Gates

[Muncie]

Anybody know why Gates didn't play, I thought he showed some promise against Miami. BTW London looked better than I expected . ....he showed some serious hustle on a couple of occasions .

[gladdenguy]

Kaiser Gates is going to be a hell of a player. I already love him.

He will only get more aggressive with more experience.

[MADXSTER]

If I remember correctly, listening to podcasts, it has been said that Gates is the 2nd best shooter on the team.

[paulxu]

Gates averaged 40% from 3 over his 4 years in high school.
Hopefully he can give us some points from outside while at X. Would stretch out the defenses.

[bleedXblue]

If I remember correctly, listening to podcasts, it has been said that Gates is the 2nd best shooter on the team.

in practice.......

[LA Muskie]

Yeah I don't know what was up with Gates. Of course I didn't care because those three 3's he threw up weren't close in the Miami game.

This team does not need Jalen, Farr, or Kaiser Gates chucking up 3s unless its a shot clock issue.
We have Myles, Trevon, JP, and Remy who can all shoot at least 35% from 3. Even Sumner has hit 2 so far this season and he is not a great shooter.

That is 5 guys who can shoot threes. The rest of this squad can get to the rim for their buckets. Larry included. I liked the shot selection much better last night than Friday against Miami.

Gates is a prototypical stretch 4. If he's not shooting from outside, he mostly doesn't have a roll. O'Mara's better down low.


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[xuwin]

Yeah I don't know what was up with Gates. Of course I didn't care because those three 3's he threw up weren't close in the Miami game.

This team does not need Jalen, Farr, or Kaiser Gates chucking up 3s unless its a shot clock issue.
We have Myles, Trevon, JP, and Remy who can all shoot at least 35% from 3. Even Sumner has hit 2 so far this season and he is not a great shooter.

That is 5 guys who can shoot threes. The rest of this squad can get to the rim for their buckets. Larry included. I liked the shot selection much better last night than Friday against Miami.

I would like to see Trevon driving to the basket more and settling for the three less. He has the inside game to do it and he can draw fouls that way.

[XfansinKy]

in practice.......

Practice?! We talking about practice? No, no, not a game but....practice.

[Backyard Champ]

Yeah I don't know what was up with Gates. Of course I didn't care because those three 3's he threw up weren't close in the Miami game.

This team does not need Jalen, Farr, or Kaiser Gates chucking up 3s unless its a shot clock issue.
We have Myles, Trevon, JP, and Remy who can all shoot at least 35% from 3. Even Sumner has hit 2 so far this season and he is not a great shooter.

That is 5 guys who can shoot threes. The rest of this squad can get to the rim for their buckets. Larry included. I liked the shot selection much better last night than Friday against Miami.

Maybe it was my viewpoint, but I thought all of his 3's looked pretty close. I liked his quick release as well. I hope he can find some minutes.

[XUFan09]

Gates is a prototypical stretch 4. If he's not shooting from outside, he mostly doesn't have a roll. O'Mara's better down low.


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Don't use reason and facts, LA. Just let people like him continue to insist that a square peg will fit in a round hole!

Gates didn't get minutes because Makinde did this time, plain and simple. Trevon spends time at the 4, Jalen should be the best player on the team, and Farr is probably the best rebounder in the conference. Plus, you have O'Mara, who's no slouch. There aren't enough minutes in the bigs rotation to really give both Makinde and Kaiser minutes right now. Either of them could actually end up being better at the 3, but between Trevon and three starter-worthy shooting guards, that depth chart is deep too.

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[94GRAD]

My guess is that Chris will play them every other game til one of them gives him a reason to not play the other

[throwbackmuskie]

Maybe they are thinking Redshirt?

[drudy23]

He certainly didn't look ready in game one.

And he should never take minutes from JP.

[XUFan09]

Maybe they are thinking Redshirt?
Impossible unless he sustains an injury that justifies shutting him down for the season. He's played a D1 minute.

Guys, it's simple: There aren't minutes for everyone, and Gates and London being very similar players means they are going to constantly compete in practice for the few minutes available to them their freshman year.

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[Wheelhouse]

I wouldn't read much into it. Game 1 Gates got the minutes and game 2 London got the minutes. It's unlikely either of those guys will have a huge impact this year but this early in the season, against weaker opponents, I assume Mack is giving both guys a shot to see if one of them can contribute some meaningful minutes as the year goes on.

As far as O'Mara goes, I am truly perplexed by anyone that thinks he can be anything more than a marginal body down low when we are foul trouble.

