OKAY who is the newest commitment?

[muskieman]

Rebound Rundown
@ReboundRundown
·
12m
NEWS: Xavier has secured a commitment from Robert Morris forward Nikolaos Chitikoudis.

Chitikoudis averaged 11.3 PPG and earned Horizon League All-Defensive Team honors this season.

[skyhops]

Good pickup especially defensively. Even AH has to like this pickup

[skyhops]

Hopefully we can work on his free throw shooting. He makes Robinson look like Rick Barry

[muskieman]

Not a commitment, but Xavier offered 6'6" 180 SG

Markus Kerr @MarkusAndreKerr
Blessed to receive a Division 1 offer from Xavier University

Markus Kerr is a 6'6", 180‑pound guard from Charlotte, NC, who played high school basketball at Chambers High School before transferring to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire for the 2025–26 season

Chambers High School Career Stats (2022–2025)
Career (88 games):
Points per game: 14.4
Rebounds per game: 5.0
Assists per game: 2.5
Steals per game: 1.5
Blocks per game: 0.8

Field goal %: 3.1 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 1.7 TPG, 1.6 PFPG

Season-by-season highlights:
Junior (2024–25): 31 GP, 28.7 MPG, 20.1 PPG, 4.0 FG%, 1.9 OREB, 5.9 DREB, 3.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 2.2 TPG, 1.5 PFPG

Sophomore (2023–24): 31 GP, 25.0 MPG, 13.4 PPG, 2.5 FG%, 1.5 OREB, 4.0 DREB, 2.9 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 1.6 TPG, 1.7 PFPG

Freshman (2022–23): 26 GP, 0 MPG (likely due to limited playing time), 8.9 PPG, 2.7 FG%, 2.2 OREB, 4.9 DREB, 1.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 1.3 TPG, 1.7 PFPG

Current Season at Brewster Academy (2025–26) athletics.brewsteracademy.org
Position: Guard

Class: Junior (2027)
Height/Weight: 6'6", 180 lbs

School: Brewster Academy, Wolfeboro, NH
Club Basketball & Summer Performance Zagsblog
Played for Team United in AAU, averaging 12.5 PPG and 4.9 RPG over 8 games, shooting over 50% from the field.

Also played for Team Thad earlier in the summer.

Recruiting Profile 247Sports
247Sports Composite: 90 (NATL 69, SG 6 NH 2)

Offers/Visits: 13 offers, 4 visits, 0 coach visits (as of latest update)

Notable schools: Marquette, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Georgetown, VCU, Boston College, Xavier

Summary: Markus Kerr is a high‑level guard with strong scoring and rebounding ability at the high school level, now competing at the elite club level and receiving interest from multiple Division I programs.

[muskieman]

Welcome Drake transfer Braden Applehans to Xavier. Applehans played for Richard Pitino at New Mexico.


Braden Appelhans gives Xavier a 6'6" floor‑spacer with real shooting pedigree who fits cleanly into Richard Pitino’s pace‑and‑space wing system. His track record at Drake and New Mexico shows a clear identity: movement shooter, secondary scorer, and low‑mistake rotational wing.

Physical Profile & Background
6'6", 190 lbs, Guard/Wing

Originally from Blue Springs, Missouri; played prep ball at Western Reserve Academy (OH) and Blue Springs HS

Shot 51.4% from three in high school, sixth‑best in Missouri history

Began career at New Mexico, then transferred to Drake, then to Xavier (May 7, 2026)

Offensive Skillset
1. Proven Catch‑and‑Shoot Threat

Shot 44% from three during his redshirt sophomore season at New Mexico

At Drake (2025–26): 5.3 PPG, 13.5 MPG, with multiple high‑volume shooting nights including a 30‑point game vs Western Illinois

Compact, repeatable mechanics; comfortable relocating and shooting off movement.

2. Low‑Usage, High‑Efficiency Role Player

Career numbers show he thrives as a spacing wing, not a primary creator.

Limited assist numbers (0.5 APG at Drake) indicate he’s more finisher than initiator.

