It’s the time of year for drawing conclusions from practices and, apparently, court documents. As Team 95 assembles on campus for the first practice of the season, the depth of the backcourt has gone from being a strength to a serious concern. Myles Davis isn’t with the team and some rumors have him not even enrolled for class this semester JP Macura hasn’t taken any discipline yet from his youthful indiscretion, but that doesn’t mean none is coming. That leaves Edmond Sumner, Trevon Bluiett, and a lot of newcomers as the only definites coming into practice.
Now is the time to remind everyone that last year there was a large contingent that thought Larry Austin Jr. would be the starting point guard and Edmond Sumner would be fighting for time off the bench. Things change in October before a ball is ever really bounced in anger. So, despite the questions, there are reasons to think that Xavier is well set in the backcourt. Evan Daniels hit on a couple of those in his stop by the Cintas Center.
Xavier's Quentin Goodin was very impressive. Made plays off the bounce. Confident for a freshman. Even with a loaded backcourt, he'll help.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) October 5, 2016
Goodin is an athlete. With he and Sumner both running the floor at the same time, even the most loaded of teams will struggle to keep up. This isn’t a situation where Xavier is fast for the conference or the region, the Musketeers have two legitimately elite athletes that could be in position to feed off each other all year long.
Big East sixth man of the year JP Macura will build on his sophomore year. Showed his leadership in practice. Competitive kid. Fills it up.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) October 5, 2016
Speaking of feeding off things, JP feeds off the hate of opposing fanbases. Xavier’s resident instigator may miss time (or he may not, we don’t know), but when he comes back he’s going to take even more stick from student sections and he’s going to convert that into even more of being what he is. He’s going to get technicals, he’s going to frustrate Coach Mack at times, and he’s going to bury big shots and dunk in decided games. It’s what he does, and it’s hard not to love him for it.
Bottom line is Xavier rolls out arguably 2 (Sumner & Bluiett) of the 3 best players in the Big East. They'll be a fun duo to watch this year
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) October 5, 2016
With or without Myles Davis, with the frontcourt unsettled, and with new blood in the backcourt, this really is the bottom line. Trevon and Edmond are tremendous players who are still improving. If those two stay healthy, there is no game on the schedule that Xavier isn’t in. If Goodin is as good as advertised, if Macura is himself and if, please Jesus, Myles Davis comes back at some point, this team is still totally loaded.