Xavier fights on in Freemantle’s absence, with much to be encouraged about as Big East play heats up

With Zach Freemantle sidelined for foreseeable future, Ryan Conwell (7) will take on more responsibility in Xavier offense as Musketeers open Big East play. (Photo by Xavier Athletics)

HARTFORD, Conn. — Sean Miller was at a loss for words.

It was Monday morning, two days before his Xavier team was to begin its Big East season with perhaps the tallest of climbs in the conference, a road trip to Hartford to face two-time reigning national champion UConn. Then, fate intervened.

Zach Freemantle, the Musketeers’ veteran center in his sixth year with the program after battling numerous injuries over the course of his career, was sidelined yet again, shelved indefinitely by what Miller and Xavier staff termed a lower-body injury.

“I didn’t know what to say to him,” Miller revealed. “And quite frankly, I don’t think he really knew what to say to me. It’s heartbreaking, it’s devastating. You always say things can be worse, but this kid has done things that I’ve never seen before in sports, overcoming multiple season-ending injuries and surgeries. He’s been our hardest worker, obviously our best player. He was off to a great start and this is his final year, never entered the transfer portal, just stayed with Xavier, and you just say, ‘man, this is gonna be the year where he’s healthy from start to finish,’ and then obviously, this happens.”

“It affects us in a big way, but what I think the most about is just him. It’s not easy. To go through that once can really take an athlete into a dark place, to go through it four times, that’s a completely different situation. We’re surrounding him with a lot of camaraderie, and on his end, he’s probably like, ‘yeah, thank you,’ but he’s gotta just fight the good fight here.”

With their heart and soul relegated to a spectator role, the Musketeers did the same Wednesday, pushing UConn to overtime before falling five points short in an effort that, although not a moral victory, left Miller optimistic about the short-term future of a group that now relies upon being creative to navigate the waters of conference play, starting again on Sunday when Xavier (8-4, 0-1 Big East) hosts ninth-ranked Marquette.

“I’m very proud of our team,” Miller said when assessing Xavier’s performance in Freemantle’s absence. “We had to basically move our practice time, had two quick days in a shootaround to try to do some different things, get our guys ready. A lot of teams, when they get news that you’re gonna be without your leading scorer, it can really strip you of your hope and your confidence. So from my side of the ledger, I’m very proud of our players. We had a player, Dante Maddox, really find himself. We knew he was capable, and I think once you have a game like that, especially against a team like UConn, it fills you with confidence moving forward. So I look at it as a positive step for us.”

Maddox, a transfer from Toledo, scored 20 points Wednesday, connecting on five 3-point field goals against UConn and draining several shots that looked impossible from the untrained eye. The marksmanship left a strong impression on Huskies head coach Dan Hurley, who praised Xavier’s shot making on what he termed an NBA level between Maddox and fellow guard Ryan Conwell.

Dante Maddox showed upside Wednesday with 20 points in overtime loss against UConn. (Photo by Xavier Athletics)

“It’s a big boost,” Miller said of Maddox’s scoring prowess. “When we recruited Dante, we thought he could be one of those types of scorers. Sometimes it just doesn’t click right away, but I think as he’s been given a bigger opportunity, I have to do a better job of getting him confidence as you learn what he can and can’t do well. I think we have a better grasp of how to help him more, and moving forward, I think what you saw (Wednesday), there’ll be more of that type of performance. He can really, really shoot.”

Between Maddox, Conwell—who transferred from Indiana State in the offseason—and incumbent point guard Dayvion McKnight, Xavier has a trio of guards who can create and make shots consistently, a trademark of sorts since Miller’s return to Cincinnati. The troika is following in the footsteps of guards the likes of Souley Boum and Quincy Olivari, both of whom were all-Big East honorees under Miller, but the coach desires more from McKnight as the Musketeers’ floor general.

“We want more from him, and he’s doing some things well,” Miller remarked. “It’s just that he hasn’t been as assertive over the last three or four weeks like we know he can be. We need that scoring punch from him. He did it a year ago and it was great to see him do that. He takes pressure off other guys when he’s able to do it.”

Up front, as Xavier adjusts to life without both Freemantle and Lassina Traore, the latter of whom was lost for the season with a knee injury before it even started, the Musketeers have incorporated elements of a zone defense. That will be a look that gains traction moving forward, partly by necessity due to a short rotation and lack of size to supplement Jerome Hunter and Dailyn Swain. But by the same token, the backcourt will keep a team viewed going into the season as a Big East contender in that perch, and with more efforts like Wednesday sure to come, Xavier will continue to be a tough out.

“We have the ability to score,” Miller admitted. “It’s tough because we have a lot of guys who are experienced, but we’re a group that isn’t as experienced together. Here we are still a week before Christmas, and a lot of times, you don’t hit your stride until January, and sometimes, even February. I really felt all along that we could continue to get better.”

“We’ve lost a couple tough games. If you’ve followed us closely, we’ve struggled to finish at the end. I just go back to last year (Xavier lost to UConn by 43 points in January, 99-56), and I’m glad that didn’t happen. We’re a far cry from the team that came up here a year ago, and I think we have some pride in that as well.”