Xavier Musketeers Picked Sixth in Big East Coaches' Poll
The Big East coaches placed the Musketeers sixth in their annual preseason poll during Big East Media Day.
Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Basketball
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The Xavier Musketeers have been picked to finish sixth in the Big East by the league's coaches. Additionally, Jovan Milicevic and Mike Nwoko earned spots on the All-Big East Preseason Third Team following the release of the rankings.
Why it matters
The ranking reflects expectations for the team following a challenging previous season where they finished with a 15-18 overall record. Despite the placement, the program aims to climb toward the top of the conference and earn a return to the NCAA Tournament.
Xavier finished its last campaign with a 15-18 overall record and a 6-14 mark in conference play. The roster has been bolstered by the addition of seven players via the transfer portal.
The players
Xavier Musketeers
This is the men's basketball team representing Xavier University in Cincinnati.
Jovan Milicevic
He is a basketball player for Xavier who was named to the All-Big East Preseason Third Team.
Mike Nwoko
He is a Xavier basketball player selected for the All-Big East Preseason Third Team.
UConn
The University of Connecticut men's basketball team received the most first-place votes in the poll.
The details
The rankings were announced during Big East Media Day in Manhattan, where Silas Demary Jr. was named Preseason Player of the Year and Colben Landrew earned Preseason Freshman of the Year honors. Xavier is looking to improve upon its 6-14 conference performance from the prior season.
Timeline
1996 marked the program's previous fewest win total.
2020-2021 saw the team finish with a 13-8 record.
October 2026 was when the Big East Media Day occurred in Manhattan.
Season Trajectory
The sixth-place projection sets a benchmark for a team looking to rebound from a sub-.500 season and re-enter the competitive hierarchy of the Big East. Success will depend on integrating seven transfers to shift the team's momentum toward an NCAA Tournament berth.
Xavier enters the season with seven new transfer players who must integrate into the rotation to improve upon last year's 15-18 record. The team will look to Jovan Milicevic and Mike Nwoko to anchor the squad as they aim to outperform their sixth-place conference prediction.
The takeaway
The preseason poll provides a look at how conference coaches view the team's potential after a rebuilding off-season. Fans should monitor how the new transfer additions impact team chemistry during the early non-conference schedule.
Further reading
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