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Indiana basketball: 2023 Five-star Xavier Booker includes IU in top 10 schools

By Connor O’Keefe

Cathedral basketball player Xavier Booker, at home with his parents Fred and Demetric Booker, in Fishers, Tuesday, April 19, 2022.
Cathedral basketball player Xavier Booker, at home with his parents Fred and Demetric Booker, in Fishers, Tuesday, April 19, 2022. /
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#8. Oregon Ducks

Dana Altman has continuously found a way to win season after season and next season will be no different. Next season’s Ducks will be ranked in the preseason Top 25 and with returning seniors Will Richardson, Quincy Guerrier, and N’Faly Dante, Oregon will be one of the teams to beat in the dwindling Pac-12.

The odd part for me is that Altman and his staff just added the No. 10 overall prospect and No. 3 center from the 2022 recruiting class, Kel’el Ware, for this upcoming season. Ware could become the focus of the Ducks’ offense as he has a unique frame and skillset like Bol Bol and somewhat similar to Booker as well. While it’s clear that Booker is a better shooter and a better overall player, Ware will have one more season of experience and I believe have the leg up defensively over Booker. I don’t believe the Ducks will end up in the big man’s final five schools.

#7. Purdue Boilermakers

Now, as a Hoosier fan, attempting to compliment the Boilermakers and Matt Painter on recruiting and their roster is going to be difficult. Coach Painter has put together strong rosters year after year and continues to build around the big men that somehow always end up dominating the Big Ten. Zach Edey, Purdue’s 7-foot-3 starting center, is returning for his junior year, while the rest of the starting lineup is rounded out by sophomore forward Caleb Furst and junior forward Mason Gillis.

While I believe that Matt Painter has the coaching ability to develop and make Xavier Booker one of the best forwards in college basketball, the situation in West Lafayette seems to be too crowded and with the other schools included in his top 10, Purdue will most likely not be a realistic contender for the Xavier Booker sweepstakes.

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