Trevon Bluiett and defending big

I was reading an article my guy Fran Fraschilla shared on Twitter about smaller defenders guarding the post. If you watched Xavier play last season, you saw the team trending towards a smaller lineup as the year went on, so obviously there's a connection there.

No matter how you break it down, Xavier's set of its best five offensive players only contains one true post player, namely Jalen Reynolds. On the other hand, the team's best defender around the rim (and almost nowhere away from it) is your friend and mine James Farr. Farr is also an excellent rebounder, which is a vital part of getting defensive stops.

Setting aside for a moment the potential contributions of Kaiser Gates or Makinde London, Trevon Bluiett is far and away the player most likely to be playing as an undersized four. Though his offensive prowess is the most notable part of his game, his development as a defender will be a telling early storyline this year.