10,379) Cincinnati, OH |
| November 21, 2021* 12:00 p.m., FS1 | | Norfolk State | W 88–48 | 4–0 | 26 – Kunkel | 13 – Jones | 6 – 2 tied | Cintas Center (9,361) Cincinnati, OH |
| November 24, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ESPNU | No. 25 | vs. Iowa State NIT Season Tip-Off Semifinals | L 70–82 | 4–1 | 24 – Nunge | 12 – Jones | 3 – 2 tied | Barclays Center (2,804) Brooklyn, NY |
| November 26, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 25 | vs. Virginia Tech NIT Season Tip-Off 3rd Place Game | W 59–58 | 5–1 | 30 – Johnson | 14 – Nunge | 7 – Scruggs | Barclays Center (N/A) Brooklyn, NY |
| December 1, 2021* 6:30 p.m., FS1 | | Central Michigan | W 78–45 | 6–1 | 24 – Johnson | 7 – Nunge | 7 – Jones | Cintas Center (9,449) Cincinnati, OH |
| December 5, 2021* 5:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | at Oklahoma State Big East–Big 12 Battle | W 77–71 | 7–1 | 19 – Scruggs | 12 – Jones | 4 – Jones | Gallagher-Iba Arena (7,326) Stillwater, OK |
| December 8, 2021* 6:30 p.m., FS1 | | Ball State | W 96–50 | 8–1 | 24 – Freemantle | 9 – Scruggs | 6 – Odom | Cintas Center (9,865) Cincinnati, OH |
| December 11, 2021* 8:30 p.m., FS1 | | Cincinnati Rivalry/Crosstown Shootout | W 83–63 | 9–1 | 31 – Nunge | 15 – Nunge | 5 – Scruggs | Cintas Center (10,707) Cincinnati, OH |
| December 15, 2021* 8:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 22 | Morehead State | W 86–63 | 10–1 | 15 – Hunter | 7 – Nunge | 6 – 2 tied | Cintas Center (9,252) Cincinnati, OH |
| Big East regular season |||||||||
| December 18, 2021 4:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 22 | Marquette | W 80–71 | 11–1 (1–0) | 19 – Odom | 12 – Nunge | 5 – Scruggs | Cintas Center (10,224) Cincinnati, OH |
| December 21, 2021 7:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 18 | at No. 23 Villanova | L 58–71 | 11–2 (1–1) | 13 – Odom | 8 – Jones | 4 – Scruggs | Finneran Pavilion (6,501) Villanova, PA |
| January 4, 2022 7:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 22 | at Georgetown | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled | Capital One Arena Washington, D.C. |
| January 7, 2022 8:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 22 | at Butler | W 87–72 | 12–2 (2–1) | 25 – Kunkel | 7 – Tied | 6 – Scruggs | Hinkle Fieldhouse (8,557) Indianapolis, IN |
| January 12, 2022 6:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 17 | No. 14 Villanova | L 60–64 | 12–3 (2–2) | 15 – Tied | 10 – Jones | 4 – Kunkel | Cintas Center (10,224) Cincinnati, OH |
| January 15, 2022 12:00 p.m., FOX | No. 17 | Creighton | W 80–73 | 13–3 (3–2) | 16 – Jones | 11 – Freemantle | 5 – Scruggs | Cintas Center (10,224) Cincinnati, OH |
| January 19, 2022 9:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 20 | at DePaul | W 68–67 | 14–3 (4–2) | 23 – Nunge | 9 – Freemantle | 7 – Scruggs | Wintrust Arena (2,947) Chicago, IL |
| January 23, 2022 2:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 20 | at Marquette | L 64–75 | 14–4 (4–3) | 13 – Scruggs | 8 – Nunge | 4 – Jones | Fiserv Forum (14,658) Milwaukee, WI |
| January 26, 2022 6:30 p.m., CBSSN | No. 21 | No. 17 Providence | L 62–65 | 14–5 (4–4) | 16 – Scruggs | 12 – Jones | 4 – Kunkel | Cintas Center (10,224) Cincinnati, OH |
| January 29, 2022 2:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 21 | at Creighton | W 74–64 | 15–5 (5–4) | 18 – Scruggs | 9 – Jones | 8 – Scruggs | CHI Health Center Omaha (17,850) Omaha, NE |
