2017 - 2018 Starters for the Opener

[MADXSTER]

This is always very difficult to do because most of us have never seen, other than video clips, the newcomers play.

Once again, this is for the opener. IMO with Goodin and Scruggs on the floor at the same time, I would think that Xavier will want to have two capable shooters on the floor as well. If the opposing team pinches in to stop the drives, then it opens the floor to dish to the outside shooters. If the opposing team sticks in tight D, then that will open up the lane for drives. Pick your poison.

Roster

Quentin Goodin - his job to lose
JP Macura - his job to lose
Trevon Bluiett - his job to lose
Sean O'Mara - his job to lose, will play 13 minutes a game
Kaiser Gates - needs to play better D against bigs. plays better D against smaller guys
Tyrique Jones - will play 13 minutes a game
Paul Scruggs - his job to earn, highly touted
Naji Marshall - can play the 1 - 4 positions. How many can he learn? Will play lots of minutes at the 3 & 4 IMO
Jared Ridder - think JP but bigger. Will play a big role in games based on who Xavier is playing
Elias Harden - 4 star SG. Will share time with Scruggs. When Scruggs plays the PG to give Goodin a rest, Harden will play SG.
Kentrevious Jones - Redshirt if he makes it to Xavier
Kerem Kanter - will play 13 minutes a game

Back up PG was a concern last year. This year Goodin, Scruggs, Marshall, and Harden can all handle the ball as a PG. JP went from backup PG to 5th option in one year.


Here is what I have....

With Trevon

Goodin
Scruggs
JP
Trevon
Jones


Without Trevon

Goodin
Scruggs
JP
Gates
Jones

[xu82]

Looking at that depth of talent warms my heart!

I remember having to wait so long to get a look at Ed and see if he was all that. I have at least that same excitement level again. This is awesome!

[Ohionite_X]

Curious as to why you think O'Mara will start over Jones? I've seen others predict that as well. I'm just wondering why one would think Jones would suddenly lose his starting position. Is it simply because O'Mara will be a senior?

[MADXSTER]

Curious as to why you think O'Mara will start over Jones? I've seen others predict that as well. I'm just wondering why one would think Jones would suddenly lose his starting position. Is it simply because O'Mara will be a senior?

You make a great point. You are probably right that Jones will start and will have to edit. My thinking was that O'Mara started at the beginning of last season. In any event, I think that Jones, O'Mara and Kanter will split minutes at the 5 evenly unless(which is probable) that someone gets in foul trouble or isn't practicing well.

[xu82]

I just hope we get the awesome O'Mara that finished the season. (And not so much the one who began the season in a bit of a fog.) SO MUCH potential. It's hard to say what the biggest basket of the season was, but he's on the short list.

With that said, hard to keep Tyrique off the floor too. This is a good problem to have.

[MADXSTER]

My takes

Goodin - When he started starting, he could drive but had a hard time finishing. The game finally slowed down for him and he started finishing. His confidence grew as a ball handler as well. By the end of the season he wasn't playing like a freshman.

JP - Things started to click for JP in the tournament as he became a distributer. Xavier is sooo dangerous if he continues in that manner. He realizes that he can distribute and will still get his points.

Trevon - He worked on and improved his driving this past season. This coming up season he will perfect it and will be a headache to guard.

O'Mara - The team had a hard time getting the ball into O'mara but Mack finally found a way. Expect to see more of that. O'Mara will become a force on the offensive end.

Gates - His lateral movement is fantastic and with his height it helps him guard smaller players. He needs to become more of a defending force against the bigs. He's a big guy and needs to be more assertive and less passive against the bigs. If he does this, Xavier as a team plays at the next level.

Jones - Has a year under his belt and will improve over the offseason. People will say he needs to foul less, which he does, but hopefully he does not trade that in and become less aggressive. Xavier needs him to stay an aggressive rim protector and shot blocker.

Scruggs - Think of Goodin but bigger and stronger. Prediction is that he will average over 10ppg. He is also a defensive monster. Was voted the Best Defender coming out of the 2017 class.