[MuskieXU]

Purely a gut reaction here, but based on Macks past comments I think hes trying to create a competition between Gates and London for minutes in hopes of motivating them both. Whoever is currently playing better in practices will get the minutes the next game. With that said, I dont know how well thats working because both players look anxious to prove their worth once they are actually in the games instead of letting the game come to them. Hopefully it will pay off in the future.

[casualfan]

Impossible unless he sustains an injury that justifies shutting him down for the season. He's played a D1 minute.

Guys, it's simple: There aren't minutes for everyone, and Gates and London being very similar players means they are going to constantly compete in practice for the few minutes available to them their freshman year.

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And to take that a step further, we're spending a lot of time playing small ball.

We have a lot of big guys, but for whatever reason Chris seems to think playing small most of the game gives us our best lineup right now.

I'll be very curious to see how that plays out when we start playing teams who have a more traditional PF that can score.

One thing I have noticed about then small lineup is that it seems to give up a lot of open drives to the rim.

[MADXSTER]

And to take that a step further, we're spending a lot of time playing small ball.

We have a lot of big guys, but for whatever reason Chris seems to think playing small most of the game gives us our best lineup right now.



Why are people crying over lack of minutes for bigs. Friend or parent of one of the bigs? Xavier has five if you want to count London and Gates, two guys that haven't even had the opportunity to play in a D1 game until 5 days ago and one guy who played limited minutes last year. This type of bickering does not bode well with team chemistry.

Playing small IMO is going to be the future in college basketball. I'm not a fan but that is how I see it. Mack is very fortunate to have very good small players this year considering the rule changes. They favor playing small.

[bleedXblue]

Looks to me like it's going to be whoever plays harder in practice and delivers on game day.

[XUFan09]

And to take that a step further, we're spending a lot of time playing small ball.

We have a lot of big guys, but for whatever reason Chris seems to think playing small most of the game gives us our best lineup right now.

I'll be very curious to see how that plays out when we start playing teams who have a more traditional PF that can score.

One thing I have noticed about then small lineup is that it seems to give up a lot of open drives to the rim.

We have a lot of guys in general. Playing small puts our best talent out there: Sumner, Myles, Remy, Trevon, and Reynolds, with Macura and Farr first off the bench. Traditional lineups would mean that one of the three shooting guards loses time to O'Mara, Gates, or London. We'll see how the season develops, but that's not a trade I want to make at this point.

We can still match traditional PFs with our size when need be, but more and more teams are playing small, so this won't be as common as it was just a few years ago.

Right now, I suspect any lineup would give up open drives to the rim. That's not specific to small ball, and in fact it could be worse with a traditional big at the 4. The defense just needs to improve, period.

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[LA Muskie]

Maybe they are thinking Redshirt?
He played in the Miami game. Absent a significant injury (like Sumner's tendinitis) Gates is no longer eligible for a standard redshirt.

[LA Muskie]

And to take that a step further, we're spending a lot of time playing small ball.
We have a lot of big guys, but for whatever reason Chris seems to think playing small most of the game gives us our best lineup right now.
I think it probably has something to do with the fact that our strengths are mostly on the perimeter. There's a significant drop off down low after Jalen and Farr (both of whom are prone to foul trouble), whereas we have a ton of depth at the 1-3+ spots.

[gladdenguy]

Gates is a prototypical stretch 4. If he's not shooting from outside, he mostly doesn't have a roll. O'Mara's better down low.


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I assume you mean a role. And if he's gonna hang out on the perimeter and jack up 3s then he can sit on the bench like last night. This team has enough perimeter help offensively. This team needs back to the basket play like Jimmy gave them last night.

[XUFan09]

I assume you mean a role. And if he's gonna hang out on the perimeter and jack up 3s then he can sit on the bench like last night. This team has enough perimeter help offensively. This team needs back to the basket play like Jimmy gave them last night.
No, it really doesn't. Reynolds will provide that most games, plus you have Farr and O'Mara. In addition, the bulk of the non-Reynolds scoring will come from perimeter players either shooting or driving to the basket, both things helped by having a stretch 4.

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[xu82]

I don't mind big guys shooting a 3. I HATE big guys missing a 3. Doellman was a blast to watch running the baseline and knocking down 3's. Without naming names, some others have had less success.

[waggy]

No, it really doesn't. Reynolds will provide that most games, plus you have Farr and O'Mara. In addition, the bulk of the non-Reynolds scoring will come from perimeter players either shooting or driving to the basket, both things helped by having a stretch 4.

