'I want guys who want to win.' How Richard Pitino plans to build Xavier basketball roster
It's not lost on Pitino that he doesn't have enough players for a game at the moment. After his former New Mexico Lobos' forward Filip Borovicanin committed Tuesday night, Xavier had three scholarship players on its roster.
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That was until Thursday, when forward Lassina Traore, who missed all of last season because of injury, entered the transfer portal.
"It's very challenging to build a whole roster," Pitino said. "It's way more do-able now in the current landscape than ever before. We're gonna be very patient. Not just a band-aid, not just a quick-fix."
The roster construction process takes time, no matter how fast things move during the college basketball offseason as players flood into the portal searching for a new opportunity. Pitino and his staff have a certain type of recruit in mind with the portal in full swing, and how to find them.
"You gotta ask the right questions. You gotta really get to know them because it's certainly becoming more transactional," Pitino said. "Although it's changed, I want guys who want to win, and they're coming here because they're gonna give their heart and soul to that.
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"You gotta figure out that piece. You really have to do your homework. Everyone is doing that right now."
'It just fits you.': Why Rick Pitino encouraged his son to become Xavier's next head coach
While it's rare for college basketball players to stay at one program, Pitino is still aiming at keeping players at Xavier. Could there be one-year Musketeers as early as next season? Sure, simply because there are a ton of scholarships still on the table. However, Xavier could be targeting players with multiple years of eligibility remaining that they can keep and develop.
"Retention is going to be very important for us," Pitino said. "I think it's very important that my staff has clarity of what exactly I'm looking for. The goal is to win. The goal is to win championships."
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'This community deserves a winner.': The Richard Pitino era begins at Xavier University
'It's a fun way to play.'
With the transfer portal commonly revolving around which program gives out the biggest paycheck, Pitino's style of play is an easy recruiting pitch.
New Mexico ranked No. 7 in the country in tempo, according to KenPom, and Pitino is bringing his up-tempo approach to Cintas Center. Pace, conditioning and stamina will highlight Xavier next season, an approach Pitino got from Gonzaga and veteran head coach Mark Few.
Richard Pitino on taking Xavier job: "Very fortunate to have tasted success at New Mexico. I love the taste of it. My goal is Big East Championships. If you win the Big East Championship, you're gonna get a good seed in the NCAA Tournament."
"It's not very hard to sell a vision that we don't want to run a bunch of set plays and walk the ball up the court," Pitino said. "They gotta push through when they get tired. We have to practice it every single day. It's hard, but it's a fun way to play."
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Defensively, Pitino's teams cause chaos. It's a style inspired by watching one of Kelvin Sampson's practices at Houston on his way back from recruiting in Beaumont, Texas, along with several years under the tutelage of his father, Rick Pitino.
"We want disruption. We want you extremely uncomfortable," Pitino said.
New Mexico was No. 23 in defensive efficiency in 2024 and No. 19 last season. Pitino's Lobos were No. 51 in turnover percentage and top 35 in the country in steals and blocks.
Who is Xavier targeting in the transfer portal?
Pitino and his staff were active in the transfer portal in the week between agreeing to terms to become Xavier's next coach and Tuesday's introduction.
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Valparaiso guard All Wright, the MVC Freshman of the Year was on a visit to Xavier Tuesday along with Virginia forward Anthony Robinson, who played sparingly as a freshman for the Cavaliers. Xavier was linked to Summit League Player of the Year Marquel Sutton (Omaha), who just wrapped up a visit with Kansas State.
Omaha transfer Marquel Sutton (10) averaged 18.9 points and 7.9 rebounds for the Mavericks last season.
Xavier also reached out to Brian Moore Jr., who won Lou Henson Award as the nation's top mid-major player this season at Norfolk State and will have several suitors.
Jamichael Stillwell listed Xavier in his final six schools along with Oklahoma, West Virginia, UCF, Memphis and Virginia. As a junior at Milwaukee, the 6-foot-8 forward averaged a double-double at 13 points and 10.7 rebounds (No. 7 in the nation) per game.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'The goal is to win.' How Richard Pitino plans to build Xavier roster
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