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Running the anchor leg of this series is Remy Abell, another in the increasingly long line of players Xavier has been glad to take off the hands of Indiana University. He's not born to get buckets like Jordan Crawford or a bloodless finisher like Tu Holloway (who I understand was never technically a Hoosier), but we'll take him just the same.
Remy went for a modest 8.4/2.0/1.2 on a sterling shooting line of .489/.411/.713. He never really looked like he was hunting down shots, but there were certainly times when he took every opportunity the game was willing to bring to him. Guys who can score but don't seem obsessed with it are hard to come by, but there are still a few fairly solid comps out there for Remy.
The top performer: Gary Bell, Gonzaga (889)
| Season | GP | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshman | 33 | 28.9 | 10.4 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 49.6 | 47.7 | 74.1 |
| Sophomore | 34 | 28.6 | 9.0 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 42.0 | 39.2 | 72.3 |
| Junior | 30 | 28.0 | 11.0 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 47.6 | 42.7 | 78.6 |
| Senior | 38 | 27.8 | 8.2 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 40.4 | 36.1 | 75.0 |
Bell dropped off a bit as a senior thanks to a three-point shot that went south on him, but he still posted an ORtg of because he never turned the ball over and didn't use a lot of possessions. Bell hit 18 fewer twos than Remy as a junior, so he had to depend more on his three-point chops than Abell does. That's still a pretty solid stat line from a guy who was 8th on last year's Gonzaga team in usage rate.
The middle road: Will Spradling, Kansas State (887)
| Season | GP | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshman | 34 | 21.9 | 6.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 39.7 | 37.0 | 82.5 |
| Sophomore | 33 | 31.2 | 9.3 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 36.2 | 33.1 | 82.0 |
| Junior | 34 | 27.4 | 7.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 39.5 | 35.9 | 86.4 |
| Senior | 33 | 30.0 | 7.7 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 38.1 | 33.6 | 72.9 |
Spradling's career average for scoring and shooting percentage match exactly his numbers in his senior year. He left a couple of points at the free throw line as a senior, and it's worth noting that he was not nearly as proficient going to the rim as Remy is. Seeing another guy with Remy's profile who showed up and did what he was expected to do isn't all bad though.
The guy who fell apart: Xavian Rimmer, Louisiana-Lafayette (894)
| Season | GP | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | 35 | 27.1 | 8.8 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 43.4 | 43.2 | 82.0 |
| Senior | 35 | 14.1 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 33.3 | 27.1 | 76.1 |
Rimmer was a JuCo transfer who had a great first season at the four-year level before having an extremely forgettable second one. Tellingly, his coach made reference to Rimmer's coming into the season overweight, which he thought was a large factor in Rimmer's struggles. Remy may have some limitations, but getting heavy enough that Coach Mack mentions it in a presser is not something I expect from him.
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There you have it for Remy. I think this speaks to the idea that most guys who can linger on the fringes of a game but still score efficiently are relatively reliable for continuing to do so. Remy hustles, he's athletic, and he plays really good defense; I'd expect him to put together another very solid year for X as a senior.