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It's obvious that the hope is eventually he'll bring the versatility to play both in and out. Maybe the expectation isn't that he'd be able to bring it year one, but I'm sure Mack would utilize it if he could.

[XUFan09]

It's obvious that the hope is eventually he'll bring the versatility to play both in and out. Maybe the expectation isn't that he'd be able to bring it year one, but I'm sure Mack would utilize it if he could.
Yeah, he apparently has good lateral quickness too, and I'm curious to see where he (and London) end up long-term. Stretch 4 or a long wing? Short-term, both are pushed much more to the 4 with all the guards the team he has.

For now, he'll simply stretch the floor and handle the ball well for a big.

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[xavierj]

I assume you mean a role. And if he's gonna hang out on the perimeter and jack up 3s then he can sit on the bench like last night. This team has enough perimeter help offensively. This team needs back to the basket play like Jimmy gave them last night.

He wasnt recruited to be a back to the basket guy. Basketball has changed and i think xavier has missed the guy who can stretch the defense and create matchup problems. He is not Jalen or James backup. Chris said as much on his show last week.

[waggy]

You don't get to claim to be a stretch 4 until you first establish that you can be a regular old 4. IMHO.

[drudy23]

I'm with gladden on this one. Jalen isn't good enough on the block just to throw it to him and expect a bucket. He's FAR from that. He gets most of his points from stick-backs and dunks off of feeds in traffic or in transition.

We need more of a low post presence for sure, and it starts with BOTH Jalen and Jimmy giving us something down there. We're not good enough just to rely on 4 guys that can shoot ala Villanova last year.

[XUFan09]

I'm with gladden on this one. Jalen isn't good enough on the block just to throw it to him and expect a bucket. He's FAR from that. He gets most of his points from stick-backs and dunks off of feeds in traffic or in transition.

We need more of a low post presence for sure, and it starts with BOTH Jalen and Jimmy giving us something down there. We're not good enough just to rely on 4 guys that can shoot ala Villanova last year.

Eh, that's not really true. Reynolds isn't quite the scorer on the block that Stainbrook was, but if you give it to him there, he can get you points fairly regularly. That's exactly why he gets doubled. If he was like Georgetown's Mikael Hopkins or Butler's Kameron Woods, who both generally get/got their points in the way you described above, there's no reason for coaches to consistently double Reynolds on a post feed. In addition, there's no reason coaches would have selected him to be on the pre-season first team in the Big East if he was like Hopkins or Woods.

Now, is he handling the consistent double teams well? No, not in the slightest. That's very different though from not being able to score on the low block.

[XUFan09]

You don't get to claim to be a stretch 4 until you first establish that you can be a regular old 4. IMHO.

I can see this. For example, Trevon isn't a stretch 4. He's simply a wing playing some at the 4 in small-ball lineups.

The question is though how you define being "a regular old 4." I don't think it requires working down on the block on the offensive end; that just seems unnecessary if that's not in a player's skillset. Now, it does require working down on the block on the defensive end, consistent with the idea that you are the position which you can defend. Being able to rebound respectably also matters, though the standards for this aren't always that high. For example, Justin Doellman had a defensive rebounding rate of 18.1% and an offensive rebounding rate of 6.7% his senior year, numbers that look puny next to Farr and Reynolds but really aren't that bad.

[LA Muskie]

I assume you mean a role. And if he's gonna hang out on the perimeter and jack up 3s then he can sit on the bench like last night. This team has enough perimeter help offensively. This team needs back to the basket play like Jimmy gave them last night.
Yes, I meant "role." And the fact that my typo is point #1 in your response is telling.

[TUclutch]

If I remember correctly, listening to podcasts, it has been said that Gates is the 2nd best shooter on the team.

This. Gates should and will shoot threes

[XUMIOH12]

This. Gates should and will shoot threes

Exactly, just because he missed shots in one game doesn't mean he should never shoot again.

[American X]

I can see this. For example, Trevon isn't a stretch 4. He's simply a wing playing some at the 4 in small-ball lineups.

The question is though how you define being "a regular old 4." I don't think it requires working down on the block on the offensive end; that just seems unnecessary if that's not in a player's skillset. Now, it does require working down on the block on the defensive end, consistent with the idea that you are the position which you can defend. Being able to rebound respectably also matters, though the standards for this aren't always that high. For example, Justin Doellman had a defensive rebounding rate of 18.1% and an offensive rebounding rate of 6.7% his senior year, numbers that look puny next to Farr and Reynolds but really aren't that bad.

