Paul Scruggs left a lofty legacy during his five seasons with Xavier men's basketball from 2017-2022.

The Indianapolis native scored over 1,600 career points and ranks fifth in Xavier history in assists (510) and tied for sixth in total rebounds (178). He also suited up for the Musketeers for more games than any player before him.

Being the program's all-time leader in games comes with a dubious distinction. The final of Scruggs' record 151 contests as a Musketeer ended in agony when he tore his ACL in the second round of the NIT tournament on March 20, 2022 at Cintas Center.

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Scruggs returned to the court on crutches and watched from the bench as the Musketeers pulled away from Florida to advance in the tournament. Eleven days later, Xavier won the NIT title, but it left Scruggs with an uneasy feeling.

"It was like a burden on my chest that I couldn't end my senior year the way I wanted to," Scruggs said Thursday. "It was a really sorry feeling."

Sixteen months later, Scruggs is eager to return to Cintas Center as member of Zip 'Em Up, Xavier's alumni basketball team for The Basketball Tournament (TBT).

"It feels like I can end it the right way," Scruggs said. "I love Xavier University. It's the best fans in the world. Coming back here and playing again, it's a blessing and it's a lot of fun."

The rehab process was arduous for the 25-year-old as he hoped his body would respond the way he wanted it to. Scruggs worked on getting muscle back to his knee and is now practicing full-go with fellow Xavier legends and fan-favorites.

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"It's been real fun," Scruggs said. "I've never hooped with some of these guys in college, but coming out here, hooping with them and actually getting to know them on the court is a nice experience."

Zip 'Em Up wants to "win the whole thing."

Zip 'Em Up is in its third season competing in TBT, a winner-take-all, single-elimination tournament with $1 million going to the victor. The TBT is celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer.

Cintas Center will host eight teams in the Xavier regional from July 21-24. The winner from each of the eight regional sites will advance to the quarterfinals held in Wichita, Wheeling, Dayton and Louisville.

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"In the first year, I think everybody was just excited to be back. It's more like a reunion or gathering," said former Xavier guard Mark Lyons, who was on Zip 'Em Up's inaugural squad in 2021. "Having been together for three years, we're focused on one mission and that's to win the whole thing."

Zip 'Em Up is coached by Rick Carter, who spent two seasons as a Xavier assistant coach under Chris Mack. Carter said it was an easy decision to coach the former Musketeers when the team was formed in 2021.

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"Xavier was always my dream job as an assistant coach," Carter said. "When I got here, the fan base honestly treated me like I was family. Getting to know the players as well as I have, it was a no-brainer."

Carter was an assistant on two Xavier teams that made the NCAA Tournament and coached six current Zip 'Em Up players: Semaj Christon, Darwin "Dee" Davis, James Farr, Trevon Bluiett, J.P. Macura and Remy Abell.

"The coolest thing is to see how they've matured as adults," Carter said. "It's not really on the court, it's more when you go to dinner with them. You have your perception of them from college where they might not be able to remember a play. Now they're all adults and grown up and have gotten better at a lot of different things."

Carter and company have only had a handful of practice sessions, two-a-days and walkthroughs to prepare for TBT. Thankfully, the majority of former Musketeers on the club have meshed efficiently.

"One cool thing about Xavier, Sean (Miller) got the job from Thad (Matta), (Chris) Mack got the job from Sean and Travis (Steele) got the job from Mack, but they all had the same philosophy," Carter said. "You can bring any of the guys who played for those coaches back and they all play the same way."

Carter said he'll try to pair Xavier alumni with their former teammates, whether that be Scruggs and guard Nate Johnson or Macura and Bluiett, two members of the 2023-24 Xavier University Athletic Hall of Fame class.

Zip 'Em Up plays Georgia Kingz in the first round of the Xavier regional on Friday night at 8 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: TBT: Xavier's alumni team, Zip 'Em Up, wants to 'win the whole thing'