Xavier University's men’s basketball team, under the guidance of first-year head coach Richard Pitino, has started its 2023-24 season with two hard-fought victories, setting a tone of resilience and determination despite some early struggles. Coming off a narrow 66-62 win over Marist in the season opener, Pitino had already anticipated that the Musketeers would face many close contests this year. His prediction quickly proved accurate as Xavier edged out Le Moyne 74-69 just three days later in another tense battle at the Cintas Center.
Reflecting on the early games, Pitino emphasized the ongoing development of his squad. “This is such a work in progress,” he said. “Every game, even the exhibition games, have been close. There are a lot of special situational stuff we can talk about. I think we’re gonna be in a lot of close games this year and our guys are gonna learn from all of them.” Indeed, the Musketeers have shown grit and adaptability, managing to come through in tight moments despite some uneven play.
The first two games of the season have not been aesthetically perfect for Xavier. Against Le Moyne, a relatively new Division I program in its third year at that level, the Musketeers struggled to pull away despite being heavy favorites. Oddsmakers had listed Xavier as a 24.5-point favorite for Thursday night’s matchup, but the game turned into a dogfight that saw Xavier trail by as many as seven points in the first half. The team also encountered foul trouble early in the second half, which complicated their efforts to control the game.
Nevertheless, Xavier’s experience and composure down the stretch proved critical. With 2:30 left on the clock, Le Moyne had cut the Musketeers’ lead to just 67-64, threatening to pull off a major upset. However, Xavier responded with a pair of clutch free throws from Anthony Robinson and a driving basket by Roddie Anderson III, extending the lead to 71-64 with just over a minute and a half remaining. Defensive stops in the final moments and solid free-throw shooting sealed the victory and allowed Xavier to start the season 2-0 for the 18th straight year.
One of the standout performers in the early season has been Malik Messina-Moore, a transfer from Montana who provided a key spark for the Musketeers’ offense. After a slow start offensively in the first two games, Messina-Moore broke through against Le Moyne by hitting 4-of-6 three-pointers in the first half alone, finishing with 14 points in that frame and 17 overall. His sharpshooting helped Xavier recover from an early deficit and build a halftime lead of 43-36.
Joining Messina-Moore in double figures were Tre Carroll, who scored 11 points for the second game in a row, and Roddie Anderson, who finished with 15 points. Anderson’s contributions were particularly important in the second half; he scored 12 of his points after halftime, including several crucial drives to the basket that helped maintain Xavier’s lead. Anderson’s aggressive play was highlighted by an and-1 that pushed the Musketeers ahead 51-42 and another driving basket late in the game that extended the lead to 71-64.
Coach Pitino has been experimenting with his rotation as he looks to find the right balance for his roster. For the game against Le Moyne, he made two notable changes to the starting lineup, benching Anderson and Filip Borovicanin early on. Despite this, both players made significant impacts off the bench. Borovicanin pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds and added six points, while Anderson’s strong offensive and defensive efforts were critical in securing the win. Pitino praised their response, saying, “The biggest story of the game, in my opinion, was the response of Roddie and Filip. I didn’t like the way we started the game last game. I told those guys it’s not a punishment, but they always feel like it is. They were great in practice. Filip battled his butt off to get 12 rebounds. Roddie was terrific offensively and defensively.”
While Xavier’s offense showed flashes of brilliance, especially from beyond the arc, the team’s shooting has been inconsistent. Prior to the Le Moyne game, Xavier had struggled from three-point