Xavier brings in grad transfer Kyle Castlin

With the departures of JP Macura, Trevon Bluiett, Sean O'Mara, and Kerem Kanter, perimeter and interior depth were going to be the main issues facing the Xavier roster over the summer. Earlier this week, Coach Steele secured Zach Hankins to add to the equation inside and today Kyle Castlin announced he was joining the reigning Big East champions for the upcoming campaign. Fending off interest from the likes of Ohio State, Xavier was able to add another potential key cog to next year's team.

Castlin profiles as a Remy Abell type who makes plays on the defensive end of the court and efficiently scores in the flow of the offense mostly through catching and shooting. He doesn't tend to turn the ball over or create a lot, but shot 36% from three and 93% from the line to make himself the most efficient player in the Ivy League last year. This is a big step up for the 6'4", 200 pound guard/forward, similar to the one Malcolm Bernard faced when he swapped Florida A&M for X, but the presence of Naji Marshall means that Castlin will not need to jump in as option A on offense, just as one of the backup options. All in all if his defense translates and he can hit shots from the perimeter like Abell and Bernard did, Xavier has another invaluable glue guy coming in to steady the ship in the transition to the Steele era.