Doellman played like a 3 in a 4's body and Cage played like a 4 in a 3's body.

[Masterofreality]

Doellman played like a 3 in a 4's body and Cage played like a 4 in a 3's body.

This is 1000% correct. Good call AMeX!

[Xville]

I wish we had a power 4 to play alongside Farr or Reynolds. I think that is the one thing this team is lacking and I think it may hurt us in the big east part of the schedule or in the tournament. Our inside game I believe is going to struggle with consistency from game to game unless Farr or Reynolds start becoming more consistent from game to game. I really dislike the four out one in that villanova tends to use...I don't think it is a good March strategy and nova has been exposed on it the last couple of years because suddenly shots weren't falling

[waggy]

Ennis was given chance after chance after chance to win that game and couldn't do it. Hence he is no longer on the Nova squad.

[SC in DC]

We might have that traditional 4 in Rashid, but he's not going to get many minutes this year! Plus, Mack's starting lineup, going small, probably has something to do with a highly successful D-1 coach, having a month or more of daily practice, concluding that they give him the best chance to win.
Naturally, we arm chair experts probably know more, and reserve the right to criticize AND call for his head if we lose to Michigan!

[Backyard Champ]

I don't understand the people who are saying Gates should play in the paint or sit on the bench. That is not his style of play at all. It's silly to think we would recruit a player, and expect his style to be completely different in the first game of his college career. As others have stated, he's a stretch 4. He is apparently one of the best 3 shooters on our team, and posters only want him in the game if he is playing in the paint?

[DoubleD86]

I wish we had a power 4 to play alongside Farr or Reynolds. I think that is the one thing this team is lacking and I think it may hurt us in the big east part of the schedule or in the tournament. Our inside game I believe is going to struggle with consistency from game to game unless Farr or Reynolds start becoming more consistent from game to game. I really dislike the four out one in that villanova tends to use...I don't think it is a good March strategy and nova has been exposed on it the last couple of years because suddenly shots weren't falling

I find this post funny (and this not directed at you Xville) because last year, when Xavier played with a traditional power 4 and 5, this board constantly bemoaned the inability to guard face up 4s and that they were easily stretched by smaller, quicker line ups. Both have their issues and both will be complained about by someone on this board. To me, the better lineup is the one that puts your better players on the court more. For Xavier this year, that is playing small more than playing big.

Keep in mind, because Xavier's default seems to be small with Trevon at the 4 doesn't mean Mack can't play match-ups, the hot hand or just throw different looks at teams by switching it around from game to game and within games.

[pnitty1212]

Im from Atlanta - I followed Gates and his teammates Kobi Simmons and Malik Beasley since they were in 6th grade playing in AAU.. When he gets into rhythm he shoots LIGHTS OUT.. He can rebound an push, he is a great passer.. My knock on him is that he has been a little too unselfish at times. I just saw him lead the high school team to a state championship in GA about 4 months ago. Watching the game the other day, it was AMAZING to see the difference in the speed of the game .. Im pretty sure those shots will go down wants he adjusts to the game speed

[pnitty1212]

He's not really a in the paint player.. at all.. He has always played the wing.. in fact, he is a "get the rebound" and push like a point guard type of forward.. Don't know if he will be utlized like that though..

[waggy]

If you can't post up and you can't face up, you're not a power forward. I guess that's a stretch "4" nowdays. "Stretch" is right. Ty Hill, Brian Grant, and DFW fart in your general direction.

[XUFan09]

If you can't post up and you can't face up, you're not a power forward. I guess that's a stretch "4" nowdays. "Stretch" is right. Ty Hill, Brian Grant, and DFW fart in your general direction.
Gates can face up.

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[TUclutch]

Gates can face up.

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Yes he can. He is going to get much better for us. He is one of the better pure shooters on the team. Anyone who knocks him at all after one game needs to step back and relax

[D-West & PO-Z]

I find this post funny (and this not directed at you Xville) because last year, when Xavier played with a traditional power 4 and 5, this board constantly bemoaned the inability to guard face up 4s and that they were easily stretched by smaller, quicker line ups. Both have their issues and both will be complained about by someone on this board. To me, the better lineup is the one that puts your better players on the court more. For Xavier this year, that is playing small more than playing big.

Keep in mind, because Xavier's default seems to be small with Trevon at the 4 doesn't mean Mack can't play match-ups, the hot hand or just throw different looks at teams by switching it around from game to game and within games.

