After a busy April that saw Xavier men’s basketball add six players via the NCAA’s transfer portal, the Musketeers have landed their first portal commitment of May
According to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports, Drake transfer Braden Appelhans is headed to Xavier.
Xavier, which has built one of the nation’s top transfer portal hauls over the last month, adds backcourt depth with the addition of Appelhans, who has one year of eligibility remaining.
It’s another familiar face for head coach Richard Pitino, who coached Appelhans for three seasons at New Mexico. The 6-foot-6 guard appeared in 57 games for the Lobos and averaged 2.7 points while shooting 38.3% from the field.
Appelhans was granted a medical redshirt after appearing in 10 games off the bench as a freshman during the 2022-23 season.
He spent last season at Drake, where he made 27 appearances off the bench and averaged 5.3 points per game. Appelhans had a career-high 30 points in a 108-57 win over Western Illinois Dec. 2.
The Bulldogs finished 14-20 overall.
Xavier’s 2026-27 roster is now up to 14 players with Appelhans making seven transfers, three returning players and a four-player incoming freshmen class.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Xavier Musketeers basketball adds Drake transfer Braden Appelhans
Reporting by Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