Marshall - 6'7" point forward with athleticism. Romain Sato??? Outside shooter and driver. Shot blocker. A do it all player. If Xavier wants to go small, they could go with Gates at the 5 and Marshall at the 4. If Gates can get to that next level, this line up would be devastating.

Jared Ridder - 6'7" 3 point specialist but can handle the ball some and get to the rim. What impresses me the most about Ridder is how well he moves without the ball. Always sliding to get open so that when a pass comes, he is more likely to be open. That usually doesn't happen with freshman.

Harden - Will shoot the 3 but will also drive with a pull up jumper. With the other guys who can drive, this is a perfect situation for a guy who pulls up. He makes 7 to 10 foot pull up jumpers like layups which is why he is a 4 star product. Oh and he can shoot the 3 too.

Kerem Kanter - Once he gets going in the Xavier system, he will have his best collegiate year. He may end up as the best 3 pt shooter on this year's team. Yes, a big that can spread the floor.

Jones - Don't think we'll see him this coming up year. Academics. Even if we do, it will be in the exhibition games.

[xu82]

Ridder is supposed to be a good 3 point shooter, but I'm struggling to find stats for who can shoot from deep, and how well. Any suggestions? (Or, more importantly, someone who will just post it here?)

[XUFan09]

Ridder is supposed to be a good 3 point shooter, but I'm struggling to find stats for who can shoot from deep, and how well. Any suggestions? (Or, more importantly, someone who will just post it here?)
Ridder is labeled as one of the best shooters in the entire class, and Harden is also considered a good shooter. Scruggs and Marshall aren't really considered good shooters.

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[smileyy]

Marshall - 6'7" point forward with athleticism. Romain Sato???

Maybe more like James Posey?

[X Factor]

Scruggs - Think of Goodin but bigger and stronger. Prediction is that he will average over 10ppg. He is also a defensive monster. Was voted the Best Defender coming out of the 2017 class.

Marshall - 6'7" point forward with athleticism. Romain Sato??? Outside shooter and driver. Shot blocker. A do it all player. If Xavier wants to go small, they could go with Gates at the 5 and Marshall at the 4. If Gates can get to that next level, this line up would be devastating.

I don't think Scruggs is stronger than Goodin. Quentin set the Xavier freshman bench press record. Kid was jacked coming out of HS. Scruggs is longer than Goodin though and has elite defensive skills. Probably a better finisher too.

Marshall is way more skilled than Sato was, especially coming out of HS, but no where near the athlete that Romain was. Sato was 6'3 but rebounded like a 6'9 or bigger guy (8th all-time in rebounding at X). Sato was a much better shooter than Marshall is. Marshall reminds me of much more skilled Justin Cage.

[XfansinKy]

I don't think Scruggs is stronger than Goodin. Quentin set the Xavier freshman bench press record. Kid was jacked coming out of HS. Scruggs is longer than Goodin though and has elite defensive skills. Probably a better finisher too.

Marshall is way more skilled than Sato was, especially coming out of HS, but no where near the athlete that Romain was. Sato was 6'3 but rebounded like a 6'9 or bigger guy (8th all-time in rebounding at X). Sato was a much better shooter than Marshall is. Marshall reminds me of much more skilled Justin Cage.

That's the best comparison I've heard. A Xavier assistant compared him to Semaj as far as ball handling and playmaking. Not many freshman are going to be able to jump like Semaj but Naji is a lot bigger.

