The first USA Today Coaches Poll came out yesterday and the Xavier Musketeers occupied the eighth spot on the list. That's up from 11th to end last season after something unpleasant that I don't want to talk about knocked the Musketeers out in the second round. Xavier lost James Farr, Remy Abell, and Jalen Reynolds, but has added a good deal of new incoming talent to fit in alongside finally eligible transfer RaShid Gaston. Here's the pool in its entirety, with the big question just after:
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | 1ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke | 0-0 | 792 | 27 |
| 2 | Kansas | 0-0 | 721 | 1 |
| 3 | Villanova | 0-0 | 700 | 1 |
| 4 | Kentucky | 0-0 | 695 | 2 |
| 5 | Oregon | 0-0 | 620 | 1 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 0-0 | 614 | 0 |
| 7 | Virginia | 0-0 | 596 | 0 |
| 8 | Xavier | 0-0 | 552 | 0 |
| 9 | Michigan St | 0-0 | 544 | 0 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 0-0 | 487 | 0 |
| 11 | Arizona | 0-0 | 468 | 0 |
| 12 | Indiana | 0-0 | 435 | 0 |
| 13 | Gonzaga | 0-0 | 371 | 0 |
| 14 | Louisville | 0-0 | 367 | 0 |
| 15 | Purdue | 0-0 | 324 | 0 |
| 16 | Connecticut | 0-0 | 239 | 0 |
| 17 | Syracuse | 0-0 | 224 | 0 |
| 18 | West Virginia | 0-0 | 204 | 0 |
| 19 | St. |