Trevon Bluiett will not sneak up on anyone this year. Last year’s March run made sure of that, strapping a free falling Musketeers team to his back at times to get them into the big dance, and then lighting up the national stage once there. Already coming into his own as a Xavier legend on the back of a 40 point explosion in the Crosstown Shootout, Bluiett proceeded to bolster X’s tournament hopes with a winner off one good ankle against Seton Hall, before sealing their spot by breaking Butler’s hearts in the Big East Tournament. Then came the real fireworks. 18 in the second half to lead a comeback against Maryland in the first round was followed by 21 second half points to make sure Florida State didn’t have any comeback designs of their own in the second. He went ahead and led all scorers with 25 against Arizona and picked up the game winning assist before he, and the team who he had rallied with his performances, ran out of gas against Gonzaga, the last camera shot of Bluiett’s Junior season showing him in tears at it all came to a screeching halt.

Bluiett returns a Senior and already one of the most decorated and celebrated players in Xavier history. He currently sits 15th all time in scoring and has picked up a heap of preseason recognition as one of the best players in the country. The only hurdle is a minor shoulder injury, which saw him sit out of Xavier’s exhibition against Thomas More earlier this month. Still, if he comes back even close to 100%, he has shown the drive and fight to be an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses.

Best Case Scenario

Remember the thing Buddy Hield did a couple of years ago with Oklahoma? That. Bluiett proved that he can take and make any number of big shots last year and returns as a guy who came second in the Big East in scoring last year, despite injury problems in the second half of the season. When Tre gets hot, he can score with anyone in the country and if he maintains a clean bill of health this year and is able to sustain the level he reached last March, All-American status and becoming Xavier’s first National Player of the Year will follow.

Worst Case Scenario

Obviously it is going to be injury. Ankle problems limited Tre for most of the end of last season, but even then he was Xavier’s best offensive option. Basically short of a catastrophic injury, there is nothing that will stop Bluiett from being Xavier’s go-to scorer this year and a darn good one at that.

Most Likely Scenario

Trevon will almost surely end the season in the top 3 all-time scorers at Xavier and will provide more moments this season to cement his legacy as one of the best to ever wear the uniform. On such a strong roster, especially at the guard and wing positions, there may be times where Bluiett struggles to get his scoring rhythm, but if this team gets where they want to go, it will be because Bluiett took them there.