The music was loud Wednesday when practice started and the energy on the Cintas Center floor may have been enough to power a small nuclear reactor.
The voice of Paul Scruggs, the only four-year senior on Xavier's roster this season, cut through above the music, nearly as loud as head coach Travis Steele.
As the Musketeers warmed up, they split the floor in half with guards at one end and big men at the other.
Assistant coaches Dante Jackson and Ben Johnson led the guards – Scruggs, Nate Johnson, Dwon Odom, Colby Jones and CJ Wilcher – in a shooting, passing and perimeter movement drill, while Steele and assistant Jonas Hayes led the forwards – Jason Carter, Zach Freemantle, Daniel Ramsey, Bryan Griffin and Dieonte Miles – through a back-to-the-basket, then face-up shooting sequence.