[MADXSTER]

Goodin - Soph with experience in big games
Scruggs - Impact freshman ranked 30th in the nation 8th in his position
Macura - Senior with all around experience
Bluiett - Senior with all around experience
Jones - Soph with experience in big games

O'mara - Senior with all around experience
Kanter - 5th year Senior with experience
Gates - Junior with all around experience
Marshall - Impact freshman ranked 38th in the nation 7th in his position

Hardin & Ridder - not shabby freshman - every year there is an unheralded recruit who exceeds expectations

This team is loaded with both experience and impact players

[mistabeecee41]

Goodin - Soph with experience in big games
Scruggs - Impact freshman ranked 30th in the nation 8th in his position
Macura - Senior with all around experience
Bluiett - Senior with all around experience
Jones - Soph with experience in big games

O'mara - Senior with all around experience
Kanter - 5th year Senior with experience
Gates - Junior with all around experience
Marshall - Impact freshman ranked 38th in the nation 7th in his position

Hardin & Ridder - not shabby freshman - every year there is an unheralded recruit who exceeds expectations

This team is loaded with both experience and impact players

i agree - might be o'mara who starts, but i envision a similar big rotation, swapping out Gaston for Kanter.
we do have a lack of a ballhandler coming off the bench, but the versatility of our 2-4 will allow Mack to slide everybody down a position when Kaiser/Naji enter the game.

[THRILLHOUSE]

i agree - might be o'mara who starts, but i envision a similar big rotation, swapping out Gaston for Kanter.
we do have a lack of a ballhandler coming off the bench, but the versatility of our 2-4 will allow Mack to slide everybody down a position when Kaiser/Naji enter the game.

I think Tyrique will get the start, but he & O'Mara will play around the same amount of minutes (assuming we get the O'Mara we saw in March) so doesn't really matter much who gets the starting role.

[X-man]

I think Ridder will be the real surprise in this incoming class. Think JD.

[SemajParlor]

Man, not only is this team loaded... it seems to be one of the more "likeable" teams we've had too.

Wouldn't be surprised if Mack does the classic freshmen Scruggs Marshall 1,2 lineup in times needing energy. This is going to be fun.

[sirthought]

JD?
J.D. Weatherspoon?
Jared Dudley?
JD Walsh?

[smileyy]

Justin Doellman

[mid major]

JD?
J.D. Weatherspoon?
Jared Dudley?
JD Walsh?

I thought the same thing but since I am an '89 grad I thought of JD Barnett.

[Muskie in dayton]

JD?
J.D. Weatherspoon?
Jared Dudley?
JD Walsh?

Yes, please spell out names. The extra 6 keystrokes are well worth not resembling UD pride.

[GIMMFD]

Man, not only is this team loaded... it seems to be one of the more "likeable" teams we've had too.

Wouldn't be surprised if Mack does the classic freshmen Scruggs Marshall 1,2 lineup in times needing energy. This is going to be fun.

Honestly, except for Macura, I'm not really sure who opposing fans could dislike personality wise, I'm sure they hate the talent some guys have like Tre, but I agree, I think we're pretty damn likable for a casual fan that may happen to tune in to a game. While watching the tournament though, I had plenty of friends message me saying "Man you guys have some fun players to watch" so I could see it.

[MADXSTER]

While watching the tournament though, I had plenty of friends message me saying "Man you guys have some fun players to watch" so I could see it.

Don't go BYU on us. No one is more fun to watch than BYU.

[GIMMFD]

Don't go BYU on us. No one is more fun to watch than BYU.

Oh no, I don't mean like fun in the entire tournament, they'd just tune into our games because obviously hearing the name from me attending X, and always tweeting about it, they'd enjoy watching us play. You're right though, BYU is an absolute blast to watch play for the casual fan.

[Olsingledigit]

The coaches were ecstatic about O'Mara's finish. I say he gets the epstartband keeps it unless he fades fast.

[SemajParlor]

Goodin and Scruggs on paper are reminiscent of that 2009-2010 Holloway and Lyons. The competition for PG is going to be incredible. Quentin's growth this year will be huge for this team. He has all the tools to be exceptional.

[AviatorX]

Goodin and Scruggs on paper are reminiscent of that 2009-2010 Holloway and Lyons. The competition for PG is going to be incredible. Quentin's growth this year will be huge for this team. He has all the tools to be exceptional.

Could not be more excited to see Q's freshman to sophomore jump. That backcourt should be tremendous defensively as well.

[MuskieXU]

Could not be more excited to see Q's freshman to sophomore jump. That backcourt should be tremendous defensively as well.

