Dec 10, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard Edmond Sumner (4) shoots during the first half against the Utah Utes forward Tyler Rawson (21) at the Cintas Center. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports
What are the five reasons why Xavier basketball will the 2017 National Title?
The Big East is one of the top three conferences in college basketball right now. Villanova and Creighton may be the the two elite teams at the top of the Big East standings, but Xavier is right behind them.
The Musketeers are currently 17th in the AP Poll top 25 and have a record of 8-2. They have quality victories over Utah, Northern Iowa (twice) and Clemson. They also have two tough losses to a top five Baylor team on the road and a boarder-line NCAA Tournament team Colorado in Boulder.
Chris Mack’s squad was taken to the brink by Lehigh in the first game of the season and Missouri in the first game of the Advocare Invitational in Florida. However, the Musketeers were able to survive the tests and show impressive resilience despite wire-to-wire battles with inferior opponents.
Now some may think I’m crazy for calling Xavier a National Title contender, but they truly have developed into one of the more consistent programs in the nation over the last few years. Since taking over the job in 2009, Mack has helped Xavier earn seven appearances in the Big Dance in eight years.
They also reached the Sweet 16 in 2009, 2010, 2012 and most recently, an unexpected appearance in 2015.
And the Musketeers look like they are on the road to another long NCAA Tournament run. Here are the five reasons they will be cutting down the nets in March.
Dec 7, 2016; Boulder, CO, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard J.P. Macura (55) attempts a three point basket in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Events Center. The Buffaloes defeated the Musketeers 68-66. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
5. Solid chemistry
Not a lot of teams have the chemistry that Xavier has, especially when it comes to their top three players. Trevon Bluiett, J.P. Macura and Edmond Sumner have all been through the Big East gauntlet together and they all played big roles on last season’s NCAA Tournament team that earned a number two seed.
Even players like Sean O’Mara, Kaiser Gates and eventually, Myles Davis (who we will talk more about later), have played with Bluiett, Macura and Sumner, giving them a stronger understanding of one another and their respective games.
Finally, while RaShid Gaston sat out last year after transferring over from Norfolk State, he still had the opportunity to practice with the Musketeers and build relationships with the core of the team.
The Musketeers may not have the chemistry level of Villanova, but they certainly have been together longer than the Kentuckys of the world.
Dec 7, 2016; Boulder, CO, USA; Xavier Musketeers forward RaShid Gaston (35) finishes off a basket past Colorado Buffaloes guard Derrick White (21) in the second half at the Coors Events Center. The Buffaloes defeated the Musketeers 68-66. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
4. RaShid Gaston coming into his own
One of the main concerns coming into the season for Xavier was their thin front court. After losing Jalen Reynolds and James Farr to the pros and graduation respectively, the Musketeers didn’t have any proven interior players.
The guy they hoped would take over the role would be Norfolk State transfer RaShid Gaston. Gaston started off slowly (he didn’t score in double digits in eight of the first nine games), but has played outstanding basketball in Xavier’s last two outings.
In the team’s loss at Colorado, Gaston scored 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked two shots. In the Musketeers next game against the Utes, the 6’9″ big man once again had a superb game, scoring 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting and grabbing 14 rebounds.
If Gaston can continue to be a force on the glass, score when he receives the ball on the block and swat occasional shots on defense, Xavier will be able to overcome their lack of experience in the paint.
Sean O’Mara, Kaiser Gates and Tyrique Jones will certainly play large roles and Trevon Bluiett will slide down to the four when the Musketeers go small. However, Gaston is the anchor of the paint, and he will only get better as he adjusts to the Big East style of play.
Mar 20, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard Myles Davis (15) reacts during the first half of the second round against the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
3. Myles Davis will be back…eventually
As evident in their close losses to Lehigh and Missouri, and their defeats against Baylor and Colorado, Xavier does indeed miss their senior guard Myles Davis.
Davis is currently dealing with an indefinite suspension due to two criminal charges (misdemeanor criminal damaging) relating to incidents that he had with his ex-girlfriend back in July.
Xavier is clearly still waiting for the legal process to play itself out before making a further decision on Davis’ status. But there has been good news over the last couple of weeks.
For #Xavier fans, I'm told Myles Davis will return sometime at the beginning of conference play. End December, early January. @FOX19
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) December 9, 2016
Myles Davis will definitely not be playing for @XavierMBB before Christmas.
— Shannon Russell (@slrussell) December 9, 2016
In 2015-16, Davis averaged 10.8 points, 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds, while shooting 40 percent from the field overall and 38 percent from downtown.
But what Davis’ stats don’t show is his leadership ability. As the most experienced player on the roster, he was supposed to be the core leader of the team.
On top of his ability to rally the troops in the locker room, Davis is very versatile. He can initiate the offense, knock down open threes, play in transition and attack the rim. He shoots 85 percent from the free throw line and is also a solid defender (0.9 steals per game).
The Musketeers need Davis back to win the National Title. He’s going to have to shake off some rust at the beginning of Big East play, but it looks like he will be ready to roll come tournament time.
Dec 7, 2016; Boulder, CO, USA; Xavier Musketeers head coach Chris Mack reacts on the bench during the second half against the against the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Events Center. The Buffaloes defeated the Musketeers 68-66. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
2. Chris Mack is underrated
Chris Mack doesn’t receive the ink that some of the top coaches in the nation do. However, Mack deserves credit for increasing the stature of Xavier’s program.
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Since moving into the Big East three years ago, Xavier has not missed the NCAA Tournament once. They made a Sweet 16 in 2015 and were the number two seed in the Big Dance in 2016 before losing to Wisconsin in the second round.
Mack gets the most out of his talent. The Musketeers weren’t the most talented team in 2014-15 and were certainly not expected to be one of 16 teams standing during the second weekend of the Big Dance. But Mack made it happen by preaching balance and good defense. He let his big man Matt Stainbrook carry the Musketeers in the front court and relied on his team controlling tempo every night.
And Mack will do it again this year. Despite losing Jalen Reynolds and James Farr (two key front court contributors from 2015-16) and having a weak core of outside shooters, Mack is finding ways to win with the talent that is currently on his roster.
Nov 29, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard Edmond Sumner (4) brings the ball down court with guard Trevon Bluiett (5) during the first half against the North Dakota State Bison at the Cintas Center. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports
1. The dynamic duo
J.P. Macura is Xavier’s second leading scorer, but the Musketeers two best players are Trevon Bluiett and Edmond Sumner.
Bluiett is averaging 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, while Sumner is putting up 14.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. They are both struggling from beyond the arc, but for the most part they are efficient and are solid free throw shooters.
Bluiett can play numerous different positions and is the Musketeers’ go-to scorer because of his ability to stretch the floor, put the ball on the deck, score in the mid-range and post-up. He’s not an elite rebounder, but he has improved his defense (a major weakness) over the last couple of years.
Meanwhile, Sumner is the guy who runs the show, as he is Xavier’s starting point guard. He is one of the most explosive and athletic players in the nation, and puts up great numbers defensively.
He has issues shooting the ball from the perimeter and still needs to take certain steps to be a better playmaker. However, he has all of conference play to improve and develop and won’t have to handle as big of a load when Myles Davis returns to the team.
March Madness is about stars. Xavier doesn’t just have one, they have two.
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