Prior to No. 16/15 Xavier’s (13-2, 3-0 Big East) critical affair versus No. 1-ranked Villanova on Tuesday evening, the program welcomes back a familiar face. Head coach Chris Mack announced guard Myles Davis, who served a 15-game suspension due to two misdemeanor criminal damaging charges, will return to the rotation.
A campaign ago, the then-junior ranked second on the unit in scoring with 10.8 points, along with a team-high 4.1 assists, per contest. Those efforts aided the team’s 28-6 mark, which ended in a heartbreaking three-point loss to Wisconsin in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Badgers’ guard Bronson Koenig sealed the upset with a three-pointer at the buzzer.
Currently, the Musketeers sit No. 214 in the nation in three-point percentage (33.8). Considering the 6-foot-2, 187-pounder shot a healthy 38.1 percent clip from behind the arc last season, including four threes in a 90-83 win over the Wildcats, he’ll provide a much-needed boost in that category.
“He’s met the terms of his suspension that were outlined to him at the beginning of the school year,” Mack said postgame following Xavier’s 97-82 win against the Red Storm. “I think he’s learned some valuable lessons from his mistakes, his 15-game-long suspension, and his reinstatement. I think he needs to continue to make good choices to keep his standing within our program.”
Shortly after, Davis turned to Twitter to acknowledge Mack’s comments.
https://twitter.com/_mdavis15/status/817868081502584832
While the conference features four quality teams (Villanova, Creighton, Xavier, and Butler) in the AP Top 25 and coaches’ poll, the addition of Davis should still give the Musketeers a shot at winning the Big East crown. A victory over the Wildcats would certainly help, too.
