The temptation to play with Chance Westry's name in regard to the opportunities he has been given is significant, but we'll try to avoid that here. That said, this is the latest stop on what has been a long road for Westry. When he initially came out of high school he was highly touted in the same class that included Des Claude. Then, he started to get hurt.
First came an athroscopic meniscus repair at Auburn. Westry, somewhat internet famously, had that operation the same day as his coach, Bruce Pearl. His knee was never really right for the rest of that season and he had to shut it down in January. Westry then transferred to Syracuse, where he promptly had essentially the same injury and surgery on his other knee. The next season he missed significant time with a sinus infection that he just could not shake. Basket Under Review said, "The game kicked him while he was down." That's a difficult assessment to argue.
That brings us to last year at UAB, where Westry was finally healthy. Chance said that through all of those injuries he kept refining his game and working on things that he could. It showed. He averaged 15.5/3.8/5.5 and set an American record with a 15 assist game. His assist to turnover rate was elite as he demonstrated that he can still read a floor very well. About the only part of his game that needed some polish was his three point shooting, where he took 83 despite only shooting 22.9%.
Westry comes to Xavier with two* seasons of eligibility left. It's clear that Coach Pitino sees him as an initiator of the offense, though he has struggled to find that flow in the preseason. Westry currently slots in behind Tru Washington at the one guard spot. Tru's impressive preseason means that playing time will, at least initially, be difficult to come by. Westry also will likely need some time to jump up to the Big East level after playing in the American last season.
But if there is anyone on this roster that knows how to deal with some adversity, it's Chance Westry. He's finally healthy, he's finally building off a good season, and he's finally ready to get a real shot at making the NCAA tournament. Overcoming a bit of initial playing time squeeze and rust won't be a big challenge to a guy who has spent time unable to walk.
*God knows with the NCAA
