Belmont transfer Adam Kunkel commits to Xavier

Adam Kunkel decided fairly late into the summer to enter the transfer portal and seek to fulfill his eligibility elsewhere after having a breakout season and earning all OVC honors at Belmont last year. With Xavier having a couple of free scholarships giving them flexibility for a situation such as this, they quickly sprang on the Cooper High School product and today he announced his commitment to Xavier.

To see how big of a get this is for X, one needs look no further than the other schools who were in play for Kunkel as Xavier was picked from among high majors such as Louisville, Kentucky, Creighton, Oklahoma, and Arkansas as well as plucky mid majors like Cincinnati. Kunkel brings with him a fantastic shooting stroke, having shot at a .430/.391/.821 clip last season in helping the Bruins to the OVC regular season and conference tournament title. To perceive Kunkel as a one dimensional sharpshooter is unfair as he found his way to the line over 100 times last season and garnered 2.6 assists per game, while keeping his turnover rate at an excellent 12.7%.

With uncertainty surrounding the 2020-21 season, it is perhaps a boost to know that Xavier is already gearing up for the next two as Kunkel joins what could be a loaded backcourt with Kyky Tandy, Dwon Odom, CJ Wilcher, and Colby Jones all potentially featuring alongside Kunkel once he become eligible. Whatever happens with the next college basketball season with the specter of Coronavirus looming, Xavier fans can rest assured that the staff that landed Kunkel is going to be prepared for whatever this season brings as well.