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Hello, Alabama fans. Before we talk about what pulls us apart, let's talk about what brings us together: we don't like Dayton, and I'm guessing you're not that fond of them either right now. There's a chance that either of our teams plays Dayton this weekend, and I think we're both hoping to open up a can on them if it happens.
Xavier personnel
| No. | Name | Yr. | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STARTERS | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Edmond Sumner | Fr. | G | 6-6 | 183 | 13.0 | 3.5 | 2.3 | .483 | .444 | .667 | Could have 20 points, could have 6 TO, could do both |
| 10 | Remy Abell | Sr. | G | 6-4 | 197 | 9.0 | 1.0 | 2.3 | .423 | .286 | .909 | Best defender on the team; can score, but doesn't hunt shots |
| 15 | Myles Davis | Jr. | G | 6-2 | 188 | 10.3 | 3.0 | 2.5 | .344 | .267 | .938 | Best shooter on the team, but off to a cold start; has old-man game |
| 5 | Trevon Bluiett | So. | G/F | 6-6 | 208 | 14.3 | 9.5 | 2.8 | .400 | .476 | .778 | Scores at all three levels; has a nose for the ball |
| 1 | Jalen Reynolds | Jr. | F | 6-10 | 238 | 10.3 | 8.7 | 1.3 | .429 | .500 | .773 | Absolute monster in the middle; prone to mental mistakes |
| RESERVES | ||||||||||||
| 0 | Larry Austin Jr. | So. | G | 6-2 | 179 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 | .571 | .000 | .000 | Will push on offense and work hard on defense |
| 2 | James Farr | Sr. | F/C | 6-10 | 244 | 10.0 | 10.8 | 0.8 | .469 | .000 | .909 | Maybe the best rebounder in the nation right now |
| 13 | Makindé London | Fr. | F | 6-10 | 220 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | Struggling to get in the rotation; athletic but whip thin |
| 22 | Kaiser Gates | Fr. | F | 6-8 | 217 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 0.0 | .000 | .000 | .667 | Stretch four; not afraid to shoot |
| 54 | Sean O'Mara | So. | F/C | 6-10 | 247 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | Back-to-the-basket big man; could be getting more minutes this week |
| 55 | J.P. Macura | So. | G | 6-5 | 203 | 10.8 | 2.0 | 1.8 | .407 | .357 | .859 | Always gives huge effort; has incredible offensive flair |
Xavier strategy
The first and possibly last thing you need to know is that Xavier flies to the offensive glass. Reynolds, Farr, and Macura are all perennially in there, and Trevon Bluiett can find spaces when he's so inclined. Xavier's entire offense inside the arc has been based on stickbacks right now.
On defense, Xavier plays a man and a 1-3-1, both of which have the same problem: three-point defense. X has spent the entire Chris Mack era giving up way too many threes, and this year has been no different. Xavier has been forcing turnovers pretty well and dominating the glass; if they're going to be beaten, it's going to be from beyond the arc.
Other things to consider
- Xavier usually sucks on Thanksgiving. Like, we don't like it as fans.
- We have seven guys who have gone for double figures this year. This team is deep in scoring threats.
- Coach Mack was not pleased at all with the team's effort in Monday's win. Xavier should be energized today.