Xavier lands 2016 big man

To help further cement an already excellent 2016 recruiting class, Coach Mack has landed another solid for star post man. Eddie Ekiyor is a 6-8, 215 forward who fits the mold of Jamel McLean or Travis Taylor. He's a banger who can jump and run and plays the game above the rim. If you are liking the way that Xavier has been trending with recruiting bigs who can race up and down the floor, you'll be pleased with this addition. A front line that could conceivably feature Jalen Reynolds, RaShid Gaston, and Ekiyor would be incredibly athletic.

It wouldn't be incredibly offensively gifted though, and Ekiyor also fits there. A lot of guys who play the game above the rim enter college without having polished the offensive nuance needed. When you can simply jump over most people, there's not a lot of reason to spend time learning other ways to beat them. Ekiyor hasn't developed that back to the basket game, or a reliable jumper, that he'll need. Most scouting services agree that he has a good understanding of the game and works hard though, so there is reason to believe that he can learn the game quickly under Coach Mack's staff.

Four star bigs with the intelligence to learn the game don't grow on trees, and Xavier has done well to land another one. Villanova, Florida, and Kansas State, among many others, had made official offers to the forward out of Ottawa, Canada, but he spurned them all to come to X. Reports indicate he will enroll at Xavier for the second semester this year and begin play next season. The rise to the recruiting top continues.