If you were to look at Mike Nwoko and Jovan Milicevic, you might notice some similarities between the two. Both stand 6’10”, both have dedicated their college years to enriching themselves and their families through their basketball talents, and both of their paths have led them to the campus of Xavier University where they are both members of the Preseason All-Big East Third Team and figure to form a potent frontcourt tandem. One thing that might not meet the eye but lurks just beneath the surface is that they both love committing fouls. Can’t get enough of it. Both of them fouled at a rate a season ago that would make completing 40 minutes in a basketball game an impossibility if the referees are paying attention and only like a 35% chance if Brian O’Connell is in charge. While I’m sure Xavier’s coaching staff has encouraged these two to dial it back in terms of the slapping, there is still legitimate concern over how much we will see Xavier’s best frontcourt be able to keep themselves on the floor. Enter Nikos Chitikoudis, part of Xavier’s insurance policy against having to put Filip Borovicanin at the 5 again.
Chitikoudis, as one might guess from the last name, is from Greece and represented his country at the 2024 FIBA Eurobasket U-20 Championship, posting 6.9/4.3/0.9 per game for the bronze medalists. In terms of college experience, he has logged 68 starts in 88 games across three seasons, two with North Carolina A&T and last year with Robert Morris. His calling card at very stop has been his rebounding and shot blocking. He’s been top 500 in block rate every season and has held his numbers pretty well against better competition and his rebounding has been top 225 at both ends in each of the last two seasons. A quick glance at his box scores in the three tier A+B games Robert Morris played last season, @ Iowa, @ St. Bonaventure, and @ Wright State, come up with averages of 14.6 and 7.6 in those games with only Bonaventure’s Frank Mitchell out playing Chitikoudis. On the offensive end, he is a decent enough scorer at the rim, but is a career 44% shooter from the line, 23% from deep, and 25% on two point jumpers. In Xavier’s exhibition games, he has been serviceable in double digit minutes against both Dayton and Kent State and went for 17 on 6-11 from the floor and 5-9 from the line in 26 minutes against Tennessee.
Chitikoudis figures to split minutes with Rolyns Aligbe backing up Nwoko and Milicevic at least initially and his role will likely be dictated by his effectiveness in those early cameos, somewhat like Pape N’Diaye a year ago. He comes with a lot of experience and a handful of strong performances against high ranking competition in his college career as well as a slot on the All-Horizon League Defensive Team to his name. He’s probably not going to dictate a lot of the offense be geared toward him when he is on the floor, but he has a nose for the dirty work and the amount of that he can do in place of the starters will go a long way in determining his slot in the rotation.