3. Transition Value

Runs the floor well; ideal for Pitino’s emphasis on early offense and wide‑lane spacing.

Defensive Profile
Uses length well; not a lockdown defender but positionally sound.

Rebounds modestly (1.4 RPG at Drake) but competes on the glass.

Best suited to guard 2s and 3s in the Big East.

Fit With Richard Pitino’s 2026–27 Xavier Roster
( Nwoko, Dominguez, Washington, Westry, Rolyns Aligbe, Elson, House, Basson, Harrison Aligbe, Chitikoudis)

Why He Fits Perfectly
1. Xavier desperately needed another shooter on the wing.
With Washington, House, and Westry all slashing‑first wings, Appelhans provides the purest perimeter gravity among the group.

2. Ideal complement to bigs like Nwoko, Chitikoudis, and Rolyns Aligbe.
Those three operate best inside the arc. Appelhans’ shooting prevents clogging spacing and forces defenses to tag him.

3. Pitino values veterans who don’t turn the ball over.
Appelhans’ low‑usage style fits the “play fast, take good shots, don’t over‑dribble” philosophy.

Ceiling at Xavier
If his Drake shooting volume translates, he could become:
A 7–10 PPG specialist who swings games with 3–4 threes in Big East play.

Bottom Line
Braden Appelhans is a plug‑and‑play shooter with size, maturity, and a defined role — exactly the type of wing Pitino wins with.
He won’t be a star, but he will win possessions, stretch defenses, and stabilize lineups that need spacing.

How Braden Appelhans Fits Into Xavier’s 2026–27 Team
Short version:
He is the cleanest plug‑and‑play shooter on the roster and fills the one skill Xavier lacked: a true floor‑spacing wing who doesn’t need the ball.
He raises the offensive ceiling of every lineup he’s in.

1. Fit With Xavier’s Core Guards/Wings
With Chance Westry
Perfect complement.
Westry is a big on‑ball creator who needs space to drive. Appelhans gives him that space by pulling a defender out of the lane.

Westry collapses the defense → kick‑outs to Appelhans

Appelhans’ gravity prevents help rotations

This pairing reduces turnovers and increases efficiency

Verdict: One of the best two‑man fits on the roster.

With Tru Washington
Washington is a slasher, cutter, and defender — not a shooter.
Appelhans balances him out.

Washington attacks closeouts created by Appelhans

Appelhans covers for Washington’s spacing limitations

Pitino can run “3‑out, 2‑in” with Washington cutting and Appelhans spotting

Verdict: Washington + Appelhans = functional spacing + rim pressure.

With Kalek House
House is an energy defender who struggles shooting.
Appelhans is the inverse: shooter first, defender second.

Together:

House guards the toughest wing

Appelhans guards the weaker wing

Offensively, House screens/cuts while Appelhans spaces

Verdict: A classic offense/defense pairing Pitino loves.

2. Fit With Xavier’s Frontcourt
With Mike Nwoko
This is the single most important fit on the roster.

Nwoko is a power finisher who needs space around him.
Appelhans provides:

Corner gravity

Weak‑side spacing

A defender who can’t dig down on Nwoko’s post touches

Verdict: Expect a LOT of Nwoko + Appelhans minutes.

With Rolyns Aligbe
Rolyns is a physical, interior‑oriented 4 who thrives with shooters around him.

Appelhans helps by:

Opening driving lanes

Pulling the help defender off Rolyns’ post‑ups

Giving Pitino a “big‑small” pairing that can switch defensively

Verdict: High‑IQ, low‑mistake pairing that stabilizes lineups.

With Nikolaos Chitikoudis
Chitikoudis is a defensive/rebounding 4–5 who doesn’t stretch the floor.

Appelhans is essential next to him because:

He prevents the paint from being clogged

He gives Chitikoudis a simple role: screen, rebound, defend

He allows Pitino to play a defensive big without sacrificing spacing

Verdict: Appelhans is the best spacing partner for Chitikoudis.