| February 2, 2022 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | No. 21 | Butler | W 68–66 | 16–5 (6–4) | 23 – Freemantle | 7 – Nunge | 5 – Scruggs | Cintas Center (9,969) Cincinnati, OH |
| February 5, 2022 7:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 21 | DePaul | L 65–69 | 16–6 (6–5) | 21 – Scruggs | 7 – Nunge | 5 – Odom | Cintas Center (10,353) Cincinnati, OH |
| February 9, 2022 7:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 25 | at Seton Hall | L 71–73 | 16–7 (6–6) | 22 – Nunge | 7 – Scruggs | 7 – Scruggs | Prudential Center (8,730) Newark, NJ |
| February 11, 2022 7:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 25 | No. 24 UConn Rescheduled from December 28 | W 74–68 | 17–7 (7–6) | 22 – Nunge | 9 – Tied | 6 – Jones | Cintas Center (10,388) Cincinnati, OH |
| February 16, 2022 6:30 p.m., CBSSN | | St. John's | L 73–86 | 17–8 (7–7) | 22 – Nunge | 9 – Jones | 5 – Tied | Cintas Center (10,160) Cincinnati, OH |
| February 19, 2022 12:00 p.m., FOX | | at No. 24 UConn | L 61–72 | 17–9 (7–8) | 15 – Kunkel | 10 – Freemantle | 2 – Tied | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,167) Storrs, CT |
| February 23, 2022 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at No. 11 Providence | L 92–99 $^{3OT}$ | 17–10 (7–9) | 20 – Kunkel | 11 – Jones | 3 – Jones | Dunkin' Donuts Center (12,400) Providence, RI |
| February 26, 2022 3:30 p.m., FOX | | Seton Hall | L 66–82 | 17–11 (7–10) | 20 – Jones | 10 – Jones | 5 – Odom | Cintas Center (10,404) Cincinnati, OH |
| March 2, 2022 6:30 p.m., FS1 | | at St. John's | L 66–81 | 17–12 (7–11) | 13 – Jones | 11 – Nunge | 3 – Odom | Carnesecca Arena (4,352) Queens, NY |
| March 5, 2022 7:15 p.m., FS1 | | Georgetown | W 97–75 | 18–12 (8–11) | 25 – Johnson | 9 – Nunge | 8 – Kunkel | Cintas Center (10,224) Cincinnati, OH |
| Big East tournament |||||||||
| March 9, 2022 4:30 p.m., FS1 | (8) | vs. (9) Butler First round | L 82–89 $^{OT}$ | 18–13 | 24 – Nunge | 13 – Freemantle | 6 – Scruggs | Madison Square Garden (17,163) New York, NY |
| NIT tournament |||||||||
| March 15, 2022* 9:00 pm, ESPNU | (2) | Cleveland State First Round – Dayton Bracket | W 72–68 | 19–13 | 14 – Kunkel | 11 – Freemantle | 6 – Jones | Cintas Center (1,482) Cincinnati, OH |
| March 20, 2022* 1:00 pm, ESPN | (2) | (3) Florida Second Round – Dayton Bracket | W 72–56 | 20–13 | 16 – Johnson | 8 – Nunge | 5 – Jones | Cintas Center (3,437) Cincinnati, OH |
| March 22, 2022* 9:00 pm, ESPN | (2) | (4) Vanderbilt Quarterfinals – Dayton Bracket | W 75–73 | 21–13 | 16 – Freemantle | 8 – Jones | 4 – Tied | Cintas Center (3,240) Cincinnati, OH |
| March 29, 2022* 7:00 pm, ESPN | (2) | vs. St. Bonaventure Semifinals | W 84–77 | 22–13 | 18 – Nunge | 8 – Nunge | 5 – Johnson | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| March 31, 2022* 7:00pm, ESPN | (2) | vs. (1) Texas A&M Championship | W 73–72 | 23–13 | 21 – Jones | 11 – Nunge | 4 – Nunge | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Source

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | RV | RV | 25 | RV | RV | 22 | 18 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 25 | RV | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |
| Coaches | RV | RV^ | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 23 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings. ^Coaches do not release a Week 1 poll.

## Awards and honors
### Big East Conference honors
#### All-Big East Honorable Mention

* Jack Nunge
Sources