Xavier power rankings 3/17

Not only is the regular season over, but the first of two single-elimination tournaments in which Xavier will play is also in the rear view mirror. They went all the way to the final in the first one, so let's hope they can improve on that effort in their next foray into win-or-go-home basketball. You probably have your own opinions regarding who is responsible for Xavier getting to this point; here are mine.

13. and 12. Makinde London and Edmond Sumner
We've had some guards in the past who definitely played it close to the vest with their emotions, but Edmond Sumner has a smile that is only barely constrained by the physical bounds of his face. I really hope he's healthy and ready to go next year. I don't have a clear read on how expressive Makinde is.

11. Brandon Randolph
He's going or maybe staying or something. Reports leaked last week that he was on the way out, but he and Coach Mack both denied it with varying levels of conviction. Despite that, I'd be surprised to see him on the floor again this year, which is a contribution I can easily replace.

10. Sean O'Mara
It's generally accepted that big men have a tougher time transitioning to the next level than wings and guards do, and Sean O'Mara has certainly had his ups and downs this year. With Matt Stainbrook graduating and James Farr remaking himself as a rebounder/rim protector, the minutes will be there for Sean next season.

9. Larry Austin, Jr.
My guy. I'm excited to see what he looks like in 8 months or so to begin next season. Until then, he's a solid reserve PG whose numbers don't tell the whole story about how much he changes the tempo of the game with the ball in his hands. I'm not sure we've had a guard since Tu who navigated the ball screen with the pensive savvy that LAJ demonstrates.

8. JP Macura
If he can't play, he drops to 11th. At his best, he's nitroglycerine off the bench, coming into the game to make everything around him explode in questionable but intriguing ways. At his worst, he puts up a 14-minute trillion. The problem is that you're never quite sure which JP you're getting until about 6 minutes of playing time have elapsed.

7. James Farr
At some point in time over the offseason we're going to have to take a deeper look at how James Farr has transformed himself. He has gone from almost exclusively a pick-and-pop four to a guy who seems happy to define himself by his effort on the glass and in changing shots around the rim. Xavier has players who can shoot better and players who can post better; James seems to be trying to make sure they don't have anyone who rebounds harder.

6. Trevon Bluiett
The less said about how Trevon played in the Big East Tournament, the better. Purge yourself of that experience and get back to playing basketball the way you know you can, Trevon. We kind of need you.

5. Myles Davis
Another year, another late shooting slump for Myles. I'm hoping the five days off will get his mind right and his legs back under him, because the 1-12 he chucked up from deep at MSG isn't getting it done. The difference is that this year he at least has a diversified game for when the shot isn't falling. It's also worth noting that he has taken up the mantle of on-court leadership, making his actual ability to produce that much more vital.

4. Remy Abell
We still do need a dude who can play defense on a scorer, and Remy remains the only guy who fits the description. With the status of JP's ankle unsettled and the potential of playing a really good shooting team in the first round, the 1-3-1 may not get a lot of run on Thursday. If that's the case, Remy is going to have to be at his best on the defensive end for X to get consistent stops.

3. Jalen Reynolds
Only Jalen can stop Jalen. If you want to know how key he is to the team, go back and watch Georgetown close the gap on Xavier after the technical he unjustly incurred in that game. He may not get consistent starts, but Xavier is at its best when it builds an identity around Jalen and Matt in the paint and lets everything else fall in line behind that.

2. Dee Davis
Dee had 18 assists and 7 turnovers during the Big East Tournament. I would have been okay with it if he had stopped shooting after the Butler game, but I doubt he's going to change who he is 3.9 years into his collegiate career. I love LAJ as a reserve, but the Muskies really rely on getting that Good Dee.

1. Matt Stainbrook
Stainbrook slapped up a cool 33 and 19 against Butler and Georgetown in the Big East Tournament run that put Xavier off the bubble and onto the 6-seed line. We're going to ignore what he did against Villanova because the whole team looked gassed and he's never going to have to play three games in three days again. With BYU/Ole Miss and a possible date with Baylor coming up, it's looking increasingly like Xavier will go as far as their hulking center can break trail for them.