3. Fit With Bench/Developmental Players
With Asher Elson
Elson is a long‑term upside athlete who needs shooters around him to function.
Appelhans gives him clean reads and simple spacing.

With Harrison Aligbe
Harrison is a slashing combo forward.
Appelhans’ shooting keeps the lane open for him.

With Gedeon Basson
Basson is a defensive wing with limited offense.
Appelhans balances the lineup and keeps spacing functional.

4. Projected Role in Pitino’s System
Role:
Rotation Wing / 6th–8th Man
12–20 minutes per game
Primary job: shoot, space, don’t turn it over

Why Pitino will trust him:
Veteran

Low‑mistake player

Elite shooting mechanics

Doesn’t need plays run for him

Fits the pace‑and‑space identity

What he adds that no one else does:
He is the only true movement shooter on the roster.
That alone guarantees him minutes.

Bottom Line Fit Summary
Braden Appelhans is the glue‑spacing wing that makes Xavier’s offense work.
He raises the ceiling of every creator (Westry, Washington), every slasher (House, Harrison Aligbe), and every big (Nwoko, Rolyns, Chitikoudis).

He’s not a star — but he’s the exact role player this roster needed

You might ask where is Pozzato? Well, because he has not played for a year, his potential is suspect. but here goes with Pozz

With Pozzato, you now have:

Westry – primary creator

Washington – slasher/defender

Pozzato – explosive scoring wing, cutter, transition killer

Rolyns – power wing/4

Appelhans – shooter/spacing

House – situational stopper

So instead of Appelhans being the clear first wing off the bench, it’s now:

Pozzato = 6th man / co‑starter level

Appelhans = 7th–8th man, more matchup‑ and shooting‑dependent

Where this hits Appelhans specifically
1. His minutes are more “surgical.”
He’s now used in very specific windows:

When lineups need pure spacing (with Nwoko, Rolyns, Washington, or Pozzato on the floor)

When opponents are over‑helping or sitting in gaps

When Pitino wants to tilt a game with shooting for a 4–6 minute stretch

2. He plays a lot with Pozzato, not instead of him.
Pozzato’s rim pressure + cutting pairs really well with Appelhans’ shooting:

Pozzato as slasher/cutter

Appelhans as weak‑side spacer

Westry or Dominguez on the ball

One of Rolyns/Nwoko as the interior anchor

That’s a nightmare to guard if the shot is falling.

3. Closing lineups now have a decision tree.

End‑game, down 4–8 points:

Dominguez

Westry

Pozzato

Rolyns

Nwoko

If you need maximum spacing or the opponent is packing the paint:

Dominguez

Westry

Appelhans

Pozzato

Nwoko or Rolyns

Appelhans becomes the “break glass for shooting” closer rather than an automatic closer

[muskieman]

How might Appelhan fit into BE games? This is based on how the BE teams normally play, but with all the new guys, take this "look at" with a grain of salt

Big East Matchup Breakdown for Braden Appelhans
1. UConn Huskies
Primary matchup: 6'6–6'8 wings (e.g., Solomon Ball–type, athletic hybrid wings)
How he fits:

UConn loads the paint with size; Appelhans’ shooting is critical to prevent them from shrinking the floor on Nwoko and Rolyns Aligbe.

UConn’s wings are physical — Appelhans must survive defensively, but his spacing forces UConn to play him honestly.

Impact:
He’s a spacing necessity in this matchup. May not see the floor if Richard feels he cannot match up, and this could be said for every team.

2. Marquette Golden Eagles
Primary matchup: 6'5–6'6 switchable wings
How he fits:

Marquette switches everything; Appelhans punishes switches by relocating and forcing long closeouts.

His low‑usage style fits perfectly vs Marquette’s pressure — he won’t turn it over.

Impact:
One of his best matchup fits in the league.

3. Creighton Bluejays
Primary matchup: Long, rangy wings who chase shooters
How he fits:

Creighton’s defense is elite at rim protection but can be vulnerable to movement shooters.

Appelhans’ ability to hit deep corner threes is a direct counter to Creighton’s drop coverage.

