This season’s exhibition win over Xavier (La.) bore little similarity to 2008’s close call against Bellarmine.

For one, every player on Western’s roster played. They all also scored.

Head Coach Ken McDonald said that in stark contrast to last season, when backups didn’t contribute much, a new issue could arise with more reliable bench play.

“Last year, when we basically played six guys, we stayed away from injury and we made it work,” McDonald said. “This year the challenge is, on paper, with a more talented group — ‘how do we keep everyone happy and stay in the team’ concept?”

Junior forward Sergio Kerusch scored a team-high 19 points in only 17 minutes in Western’s 90-37 win over Xavier, but he said scoring isn’t the only thing he’s trying to accomplish on the court.

It’s important for everyone to know their role and maximize on limited minutes, Kerusch said.

“Everyone can’t be an A.J. (Slaughter), and everyone can’t be a top rebounder,” he said. “We have to learn where we can contribute and what we can add to this team. We’re just all in the process of learning how each other plays right now.”

Those roles vary from player to player. Slaughter said leading the team’s youth was his top priority during his team-high 24 minutes of playing time.

“I’m just talking up and just speaking what I’ve learned in my career and just trying to give the younger guys a little heads up about what they can do to get better,” Slaughter said.

The rotation could go as much as nine or 10 deep throughout the regular season and will change from game to game based on performance in practice, McDonald said.

And if McDonald plans to tighten up his team’s minutes, this week would be a fine time to start.

The Toppers jump straight from the exhibition game into the spotlight of the Preseason National Invitational Tournament. Should Western come out of the tournament in Baton Rouge, La. unscathed, they’ll head to New York for a chance at the tournament’s championship.

“There’s no question everyone’s probably looking around saying, ‘Wow, where are my minutes going to come?’” McDonald said. “That’s part of being a championship-caliber team. All these guys were recruited to play, and they all have a chance to play, and they all have a chance to prove themselves in practice.”

But for a team with championship aspirations, there are advantages to having young talent on the bench. Kerusch said that comes with the threat of knowing in every practice and game that there’s someone willing and able to steal some minutes.

“Our second team is just as good as our first,” Kerusch said. “Just knowing that you have someone breathing right down your neck for your spot is a motivator for you to become a better player, as well as your team to become a better team.”