This. All I kept hearing from people all off season was Stain is gone, we are smaller but quicker, more athletic, and it is going to make our defense and offense better. It is early but I was very nervous about losing what Stain brought and I still am. Jalen needs to step up big time and learn to pass out of a double team.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Yes he can. He is going to get much better for us. He is one of the better pure shooters on the team. Anyone who knocks him at all after one game needs to step back and relax

Happens every single year, never fails. Fans are funny.

[Juice]

This. All I kept hearing from people all off season was Stain is gone, we are smaller but quicker, more athletic, and it is going to make our defense and offense better. It is early but I was very nervous about losing what Stain brought and I still am. Jalen needs to step up big time and learn to pass out of a double team.

I don't think anyone thought the offense would be better, but yes on the defense. Last year X had the 57th ranked defense on KenPom, this year (through 2 games and yes I know it's only 2 games) they have the 41st ranked defense.

[XU 87]

A few of these posts on this thread remind me of some old Josh Duncan posts during his freshman year.

"On offense, Josh needs to learn how to play with his back to the basket and in the interior. He needs to learn to be a post player."

"But he's not real good at that. He's more of a wing player."

"I don't care what his skills are. Put him in the interior and make him learn how to be an interior player."

[D-West & PO-Z]

I don't think anyone thought the offense would be better, but yes on the defense. Last year X had the 57th ranked defense on KenPom, this year (through 2 games and yes I know it's only 2 games) they have the 41st ranked defense.

Against two pretty mediocre teams we are 41st which scares me a little. I wonder what we were through out first 2 opponents last year, is there a way to see that?

Hopefully everything will gel soon, it is early and we will no doubt make improvements. I guess I just feel like a lot of people weren't taking for granted what Stain did on the court for us. It was like people started to think it was addition by subtraction for our team overall which I couldnt understand.

[XUFan09]

I don't think anyone thought the offense would be better, but yes on the defense. Last year X had the 57th ranked defense on KenPom, this year (through 2 games and yes I know it's only 2 games) they have the 41st ranked defense.

Yup. I was expecting some drop-off in the offense (from top 20) but a bigger boost in the defense, so both offense and defense would be solidly top 50. So far, that's true, though Kenpom numbers need to be taken with a big grain of salt right now (which you acknowledged).

Here's the main thing with the defense, which obviously still needs work. Our hedging is so much better. Reynolds and Farr can execute the hedge well to disrupt screens and then get back to their man in a timely manner. This means the defense can rotate back faster too. A lot of times it wasn't Stain who was caught out of position but rather the guy (frequently Farr or Reynolds) who had to stay on Stain's man too long. That won't be as much of a problem this year in the long term.

[XUFan09]

Against two pretty mediocre teams we are 41st which scares me a little. I wonder what we were through out first 2 opponents last year, is there a way to see that?

Hopefully everything will gel soon, it is early and we will no doubt make improvements. I guess I just feel like a lot of people weren't taking for granted what Stain did on the court for us. It was like people started to think it was addition by subtraction for our team overall which I couldnt understand.

Pretty sure offensive and defensive efficiency are adjusted for SOS. Anyway, a majority of good teams are in a similar boat to Xavier this early in the season.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Pretty sure offensive and defensive efficiency are adjusted for SOS. Anyway, a majority of good teams are in a similar boat to Xavier this early in the season.

Good to know, I have no idea how those stats work.

[waggy]

For the record I haven't knocked Gates. Nice looking player actually.

[Juice]

Good to know, I have no idea how those stats work.

Yeah they take into account the offensive and defensive efficiency of the opponent as well. Stats without context like points per game and points per game against would be more what you were originally thinking.

[gladdenguy]

A few of these posts on this thread remind me of some old Josh Duncan posts during his freshman year.

"On offense, Josh needs to learn how to play with his back to the basket and in the interior. He needs to learn to be a post player."

"But he's not real good at that. He's more of a wing player."

"I don't care what his skills are. Put him in the interior and make him learn how to be an interior player."

I'm not saying Gates has to turn into an interior player. I'm saying we don't need anybody standing out on the perimeter jacking up 3s when we have 5 guys with more experience and can shoot better on a college basketball court. If he doesn't play with back to the basket let him ride the pine. I'm not saying we will never need him......just not this year.

[Juice]

I'm not saying Gates has to turn into an interior player. I'm saying we don't need anybody standing out on the perimeter jacking up 3s when we have 5 guys with more experience and can shoot better on a college basketball court. If he doesn't play with back to the basket let him ride the pine. I'm not saying we will never need him......just not this year.

