For the first time in a year and a half, the energy and excitement that was noticeably absent during the pandemic were brimming inside Xavier University's newly renovated Cintas Center on Friday night for Musketeer Madness.
Approximately 5,700 fans packed in to celebrate the return of basketball – far more than what was allowed last season – and they got to see a good show.
Nate Johnson won the 3-point contest, hitting 15 of 25 from deep, over Adam Kunkel and Jerome Hunter, who each made 12.
Dwon Odom took the dunk contest crown over Johnson by leaping over the 6-foot-8 Hunter for a finish that got everyone on their feet.
Zach Freemantle and Jack Nunge didn't play in the 10-minute Blue vs. White scrimmage. Freemantle's still in a walking boot and on crutches, and there hasn't been an official update on his condition or timeline to return. Nunge started full-contact practice earlier in the week for the first time since transferring to Xavier, but he's still working his way up to playing every day.
Paul Scruggs, Colby Jones, Ben Stanley, KyKy Tandy and Cesare Edwards were on the Blue squad. The White team was Johnson, Kunkel, Hunter, Odom, Dieonte Miles and Elijah Tucker.
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The theme was pace. If nothing else, based on what happened over a short period on Friday night, fans can expect the Musketeers to get out and run this season. Both sides pushed the basketball up the floor and attacked, and nearly all nine players that scored showcased the ability to do it in a variety of ways.
Blue and White combined for 52 points and collectively, they went 6 of 16 from beyond the arc and 22 of 42 overall from the floor.
White got off to a better start thanks to an offensive rebound from Miles that led to a 3-pointer from Johnson, which was followed up by a 3-pointer from Hunter.
Johnson looked solid with eight points. He scored at all three levels and sprinkled in three assists. Hunter finished with five points, two boards, one assist and one steal.
Miles caught fire for a promising spurt of three straight buckets – the first was a tough turnaround finish in the lane, which he backed up with a pair of mid-range jumpers on each of the next two trips down the floor. Miles also had three rebounds and two assists.
Kunkel knocked down a 3-pointer and made a nice play in transition to finish with five points and two assists, and Odom only had two points but it was hard to ignore his athleticism and competitiveness.
White may have started better, securing an early 10-point lead, but Blue finished better.
The primary component of Blue's late flurry was Scruggs. The fifth-year senior looked ready for the season. He finished with 12 points, went 3 of 4 from 3-point range, and with the scrimmage on the line, Scruggs held the ball for the final shot, worked his way downhill and spun off the elbow for a fadeaway jumper as time expired to end the game in a tie, 26-26. Scruggs also had three rebounds and two assists.
Stanley also had a nice night. He attacked on offense and finished with eight points and three boards.
Tandy had a couple of buckets for four points and while Jones only took two shots, he looked quite comfortable doing the little things, finishing with four rebounds, two assists, one block and two points.
The talent and confidence this team possesses were on display and that was without Freemantle and Nunge, both of whom should be prominent pieces to the puzzle when healthy.
And when the scrimmage ended, a familiar face surfaced from the crowd.
Former Xavier star Tu Holloway walked out across the Cintas Center floor. Near the Musketeers' locker room several of the current players were seen talking to Holloway, who came to the scrimmage with former Xavier players CJ Anderson and Dee Davis.
Xavier's reportedly playing next weekend in a closed scrimmage against Vanderbilt, then the Musketeers host Ferris State in a public exhibition game on Nov. 5 before welcoming Niagara on Nov. 9 in the season-opener.
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