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If you've been following along you know that we've previewed every scholarship player for Xavier this preseason. We've had a look at the best case scenario, worst case scenario, and the most likely outcome of each player's season. It's not PECOTA, but it will have to do for now. As more news has come out (not ranked again? Shocking) and the non-conference opponent previews have made their way into the season preview section, each player has gotten bumped down a bit. So, if you're looking for what we think of Edmond Sumner or what Bryan sees for Jalen Reynolds, here's your one stop for all of it. Click each name for the full preview.
Edmond Sumner- Freshman guard
"Sumner follows the kind of trajectory Trevon Bluiett did last year...I think the most probable outcome for Sumner is to fight for starter's minutes at the one all season, put up a few very big games, and end the year with a solid stat line on an NCAA tournament team."
Makinde London- Freshman forward
"With the way he runs and jumps and the offensive skills he brings to the floor, he can be for the forwards what JP Macura was for the wings last year. Throw in that wingspan and his shot-blocking skills on the defensive end and he could change a lot of games between media timeouts."
Kaiser Gates- Freshman forward
"A 6-8 shooter isn't an asset that comes along every day though, so it's possible that Coach Mack could move Gates out to the three (or even the two in a massive lineup) and cause serious matchup problems all over the floor for short spans of time."
Sean O'Mara- Sophomore forward
"O'Mara is both blessed and cursed with the teammates he has. He's simply not going to supplant Farr or Reynolds in the starting lineup because he isn't as explosive as either. He is, however, a delightfully brutal change of pace to both of them. If things work out well, O'Mara finds himself first off the bench to replace either and plays 15+ minutes per game."
Larry Austin Jr.- Sophomore guard
"LAJ probably isn't ever going to be a 15 point per game scorer at X, but with the weapons around him, all he needs to be is the straw that stirs the drink, much like Davis was last year."
Trevon Bluiett- Sophomore forward
"Prior to hitting the wall, Bluiett had moments of being nearly unstoppable. 20 games of double digit points and 18 games with five or more rebounds speak to that, as does a season line of 11/4.2/1.9. With some consistency and better conditioning, Bluiett could be a 18/6/3 kind of player with games where he really explodes."
JP Macura- Sophomore guard/forward
"I think he still will make the occasional play that has you clutching your head in frustration, but he'll be a reliable bench scorer who con carry the team every once in a while. I think he is who he is defensively, but a year of understanding that will make him more serviceable on that end."
James Farr- Senior forward
"There is nothing likely when discussing Big Game James, but he seemed to find a niche last year. He may not shoot as well as he did in his sophomore season again, but I expect his numbers to come back up there. Look for a commensurate increase in playing time."
Remy Abell- Senior guard
"Well, last year he was the second most efficient offensive player on the team. He shot 54.8% inside the arc, higher than all but Matt Stainbrook and Jalen Reynolds, and he buried a team leading 41% of his three point attempts. Perhaps Remy Abell is actually an offensive weapon hiding in plain sight."
Myles Davis- Junior guard
"The best case for Myles is also the best case for the team: one of LAJ or Edmond Sumner grabs the point guard spot and doesn't let go. That frees Myles to roam off the ball and do his thing. If things go well, he doesn't hit the late season malaise that has plagued him the last two years and stays consistent throughout the season."
Jalen Reynolds- Junior forward
"Reynolds is an extremely gifted athlete and showed a solid range of low post skill last year. With a sense of responsibility about keeping himself on the court, his foul rate drops another 1.5 fouls per 40 minutes and he is able to be a steadying force underneath for Xavier. If this happens, his natural explosiveness will make him one for the best bigs in the nation."