The sophomore guard, a former St. Raphael star, still has to be released from his scholarship by the Jaspers.

08:46 AM EDT on Friday, April 21, 2006

BY KEVIN McNAMARA
Journal Sports Writer

Jeff Xavier is coming home.

No longer will his parents, Alice and Pedro, or his four brothers, two sisters and carloads of aunts and uncles need to drive south on Route 95 to Manhattan College's campus. Now the entire Xavier clan can go a mere three exits from Pawtucket to the Dunkin' Donuts Center and see their pride and joy bomb away from the 3-point line.

Xavier said he received permission from Manhattan late Wednesday to talk to other schools. The 6-foot sophomore guard then talked to Providence College coach Tim Welsh a few hours later.

"He basically said he has a scholarship remaining for me and asked if I was interested," said Xavier. "I said great. I always wanted to play for Providence."

With that, the Friars had yet another guard in the fold in what may have been Welsh's easiest recruiting sell in eight years on the job.

"He just told me we'd keep in touch over the next few weeks and talk a lot and build trust and some chemistry between us," said Xavier. "I'm excited."

While Xavier's excitement about a move from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to the Big East was apparent, Manhattan still has to formally release him from his scholarship, and that won't happen until the Jaspers name a new coach to replace Bobby Gonzalez, who left for Seton Hall two weeks ago. There remains a chance that the new Manhattan coach could try to convince Xavier to stay in New York, but those odds seem very long. Welsh cannot comment on Xavier's decision until he enrolls at PC.

"I'm real excited," Xavier said. "I called my family, my mother and some friends in Rhode Island, right away."

The Jeff Xavier Rhode Island high school fans remember from his days as a two-time All-Stater at St. Raphael has taken his game to a more elite level. Xavier averaged 28 points as a junior and 26 as a senior for the Saints, slashing to the hoop and sinking jumpers from long range. However, Xavier's slim frame and a game that pegged him as an off-guard scared away PC, URI and every other Big East and Atlantic 10 school. Manhattan gladly scooped him up.

Xavier played 19 minutes a game as a freshman and averaged 7.8 points and 2.7 rebounds. But as a sophomore this year, Xavier's game took off. He started early in the year and enjoyed big nights right away. Included was a 25-point effort (with 5 threes) at URI and 24 more against Fordham in December.

He went on to earn second-team All-MAAC honors, averaging 16.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.9 assists. His 77 threes are a Manhattan single-season record. He scored in double figures in the team's last 13 games, and scored 20 or more points in 10 games, including a career-high 31 (along with 8 rebounds and 6 assists) in the Jaspers' 87-84 win at Maryland in the First Round of the N.I.T. He poured in a team-high 19 points in a season-ending N.I.T. loss at Old Dominion.

Transfer rules will keep Xavier on the sidelines for the 2006-07 season, but he'll be able to practice and push what will be a very young PC backcourt. The Friars return soon-to-be sophomores Sharaud Curry and Weyinmi Efejuku and will welcome freshmen Jamal Barney, Brian Rudolph and Brian McKenzie in the fall. Xavier will compete with that group for playing time in 2007-08.

There also appears to be a break in the recruitment of the latest Rhode Island high school hoops star -- St. Andrew's guard Rakim Sanders. The word is Al Skinner is about to hire former URI player Preston Murphy to his staff at Boston College. Murphy is extremely close with Sanders and could sway him away from Providence, Syracuse, Florida, Connecticut and other schools that are showing increased interest in the Providence native.

kmcnamar@projo.com / (401) 277-7340