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The most recent sign of Xavier's success and ascension was the Kansas Jayhawk. That sentence may not make much sense on it's face, but have a look at these two tweets from coveted recruits Brandon Randolph (mk. II) and Quade Green.
I truly would like to thank all 29 schools that have been recruiting me. honored and blessed‼️ This my Big 12 : pic.twitter.com/mUKcgo7WVT
— ✨Bran (@brandolph902) July 24, 2016
Top13 pic.twitter.com/mHZnyp5eXB
— LiL AI (@Q_Green1) July 24, 2016
While the Arizona A is in there as well, it's the Kansas Jayhawk that jumps out as the immediately recognizable mascot of a high level program that Xavier is now punching with on recruiting terms. It may be unfair to mention them here, but Xavier is now longer spending scholarships on Griffin McKenzie, Jeff Robinson, or even the first Brandon Randolph. These aren't just run of the mill four stars either, they are the top tier.
Brandon Randolph is a 6-6 swing man who can flat out shoot the ball, making over 40% of his three pointers. He's got some burst in the open floor, is long, lean, and has serious wingspan to go with the ball handling skills of the off guard he was before he grew. He's not elite at the rim, but his job is going to be to spread the floor and shoot the ball in the half court or in transition, both of which he does extremely well. He's not a playmaker in the traditional sense, but Xavier can pair him with other guys more than willing to get him the ball. Right now Randolph is 43rd on ESPN's Top 100.
One of those guys getting Brandon Randolph the ball could, in a perfect world, be Quade Green. What Randolph isn't, Green is. Quade is a 6-1 point guard who can shoot the ball very well in his own right but excels at finding teammates and getting them quality looks. Green works his dribble well and used that to rack up very nearly a 4:1 A:TO ratio. He's not a great finisher at the rim either, but he can pull up off the dribble and shoot the ball well. More importantly, he makes everyone around him a threat.
These aren't the only guys that Xavier wants in 2017, but they show a definite change in recruiting philosophy. Players like Randolph and Green are at the top of the recruiting tree, they garner attention from programs like Duke, Kansas, UK, and Arizona. It's no longer an odd thing to see Xavier thrown in with that group.