Impact:
He’s a high‑leverage weapon in this matchup.

4. Villanova Wildcats
Primary matchup: Strong, physical 2–3 defenders
How he fits:

Nova plays slow, disciplined defense; Appelhans’ off‑ball movement forces them to guard longer.

His shooting prevents Nova from loading up on Westry’s drives.

Impact:
A spacing stabilizer in a grind‑it‑out matchup.

5. St. John’s Red Storm
Primary matchup: Athletic, aggressive wings
How he fits:

St. John’s pressures the ball and collapses the paint — Appelhans is the perfect release valve.

His quick trigger punishes their over‑help tendencies.

Impact:
He’s a pressure‑breaker in this matchup.

6. Providence Friars
Primary matchup: Physical wings who chase shooters
How he fits:

Providence plays tough, half‑court defense; Appelhans’ shooting stretches them out.

His ability to hit contested threes is valuable in a slow‑tempo game.

Impact:
A floor‑spacer who prevents rock fights.

7. Butler Bulldogs
Primary matchup: Smart, positional defenders
How he fits:

Butler’s defense is scheme‑sound but not overly athletic; Appelhans can get clean looks.

His shooting helps Xavier win the efficiency battle.

Impact:
A positive matchup for him.

8. Seton Hall Pirates
Primary matchup: Long, athletic wings
How he fits:

Seton Hall’s length can bother him defensively, but offensively he forces their shot‑blockers to stay home.

Pitino will use him to pull Seton Hall’s help defenders out of the lane.

Impact:
A tactical shooter in this matchup.

9. Georgetown Hoyas
Primary matchup: Big, physical wings
How he fits:

Georgetown’s rebuild emphasizes size; Appelhans’ shooting is a counter to their interior focus.

He’ll be targeted defensively, but his offense outweighs it.

Impact:
A net‑positive matchup.

10. DePaul Blue Demons
Primary matchup: Athletic but inconsistent wings
How he fits:

DePaul struggles to defend the perimeter; Appelhans can have big scoring nights.

His shooting forces DePaul to guard in space, which they historically struggle with.

Impact:
A high‑production opportunity.

Overall Big East Fit Summary
Where Appelhans is most valuable:
Marquette

Creighton

St. John’s

UConn (spacing necessity)

Where he can swing games:
DePaul

Butler

Providence

Where he’ll be tested defensively:
Seton Hall

Georgetown

UConn

🧩 Why His Skillset Matters in the Big East
The Big East is a league of:

Physical wings

Elite rim protectors

Heavy help‑side defense

Switch‑heavy schemes

Appelhans’ shooting is the antidote to all four.
He forces:

UConn’s bigs to guard in space

Marquette to chase off screens

Creighton to extend their drop coverage

St. John’s to stop over‑helping

Providence to defend longer possessions

He’s not a star — but he’s a matchup‑dependent weapon who makes Xavier’s best lineups function

Starters (Big East play):

PG: Ruben Dominguez

SG: Chance Westry

SF: Tru Washington

PF: Rolyns Aligbe

C: Mike Nwoko

Top bench:

Gabriel Pozzato – 6th man, co‑starter minutes

Braden Appelhans – shooter

Kalek House – defensive wing

Nikolaos Chitikoudis – backup big

[gym from delhi]

Ryan Welage redux?

[muskieman]

Sam Kayser @KayserHoops

VISIT NEWS: 2028 5 prospect Kam Mercer will take an unofficial visit to Xavier on May 12th, he told
@LeagueRDY
.

The 6-foot-5 guard also recently took a visit to Cincinnati just last week. He’s a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and one of the top overall prospects in 2028.

[Kevin Reilly]

Kam Mercer would be a Great pick up but we may have to play with 4 players next year like the NHL penalty play. Unless I hit the Lotto.

[muskieman]

Kam Mercer would be a Great pick up but we may have to play with 4 players next year like the NHL penalty play. Unless I hit the Lotto.

can't win if you don't buy tickets. Good luck, and remember your favorite moderator if you win.