When Chris Mack entered the 2015-16 season, he had a decision to make regarding the point guard position. The departure of Dee Davis gave way to two point guards for the veteran head coach to choose from: Edmond Sumner and Larry Austin Jr. Both talented players figured to make Mack sweat heading into a campaign after which the Musketeers ran to the Sweet 16.
Well, Mack wound up choosing Sumner, a Detroit, Michigan native who could pack a punch, and things turned out okay for X. The Musketeers won a record amount of regular season games, were in the thick of the Big East race all season long and made it back to the NCAA Tournament once again. Sumner would become a unanimous choice for the Big East's All-Freshman team and was likely the No. 2 choice behind Marquette Golden Eagles power forward Henry Ellenson for the title of "Best Freshman in the Big East."
As for Larry Austin Jr., he would go on to play a limited role for the Musketeers this season, appearing in every game yes, but never playing more than 19 minutes. So that's why it comes as no surprise that the Springfield, Illinois native will be transferring from Xavier University. AAU coach David Williams brought on the news first, which was later corroborated by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports and Jeff Goodman of ESPN.
With Austin set to sit out in the 2016-17 season upon completing the move, he will have two years of eligibility left following the fleeing of Cincinnati. A talented player like him should not have trouble finding a new landing spot, and should be able to garner a bountiful amount of playing time in the right situation. So, best of luck to Larry Austin Jr. wherever he may land.