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As previously discussed, we’re going to be taking a look at what the KenPom numbers say about the potential of the current players on the Xavier roster. For more detail on what exactly this will entail, click through here. Once you get caught up there, let's jump right in.
Today’s episode will focus on Tyrique Jones. I was hoping Tyrique would be mean when Xavier was recruiting him, and he paid off on that in spades. He played 11 minutes per game and posted 4.2/3.1/0.3 on 60.2% shooting. He also ate glass, punched it on anyone who challenged him at the rim, and mean-mugged the fire out of entire arenas.
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I loved it. Did the numbers? Let’s check it out.
The stud: Drew Gordon (934)
| Season | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshman | 11.0 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 0.2 | 56.5% | 0.0% | 50.0% |
| Sophomore | 24.5 | 11.2 | 5.3 | 0.8 | 56.9% | 0.0% | 64.3% |
| Junior | 28.0 | 13 | 10.5 | 0.6 | 52.7% | 0.0% | 67.8% |
| Senior | 30.8 | 13.7 | 11.1 | 1.2 | 54.2% | 100.0% | 75.2% |
This guy could really play. After a non-descript freshman year at UCLA, he blew up as a sophomore and then had two monster years at New Mexico. I mean, he averaged a double-double in college. That’s really tough to do. Plus, he dropped his fouls per 40 minutes from 6.1 to 2.9 and raised his FT% from an even 50% to just over 75%. Wouldn’t be horrible to see Tyrique follow that route.
The reverse RaShid: Percy Gibson (932)
| Season | MP | PTS | TRB | AST | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshman | 10.7 | 4.8 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 65.6% | 0.0% | 56.8% |
| Sophomore | 12.1 | 4.5 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 49.2% | 0.0% | 51.4% |
| Junior | 5.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 40.0% | 0.0% | 71.4% |
| Senior | 22.5 | 11.3 | 6.2 | 0.7 | 53.6% | 33.3% | 72.2% |
So... this guy started out at Iowa State and never really got it going in major basketball. By his junior year, he was basically going nowhere there, so he transferred out, sat a year, then played for an Oakland team that washed out in the first round of the Horizon League tournament. Not ideal, but on the other hand, he got a free education.
The elephant in the room: Jalen Reynolds (932)
| Season | MP | PTS | TRB | AST | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshman | 12.9 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 0.1 | 53.3% | 0.0% | 62.5% |
| Sophomore | 20.3 | 9.9 | 6.1 | 0.4 | 61.8% | 0.0% | 66.3% |
| Junior | 19.6 | 9.6 | 6.5 | 0.7 | 52.3% | 33.3% | 65.4% |
That Jalen Reynolds? Yeah, that Jalen Reynolds. If I told you now that you could trade everything Tyrique might be for the guarantee that he’d be exactly what Jalen was, would you take it? I don’t know if I would or not. Maybe bookmark this page and check back in a couple of years.