Xavier's Experienced Roster Includes Seven Newcomers

CINCINNATI --- Xavier University head coach Sean Miller added seven new faces to the Musketeer basketball program for the upcoming 2024-25 season: 6-3 guard Roddie Anderson III (Boise State), 6-4 guard Ryan Conwell (Indiana State), 6-7 forward Cam'Ron Fletcher (Florida State), 6-4 guard Marcus Foster (Furman), 6-10 forward John Hugley IV (Oklahoma), 6-2 guard Dante Maddox Jr. (Toledo) and 6-10 forward Basile Traore (Long Beach State). The seven join six scholarship returnees and three returning walk-ons, giving Xavier one of the most experienced rosters in the college basketball.

"We had to become older, more experienced, tougher and more physical," said Miller. "We have done that with the addition of these players." Xavier entered last season with seven scholarship players that had never played in a college game, including six freshmen. Those two numbers are both zero for this season.

RODDIE ANDERSON III

Roddie Anderson started 27 games this past season at Boise State, helping the Broncos earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. Anderson averaged 6.5 points, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game, including 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals in an upset win at San Diego State and 14 points in the 2024 NCAA First Four game vs. Colorado. Anderson, a Huntington Beach, Calf. native, played at UC San Diego as a freshman, making 27 starts. He earned 2022-23 Honorable Mention All-Big West honors after averaging 13.1 ppg. (13^th in the Big West), 3.6 apg. (fourth in the Big West) and 1.2 spg. (10^th in the Big West).

Miller on Anderson: "I'm really excited about Roddie Anderson being a part of our program. Roddie is a winner. He played at Boise State for an excellent coach, where he was the starting guard on a team from the strong Mountain West Conference that made the 2024 NCAA tournament. He had a real impact on their team both on offense and defense. Players that come from a winning programs where they impacted that winning we are excited to add anytime, and with Roddie we really have that. Roddie is very quick and fast. That shows up in two ways, in transition he has the basketball in his hands where he has a burst that you don't really see in a lot of players. It also impacts who he is defensively where he can really pressure the ball and guard a variety of players. This next season for us with Roddie is a year of development as he is going to redshirt. I have no doubt he is going to improve dramatically, from where he was to being an even better player and we'll be excited to have him a part of our program in the BIG EAST for the 2025-26 season."

RYAN CONWELL

Ryan Conwell played this past season at Indiana State, finishing eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring at 16.6 ppg. to go with 5.8 rpg. and 2.5 apg. He ranked second in the MVC in 3-point field goals with 109 (2.87 per game), fifth in 3-point percentage (.407) and fifth in free-throw percentage (.855). Conwell, who was named 2024 MVC Newcomer of the Year and MVC Second Team in addition to earning a spot on the MVC All-Tournament Team, helped lead the Sycamores to a 32-7 record and a runner-up finish in the 2024 NIT. He tied his career high with 27 points in the NIT Semifinal win over Utah, one of his 34 double-figure scoring games as a sophomore. Conwell, a native of Indianapolis, Ind., played his freshman season at South Florida.

Miller on Conwell: "Ryan Conwell was one of the best players that played in college basketball last year when it comes to the impact he had towards winning. He has great self-awareness and understands the reward and pressure of winning and the pain of losing. Winning 30 games is incredibly difficult and in my mind, he was the straw that stirred the drink, whether making plays with the ball or without it. Ryan can really shoot it and made even more 3-point shots than Quincy (Olivari) this past season. Ryan is a lefty like Dayvion (McKnight). He has playmaking ability and the ability to defend, to get fouled, to make big decisions and make winning plays. He also delivered from the free-throw line when he got fouled."

CAM'RON FLETCHER

Cam'Ron Fletcher, who goes by Cam, played the past three seasons at Florida State after spending his freshman season in 2020-21 at Kentucky. Fletcher, a native of St. Louis, Mo., was limited to 17 games the past two seasons due to injury. He posted a 16-point, 10-rebound game at North Carolina in 2022 and a 14-point, six-rebound game in a 2022 win at North Carolina State. He was poised for a breakout year in the 2022-23 season, starting nine of the first 10 games and contributing 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He scored a career-high 23 points in a win over Mercer and tied his career-high for rebounds with 10 vs. Purdue as a junior.

Miller on Fletcher: "Cam's journey hasn't been easy. I know it started in Saint Louis where coming out of high school that he was one of the most coveted and highly-recruited prospects in his class. He went to Kentucky where he was with Kentucky for a year during the pandemic. Cam ended up leaving Kentucky and going to Florida State and once he got to Florida State, he suffered two season-ending injuries in the same knee. So when you're coming off of two ACL injuries I think that number one you're eager to get back on the court but you want to make sure that you're as healthy as you can be, as strong as you can be, as long as you can be. We're going to really err on the side of patience, caution, and rely on our team of doctors and our strength and conditioning team to make sure that he is as close to 100 percent as we can. I'm confident he is going to make a full return back to the court at some point. We believe in his talent level, we love his competitive spirit, and we believe when he makes a full return to the court that he's going to impact our program in a significant way. In terms of Cam as a player, the first thing that we liked was defensively he's very versatile, can guard players away from the court, he can chase shooters and he can switch on ball screens. His versatility on defense really stands out."

MARCUS FOSTER

Marcus Foster played four seasons at Furman, playing 112 games with 80 starts, while scoring 1,124 points. He averaged 17.0 points and 7.5 rebounds this past season and scored in double figures 21 times, including a pair of 30-point games, despite missing nine games due to injury. Foster, an Atlanta native, earned 2023-24 Second Team All-Southern Conference honors and a spot on the 2024 All-Southern Conference Tournament Team. He was a starter for the Palladins over the last three seasons, helping them capture the 2023 Big South Tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Foster scored 14 points in the 2023 NCAA first-round upset of Virginia.

