Two new verbals for Xavier

We try not to make too much noise about verbal commitments around here, as a lot can go wrong (and often does) between the spoken word and the done deal. However, it's at least worth mentioning that Xavier's 2014 class, which already boasted ESPN100 guard Edmond Sumner and renowned gunner JP Macura, picked up another pair of impressive verbals over the past week.

The first of this is big man Makinde London. Well, London is big as in tall, not big as in broad. At 6'9", 195 pounds, he would more or less disappear if he stood in profile. The beneficiary of an eight-inch growth spurt since he entered high school, London has evolved into a tall man with a short man skill set. He is a good athlete and gets off the floor quickly going for rebounds and blocks. He also reads the game well and can put the ball on the deck to attack, find open space for his more than serviceable three point stroke, and even distribute when called upon. Obviously, adding strength is going to be priority 1A for him; he's a good finisher at his level, but he's going to need to bulk up to score at the rim in the Big East. His post game is still rough at this point, but he has massive amounts of upside if he can continue to grow into his frame while remaining versatile on the floor.

Sean O'Mara, at 6'9", 240, is kind of the opposite sort of player. Where London is a willow who prefers the full-court and a game with space, O'Mara is a real-estate player in the lane out of the mold of Jason Love. He is physical and has a well-developed back to the basket game. Most of his finishing takes place below the rim, but he has the basketball acumen to position himself to take advantage of his skill set. He is also a good area rebounder - as you might imagine - and a serviceable distributor of the ball from the post. He struggles a little bit against players who have the length and athleticism to foil him, but his game continues to evolve. Working into a Division One body will also be a priority for O'Mara, but in the opposite of the way it is for London. After the work the Xavier conditioning staff has done with Matt Stainbrook, I'm not guessing it will be an issue.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the addition of these two players gives Xavier 14 scholarships committed to the 2014-2015 roster. Obviously, there is at least one more change in the offing before that season tips off. It will be interesting to see if that comes in the form of someone transferring out, a verbal not signing, or Semaj leaving for the NBA. Fortunately for the time being, basketball season is almost here, which means idle speculation season is finally - blessedly - almost over.