Spreading four out wide allows players like Sumner, Macura, Austin, etc. to get to the rim because it doesn't clog the lane. Spreading four wide isn't always about jacking 3s.

[drudy23]

I don't think anyone is really knocking him per se...just saying that he doesn't yet deserve minutes over other established guys.

[drudy23]

Eh, that's not really true. Reynolds isn't quite the scorer on the block that Stainbrook was, but if you give it to him there, he can get you points fairly regularly. That's exactly why he gets doubled. .

He gets doubled because his decision making skills and basketball IQ are very low. And most of the time, he makes the wrong pass, or a turnover. THAT'S why he's getting doubled, not because he is a monster post scorer.

[XUFan09]

He gets doubled because his decision making skills and basketball IQ are very low. And most of the time, he makes the wrong pass, or a turnover. THAT'S why he's getting doubled, not because he is a monster post scorer.
Who said "monster" post scorer? He's a good post scorer, though, and not the foolish Hopkins/Woods-like characterization that you give him. Are teams also taking advantage of the mistakes he can make? Sure, but most coaches don't have their players sell out with a full-on double team just to provoke mistakes. The player also is almost always a serious threat to score one-on-one.

I'll repeat: The Big East coaches voted him to the pre-season first team. They wouldn't have done that if they didn't already have experience game-planning for scoring abilities beyond put-backs and dunking in transition. Also, there are plenty of examples from last year that fans should remember of him being an effective post scorer. He doesn't have to be David West in the post to be worthy of a double team partly for his skill set.

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[throwbackmuskie]

He played in the Miami game. Absent a significant injury (like Sumner's tendinitis) Gates is no longer eligible for a standard redshirt.

Fully understand that, but "injuries" do happen...

[drudy23]

I watch pretty much every minute of every Xavier game, either in-person or on TV. I know how they play, and to say there is a consistent effort to get Jalen touches on the post is a farce. To say it happens consistently is flat wrong. It happens at times, but not often. Anyone that sees that differently, please speak up...maybe I'm crazy.

He's doubled because he's turnover prone. Being selected for first team all conference has nothing to do with any of it.

[XU 87]

I'm not saying Gates has to turn into an interior player. I'm saying we don't need anybody standing out on the perimeter jacking up 3s when we have 5 guys with more experience and can shoot better on a college basketball court. If he doesn't play with back to the basket let him ride the pine. I'm not saying we will never need him......just not this year.

He is a 6'8" athletic guy who can play on the wing and shoot threes. There is no one else on the team with that size that can do that. You don't bench him because there are other people who can also shoot threes. You can never have too many good shooters on the floor.

[drudy23]

He is a 6'8" athletic guy who can play on the wing and shoot threes. There is no one else on the team with that size that can do that. You don't bench him because there are other people who can also shoot threes. You can never have too many good shooters on the floor.

You do if he's not better than the other options.

That remains to be seen...but it makes sense that he hasn't passed anyone up yet this being his 2nd week of competitive D1 games.

[XU 87]

You do if he's not better than the other options.



We don't have another 6'8" guy who can shoot from the outside. I'm not arguing the guy deserves more minutes. I don't know. I'm just saying you don't keep a 6'8" shooter on the bench just because "we have other guys who can shoot threes".

[TUclutch]

We don't have another 6'8" guy who can shoot from the outside. I'm not arguing the guy deserves more minutes. I don't know. I'm just saying you don't keep a 6'8" shooter on the bench just because "we have other guys who can shoot threes".

To be fair, Makinde London is 6'10 and can shoot 3s as well.

[XU 87]

To be fair, Makinde London is 6'10 and can shoot 3s as well.

True.

[XUFan09]

I watch pretty much every minute of every Xavier game, either in-person or on TV. I know how they play, and to say there is a consistent effort to get Jalen touches on the post is a farce. To say it happens consistently is flat wrong. It happens at times, but not often. Anyone that sees that differently, please speak up...maybe I'm crazy.

He's doubled because he's turnover prone. Being selected for first team all conference has nothing to do with any of it.
I didn't said "consistent." Matt was the main post option, so he got the consistent touches. But Reynolds definitely got touches, and a solid number too. If you don't remember that, then you have a selective memory, which is definitely possible considering you are already in a mindset where you characterize Reynolds no differently from other team's rebound-and-defend post players.

