Xavier Power Rankings 1/25

Welcome to another week of Xavier Power Rankings, where I take real flesh-and-blood humans and grade them like they're so many steaks in front of the USDA. To keep the blatant objectification fresh this week, we're going to rank the guys not by how difficult they would be to replace - as is our wont on a usual Monday - but by what I think their prospects are in basketball after they graduate from Xavier. Let's begin.

The incomplete grades

13. Eddie Ekiyor

A redshirt freshman who played his high school ball in a different country doesn't give me a lot to work with here. Coach Mack says he's long and smart, so he probably has the framework in place for a very good career at Xavier. I don't know at all what we're working with going forward at this point though.

12. RaShid Gaston

RaShid is a little different in that he put together three fairly productive years at Norfolk State already. He's apparently good enough that the coaching staff felt comfortable burning two years of scholarship to get one year of play out of him, and Coach Mack described him as the toughest guy on a team that I think is fairly well-stocked with tough guys. I suspect he'll end up making money somewhere, but I haven't seen him play yet. I'm withholding judgment at this point.

The guys who it's too soon to tell

11. Makinde London

Who doesn't love a guy who stands around 6'9" and has the silky skills that Makinde has flashed. He's shown some serious game with the back-dribble three he hit and that spinning pass to Sean O'Mara for a layup, but he also has been getting really spare minutes the last couple of weeks after missing all of last season for a development redshirt. Is he a late bloomer or just dormant? Jury's still out; Makinde has a lot of ball in front of him still.

10. Kaiser Gates

I really like what I've seen out of Kaiser so far. There are plenty of guys who go on to make a living playing ball that start out with freshman years like the one he's putting together. There are also plenty of guys currently holding down desks and wondering what might have been who do the same. There's no telling how Kaiser will develop from here, but I suspect his future is bright.

The future businessmen

9. Larry Austin, Jr.

I think Larry will have a very solid college career, but I don't see the next level in him. For all his bounce, he's not a great finisher, and his other point guard skills are a bit rudimentary. Couple that with an unwillingness or inability to shoot from outside of about eight feet and you've got a guy who is going to use that degree he'll earn at X.

8. Remy Abell

I really like Remy's game and respect what he does for Xavier, but I don't see him getting enough exposure to land somewhere across the pond. There are guys a couple of inches taller and dropping 15 per game right now that are going to end up coming off of benches in Europe; I don't think a guy that KenPom listed as "nearly invisible" before he changed up his nomenclature is going to find a place to land.

The Europeans

7. Myles Davis

This is as low as you'll see Myles on a power ranking here, so remember the date. He's an excellent shooter with plenty of toughness, but he doesn't have the defensive nous of a Stan Burrell or the size of a BJ Raymond. I think his game plays in Europe in a couple of years, but I'm less confident of that than I am the idea that his game plays in the NCAA right now.

6. JP Macura

I can see JP being involved in one of those games that ends up with grainy footage of a lit flare being thrown onto the court splashed all over the internet. Besides that, his ability to score in creative ways and distribute with a little bit of flair will have him getting paid to play until he doesn't want to anymore.

5. Sean O'Mara

Call me crazy, but the kid is 6'10" and has a delightful feel for getting buckets around the rim. He has scoring moves to either hand and will only get better with another couple of years in school. One thing that has been a pleasant development is the occasional burst of athleticism he displays, especially in running the floor and getting himself in position for easy buckets. As long as Sean keeps developing, he'll end up cashing checks.

The fringe guys

4. James Farr

He doesn't have the athleticism the NBA is looking for, or at least I'm not sure that he does. I think he'll get a couple of workout peeks like Matt Stainbrook did, but I think his ultimate destiny is to go overseas and play for a while. A deep run in the NCAA tournament might get him some better chances; with his defensive ability (I didn't think I'd ever type that idea about James) and superlative rebounding, he might be able to make a roster in the right situation.

3. Jalen Reynolds

The biggest thing working against Jalen is his age. The second biggest thing is his lack of dominance at the college level right now. If he were doing what he's doing now at 20, you can see an NBA team wanting to draft him on potential and freakish athleticism. Since he's going to turn 24 this year, I think only a huge explosion in production gets him beyond some courtesy due diligence looks from the Association. If he puts it together, I can see an NBA team grabbing his rights.

2. Trevon Bluiett

Trevon has a nuanced offensive game and has shown the ability to be a knockdown shooter from mid-range and deep when given a whisker of space. The problem for him at the next level would be actually finding that space. I think he sticks around for four years and turns into a less athletic, less tall, less heralded Shane Battier. I'm not sure exactly where that leaves him, but you don't have to squint too hard to see a serviceable NBA bench piece if things break right after a couple more years of development.

The lottery pick

1. Edmond Sumner

He's a legit 6'6" and runs the point. His shooting is already serviceable and appears to have room to grow. He can attack off the bounce with either hand and put a defender on skates, and I think you and I and Octavius Ellis all know that he can finish at the rim. Another season of experience wouldn't hurt him, but at some point in time very soon someone is going to pay this young man a lot of money to forgo a year or two of school.