Miller on Foster: "Marcus is an intelligent player with incredible experience who does a lot of things well. Marcus has worked and developed himself into an all-conference player. He is a good 3-point shooter and is capable of becoming an excellent shooter for us. He can also score around the basket. I love his ability to move without the ball and play the team game. He is an excellent passer who has played in a great offensive system for four years. Marcus is a great rebounder and from a defensive standpoint he is a smart player who knows what to do and where to be on defense. He was set to have a breakout year this past year that was interrupted by injury. He is healthy again and I expect him to have a big impact on our team. He has been at Furman from start to finish and those that know college basketball know that Furman is a strong, winning program."

JOHN HUGLEY IV

John Hugley (pronounced HYOOG-Lee) played this past season at Oklahoma and appeared in 24 games, scoring in double figures eight times, including 11 points in a win at Cincinnati. Hugley, a Cleveland native, averaged 8.4 points and 3.8 rebounds for the Sooners, while shooting 54.8 percent from the field. Hugley began his career by playing in three seasons at the University of Pittsburgh. Hugley enjoyed a big sophomore season at Pitt when he started 31 games and averaged 14.8 ppg. and 7.9 rpg., while earning 2021-22 Honorable Mention All-ACC honors. He posted a 32-point, 13-rebound game in a 2022 win over Boston College, hitting 8-13 form the field and 15-20 from the free-throw line. The former First Team All-Ohio and Ohio Mr. Basketball Runner-up scored a Brush High School record 52 points in a win his senior year.

Miller on Hugley: "John possesses a great sense of toughness and belief in himself that you want in a big guy. John is a talented post player whose number one goal will be to get in the best shape of his life and there is no one better in the business to help him reach that goal than (strength coach) Andy Kettler. When he has been healthy he has proven to be as productive an offensive frontcourt player as there is in college basketball. He earned All-ACC honors as a sophomore and was a key player on last year's Oklahoma team despite some ups and downs. He is able to score, pass, face up, get fouled, make free throws and all the other things that go into being a great offensive player. I'm really excited about his ability to pass the ball and make good decisions. His passing skills will stand out with the players we will surround him with. On defense, he can rebound and his experience playing for two excellent coaches gives him the ability to know what to do and how to do it on the defensive end. He has played in the Big 12 and the ACC so he will not be in awe when he steps out on the court in the BIG EAST. He has been there and done that."

DANTE MADDOX JR.

Dante (pronounced Dawn-Tay) Maddox played the last two seasons at Toledo. Maddox, who was named 2023-24 Second Team All-MAC, led the Rockets in scoring this past season at 15.6 ppg., which ranked eighth in the MAC, and was second in the MAC in free-throw percentage at 86.2 percent. In addition, he hit 42.4 percent (136-321) from 3-point range for his Toledo career, leading the MAC at 45.1 percent as a redshirt sophomore and finishing fifth as a junior at 40.2 percent. Foster, a Chicago Heights, Ill. native, played two seasons at Cal State Fullerton before transferring to Toledo. He scored 6.8 ppg. as a sophomore, helping Fullerton win the 2022 Big West Tournament and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. He scored a combined 1,240 collegiate points in his four seasons split between Cal State Fullerton and Toledo.

Miller on Maddox: "MAC coaches raved about Dante's ability and his winning intangibles as a player such as work ethic, character, demeanor and making clutch plays. I have a lot of respect for the winning Toledo program. Dante has been an All-MAC standout on back-to-back MAC regular season title teams, including last year's team that put together a 17-game winning streak at one point. Dante's winning qualities played a big role in that success. Dante has the ability to shoot, play the pick and roll, pass the ball and be a two-way player for us. Dante adds experience and toughness and is a guard that just really knows how to play. He has been through big games, clutch situations, big wins and tough losses and that is invaluable. To bring somebody in with that maturity and skillset, the sky is the limit."

BASILE TRAORE

Basile Traore (Buh-Zill Trah-orr), who previously went by his birth name of Lassina, played the last two seasons at Long Beach State. He led the Big West Conference in rebounding both seasons while ranking 12^th in the nation this past season at 10.3 rpg. and eighth in the nation at 10.5 rpg. the year before. Traore started 34 games this past season, averaging 11.9 points while shooting 52.4 percent from the field on his way to earning 2023-24 Second Team All-Big West honors. He earned a spot on the 2024 All-Big West Tournament Team after scoring 25 points on 12-17 shooting to go with nine rebounds in the Big West Tournament title game win over UC Davis, helping earn the Beach a trip to the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He earned 2023 Big West Newcomer of the Year and 2023 First Team All-Big West honors in his first season at Long Beach State after averaging 12.9 ppg. and 10.5 rpg. Traore, a native of the Ivory Coast, started his career at Saint Louis.
Miller on Traore: "Basile is a great competitor with an incredible motor. Basile had a lot to do with Long Beach making the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He has been one of America's top rebounders each of the last two seasons. I've only had two players of mine average 10 rebounds or more for a season, Ryan Anderson who is on our staff now and Deandre Ayton, which should tell you how difficult it is to average 10 or more rebounds. Rebounding translates at every level, and he definitely fits an area of need for us from last season. Basile can really go get the ball. He can also score in and around the basket and on drives. With our style, he will fit with whatever combination of players we put on the court. No one is ever going to question how fast he runs or how high he jumps, how hard he plays or how much he competes."

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