I'm not discounting the motivation to force turnovers for doubling Reynolds, but only defenses with a heavy focus on forcing turnovers would regularly double-team a guy ONLY to try to force a turnover. Miami and Missouri are not those teams. I doubt Farr or O'Mara would handle double-teams well at all, so for your logic to be consistent, they also should receive the same treatment as Reynolds. Really, it would work to the same degree. It's crazy but for some reason they didn't get that treatment. Maybe, just maybe, it's because they weren't seen as a notable threat in the post, and an opportunity to force a turnover by itself wasn't enough motivation for those teams.

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[gladdenguy]

We don't have another 6'8" guy who can shoot from the outside. I'm not arguing the guy deserves more minutes. I don't know. I'm just saying you don't keep a 6'8" shooter on the bench just because "we have other guys who can shoot threes".

Yes, yes it does.

Agree to disagree. I don't need to keep going over this. We differ in opinions. Leave it at that.

And being able to shoot 3s in practice and on the high school court means absolutely nothing right now.

[MADXSTER]

Yes, yes it does.

Agree to disagree. I don't need to keep going over this. We differ in opinions. Leave it at that.

And being able to shoot 3s in practice and on the high school court means absolutely nothing right now.

IMO this is the stuff we should be talking about near mid season or the end of the season. We are 2 freaking games into the season. Chill - towards everyone on this topic.

[Juice]

Yes, yes it does.

Agree to disagree. I don't need to keep going over this. We differ in opinions. Leave it at that.

And being able to shoot 3s in practice and on the high school court means absolutely nothing right now.

Actually having a 6'8'' player who can shoot 3s creates mismatches. Also, I think being able to shoot 3s in practice and in high school (aka a larger sample size) is more telling than 2(!) college games.

[bigdiggins]

Actually having a 6'8'' player who can shoot 3s creates mismatches. Also, I think being able to shoot 3s in practice and in high school (aka a larger sample size) is more telling than 2(!) college games.
1 college game. He didn't play of therefore attempt a shot in the 2nd game.

[drudy23]

I didn't said "consistent." Matt was the main post option, so he got the consistent touches. But Reynolds definitely got touches, and a solid number too. If you don't remember that, then you have a selective memory, which is definitely possible considering you are already in a mindset where you characterize Reynolds no differently from other team's rebound-and-defend post players.

I'm not discounting the motivation to force turnovers for doubling Reynolds, but only defenses with a heavy focus on forcing turnovers would regularly double-team a guy ONLY to try to force a turnover. Miami and Missouri are not those teams. I doubt Farr or O'Mara would handle double-teams well at all, so for your logic to be consistent, they also should receive the same treatment as Reynolds. Really, it would work to the same degree. It's crazy but for some reason they didn't get that treatment. Maybe, just maybe, it's because they weren't seen as a notable threat in the post, and an opportunity to force a turnover by itself wasn't enough motivation for those teams.

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Stain got MANY touches because he should have. He could score from the post consistently AND make the right decisions with the ball during double teams.

Jalen is VERY FAR from the post player Stain was, in about 678,986 different ways...but Jalen can do many other things Stain couldn't...THAT'S why Jalen is first team pre-season all conference. It has nothing to do with post play.

If the game is on the line or in a crucial situation where we need a bucket, we're NOT going to Jalen on the block. And we shouldn't.

I honestly have no idea what you're arguing. It's pretty obvious.

[XUFan09]

I'm arguing that Jalen is a good post option, plain and simple. Was Stain a better post option? Hell yes, better than just about anyone in the country. That's why it is not a fair comparison for Jalen, as Jalen can still do some good work in the low post while not being on the same level as Stain. If your standard for simply "good" post play is something approaching what Stain did, you are going to be regularly disappointed in Xavier bigs for years to come, most likely.

And yes, Reynolds can do much more than Stain. For example, in the high post, he's a major threat, more so than in the low post. At least you backed off from characterizing him as a guy whose offense is put-backs and transition dunks. That was what really didn't make sense.

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[bobbiemcgee]

Becoming a huge fan of this kid. Starting to look very comfortable out there. Hope we got him 4 yrs.

[xu82]

Becoming a huge fan of this kid. Starting to look very comfortable out there. Hope we got him 4 yrs.

No kidding! He offers a lot more than just a big guy who can shoot, and he's just a freshman. He's mixing it up now like he's played at this level before which is nice, because at this time of year we need him to have grown from all the minutes he's gotten. He's made the most of it!

[gladdenguy]

I love how he has gotten more aggressive and is grabbing some big rebounds both offensively and defensively. Those offensive boards are leading to some big stick backs. And he can shoot it. Credit to Pegues and Mack because he is going to be a heck of a player.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Contributing like this as a true frosh is very encouraging.

