You've probably heard a little bit about the Khem Birch saga, but if you haven't, here's the short story: Birch went to Pitt as a freshman this year, played and even had a chance to start, but never settled in. Less than half a season into his college career, he announced his intention to transfer and requested his release. Rather than Martelli him, Pitt let him go.
Now there is word spreading across the internet that Xavier is one of Birch's possible destination's. That (obviously) sets Muskie fans hearts aglow. Here's what Birch said in a recent interview with Jeff Goodman: "Coach (Jamie) Dixon is a great coach and a terrific person,I just didn't think it was the best place for me... I want to play more four. That's one of the main reasons I went to Pittsburgh in the first place. I know I don't have the four-man skills yet, but I want to develop them."
The article goes on to state that:He said that several schools have expressed interest thus far. His early list includes Florida, UNLV, Gonzaga, Washington, Xavier and New Mexico State. Birch is close with fellow Canadian Kevin Pangos at Gonzaga and also developed a friendship with big man Sim Bhullar - who is at New Mexico State.
Birch is a 6'9", 210 pound forward whose athletic ability is off the charts. He was a McDonald's All-American and played in the Jordan Brand Classic game. The first hurdle Xavier needs to clear is that of scholarships; X is currently riding a full roster next year with three signees replacing the three players slated to depart. The coaching staff knows better than we do the future plans of the team though; there could very well be another player planning to depart to pursue his basketball elsewhere after this season. Feel free to speculate as to who that might be. In the meantime, we'll keep you posted on any Xaver-related Birch news as the story develops.