I don't think we'll see Goodin and Scruggs score on the levels of some other Xavier backcourts but we dont need them to. They do legitimately have the opportunity to be the best defensive backcourt we've ever seen. Goodin, Scruggs, Gates, Marshall, and Jones is probably the best defensive lineup Xavier has ever seen from top to bottom. Will be a very exciting next few years.

[SemajParlor]

I don't think we'll see Goodin and Scruggs score on the levels of some other Xavier backcourts but we dont need them to. They do legitimately have the opportunity to be the best defensive backcourt we've ever seen. Goodin, Scruggs, Gates, Marshall, and Jones is probably the best defensive lineup Xavier has ever seen from top to bottom. Will be a very exciting next few years.

Will be nice to have role players like Trevon Blueitt and JP Macura to help chip in with scoring with this bunch too... I'm giddy.

[MuskieXU]

Will be nice to have role players like Trevon Blueitt and JP Macura to help chip in with scoring with this bunch too... I'm giddy.

Haha I was talking about in 2 years, although I'm sure Mack will run this lineup a little bit next year as well to get them acclimated with each other.

[smileyy]

Well, Tu, BJ, CJ, Derrick Brown and Jason Love were the 9th best defense in the country in 2009

[GIMMFD]

Haha I was talking about in 2 years, although I'm sure Mack will run this lineup a little bit next year as well to get them acclimated with each other.

Especially in blow outs too, I could easily see this happening in early season games.

[kellernr]

So does Mack still have 1 scholarship left?

Seniors

1 - Bluiett
2 - JP
3 - Kanter
4 - O'Mara


Juniors

5 - Gates


Soph

6 - Goodin
7 - Jones


Freshman

8 - Scruggs
9 - Marshall
10 - Harden
11 - Rider
12 - Jones

[LA Muskie]

Yes. But absent a traditional transfer (low odds) it will be pocketed.


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[LA Muskie]

Also, don't expect to see K Jones.


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[X-man]

Also, don't expect to see K Jones.


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I'm hearing that as well...perhaps an academic redshirt.

[AviatorX]

I'm hearing that as well...perhaps an academic redshirt.

Probably a non-qualifier, no?

To be honest not sure how he would fit in with the current system -- or more accurately, whether his skill level is where it needs to be on the Matt Stainbrook sliding scale of playing a guy that doesn't fit the system because he's too good not to play. Then again, apparently Chris Mack fell in love with his game and immediately offered and he has better judgment than I do that's for sure.

[xufan2434]

I don't think we'll see Goodin and Scruggs score on the levels of some other Xavier backcourts but we dont need them to. They do legitimately have the opportunity to be the best defensive backcourt we've ever seen. Goodin, Scruggs, Gates, Marshall, and Jones is probably the best defensive lineup Xavier has ever seen from top to bottom. Will be a very exciting next few years.

I cannot wait to see those guys get after it defensively in the Big East. A ton of length and muscle to deal with. Gonna need it with Brunson, Carrington, Cartwright, Baldwin, Markus Howard. All those guards are smaller and X will be able to run a ton of big bodies at em next year. Matchup with Ponds/LoVett is gonna be real fun

[MuskieXU]

Well, Tu, BJ, CJ, Derrick Brown and Jason Love were the 9th best defense in the country in 2009

Xavier has had some very good defensive teams over the years. 2016 once we added the 1-3-1, 2009 with Dante and 2008 with Stan, 2004 with Sato, and 2002 and 2003 with DWest all stand out to me. Those teams all had stand out defensive players but I think this team has a chance to be better than any of those from top to bottom. The strength, length, and athleticism will give teams fits.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

Xavier has had some very good defensive teams over the years. 2016 once we added the 1-3-1, 2009 with Dante and 2008 with Stan, 2004 with Sato, and 2002 and 2003 with DWest all stand out to me. Those teams all had stand out defensive players but I think this team has a chance to be better than any of those from top to bottom. The strength, length, and athleticism will give teams fits.

The 16/17 team was better defensively when Sumner was healthy. Once he went down they went almost exclusively zone.