[zanesxu]

Contributing well from deep and making strong hustle plays... With some smoothness. Reminds me of Doellman sans the pump fake


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[DexterBailey84]

Been lurking around here for quite awhile and just bad to comment on this kid....might be my favorite X freshman of all time, I shit you not. Can you imagine what a nightmare this kid is going to be when he puts on some weight and gains strength?

What an unbelievable time it is to be a fan of this wonderful program!

[D-West & PO-Z]

Been lurking around here for quite awhile and just bad to comment on this kid....might be my favorite X freshman of all time, I shit you not. Can you imagine what a nightmare this kid is going to be when he puts on some weight and gains strength?

What an unbelievable time it is to be a fan of this wonderful program!

Welcome!

[wkrq59]

Been lurking around here for quite awhile and just bad to comment on this kid....might be my favorite X freshman of all time, I shit you not. Can you imagine what a nightmare this kid is going to be when he puts on some weight and gains strength?
What an unbelievable time it is to be a fan of this wonderful program!

And there are three pretty darn good players coming into the program next season.

[XfansinKy]

He's looked pretty good all year, just needed shots to bounce in instead of out. Looks like he kept his confidence up. For me, he looks so smooth, especially when his shots fall.

[bleedXblue]

Gates length and athleticism gives us some great on the ball defense. Everything else will fall into place for him. An extra 10-15 LBS over the next year will be huge. Would love to see him really work hard on his ball handling and taking the ball to the basket.

[Masterofreality]

His defense is getting better and better and he was a perfect matchup to finally put a stopper on Charabacz. Stretch 4's who can shoot are always tough, unless you have an athletic big like Kaiser who can get out on them. He's going to be OUR stretch 4 going forward...and maybe even play some 3. I like the future.

[bobbiemcgee]

He is a 6'8" athletic guy..

7'0 with the hair.

[94GRAD]

7'0 with the hair.

Middle name Fletch?

[XMuskieFTW]

Exceptional game from the kid today. He has elite feet and the ability to guard the 1-4 on opposing teams. Had some nice plays on offense. Not too worried about the free throws. Loved seeing how active he was on the boards today. Chris says he may be the second best shooter on the team. That coupled with how good he is defensively already as a freshman gives me very, very high hopes.

[smileyy]

Man...when you've got a freshman who's your 3rd or 4th guy off the bench who, when he comes in, you say "We're going to get some quality performance from him"...that's a hell of a team.

[RoseyMuskie]

Exceptional game from the kid today. He has elite feet and the ability to guard the 1-4 on opposing teams. Had some nice plays on offense. Not too worried about the free throws. Loved seeing how active he was on the boards today. Chris says he may be the second best shooter on the team. That coupled with how good he is defensively already as a freshman gives me very, very high hopes.

Honestly can't think of a player I've enjoyed watching play defense more than Gates outside of maybe Stan.

[smileyy]

How excited would you be for a Xavier team that was looking to open the season with these guys as starters?
Larry Austin, Jr
JP Macura
Kaiser Gates
Sean O'Mara
James Farr

That's a better starting lineup than some X seasons featured...and that's this year's bench. Unreal.

[Xavier]

...I wouldn't be that excited. Hell of a bench though.

[Steve A]

How excited would you be for a Xavier team that was looking to open the season with these guys as starters?
Larry Austin, Jr
JP Macura
Kaiser Gates
Sean O'Mara
James Farr

That's a better starting lineup than some X seasons featured...and that's this year's bench. Unreal.

And you'd still have Makinde London coming off the bench.

[smileyy]

...I wouldn't be that excited. Hell of a bench though.

You might be spoiled. I'd take that team in a heartbeat over the 2013 X lineup.

[XUFan09]

You might be spoiled. I'd take that team in a heartbeat over the 2013 X lineup.
Well, yeah, but you're picking one of the worst teams in a long time. That lineup would maybe be a bubble team.

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[smileyy]

My main concern about Kaiser Gates is that he keeps the mushroom 'fro. Love this team, love their hairstyles.

[Masterofreality]

Funny.

At the post game Awards Reception Saturday, CMack introduced Kaiser Gates as "a relative of Yancey.... We recruited him anyway".

A loud laugh ensued...including one from Kaiser himself.

[smileyy]

Is he really?

[Masterofreality]

Is he really?

Yep. A cousin.

[smileyy]

Public reps. Thanks for the info!

[GreatWhiteNorth]

He looks taller with his hair style. At first, I thought he is Nancy's brother......I'm glad they are just cousins.