The Paul Scruggs Show

[Xuperman]

I felt compelled to start a thread for the guy and, based on what we saw Sunday, it will be an active one. Clearly he put it all together statistically but there is so much more to be said aside from the numbers.

With Q out again he knew he had to shoulder the PG position, with no real backup, for the whole game. If he got into early foul trouble, we were screwed. Despite playing aggressive defense, he goes all 40 with ONE FOUL. He was nearly flawless bringing the ball up and running our half court sets and did a stellar job taking care of the ball. Everything went through him. It was a Ponds like performance. All in the context of facing a BU team smelling blood..........foaming at the mouth to get a Cintas W.

We saw leadership, focused determination, high basketball IQ coupled with text book execution. He displayed growing confidence with each possession. He was THE MAN......it was The Paul Scruggs Show!!

[Xavier]

Before the season started I thought he and Marshal had a legit shot at the NBA. I certainly bought into the Marshal hype but I actually wouldn't be surprised if Scruggs tested the waters after his Jr. season. I have no doubt he can lead Xavier the next few years if he doesn't leave his Sr. year Xavier could be a real threat again.

[X Factor]

In BE conference play, Paul is averaging 16.6 points and 6.2 rebounds. He leads the league in assists to turnover ratio.

[XUOHTX]

Before the season started I thought he and Marshal had a legit shot at the NBA. I certainly bought into the Marshal hype but I actually wouldn't be surprised if Scruggs tested the waters after his Jr. season. I have no doubt he can lead Xavier the next few years if he doesn't leave his Sr. year Xavier could be a real threat again.

God I hope not. I want another 2 years of Scruggs.

[SemajParlor]

Paul has been fantastic this year. The guy has "it."

I was at Providence last year and seeing what he was in that game and what he has become now, it's been really great to see.

[xu koop scoop]

Paul, Paul he does it all. Mr Scruggs & the way he chugs. Up & down the Bball floor. Rebounds, assists & points he scores. Scruggs will Mug you with his Dee. Then spot up for a timely three. Burning rubber with his wheels. Paul just got another steal. He's a star in the making. Opponents boots are left a shaking.

[xukeith]

Before the season started I thought he and Marshal had a legit shot at the NBA. I certainly bought into the Marshal hype but I actually wouldn't be surprised if Scruggs tested the waters after his Jr. season. I have no doubt he can lead Xavier the next few years if he doesn't leave his Sr. year Xavier could be a real threat again.

if the next 2 years he shoots like Markus Howard, Ponds, or Doug McDermitt, then yes he is all NBA.

[scoscox]

Paul will have one more year at most if he continues his trajectory. He's a little older so he'll be eager to leave if his stock gets high enough. That's why we have Kyky and Dwon waiting in the wings

[Xuperman]

Paul, Paul he does it all. Mr Scruggs & the way he chugs. Up & down the Bball floor. Rebounds, assists & points he scores. Scruggs will Mug you with his Dee. Then spot up for a timely three. Burning rubber with his wheels. Paul just got another steal. He's a star in the making. Opponents boots are left a shaking.

If these were lyrics it would be pretty cheesy BUT if set to music, it could make a nice theme song for “The Paul Scruggs Show”.....kinda like “Go Cubs Go”. It’s so bad it’s good.

[SemajParlor]

if the next 2 years he shoots like Markus Howard, Ponds, or Doug McDermitt, then yes he is all NBA.

He kind of is.

[SemajParlor]

50 - 40 - 80 guy who has his size, wingspan, can dribble, drive, and plays exceptional defense?

Embrace every minute this guy plays for us guys. He may not be around for as much as we think.

[Xville]

Yeah...scruggs is probably a one more year guy at most. He is a long 6'3 and could definitely make it on an nba roster if he continues on his upward trajectory.

[xu koop scoop]

50 - 40 - 80 guy who has his size, wingspan, can dribble, drive, and plays exceptional defense?

Embrace every minute this guy plays for us guys. He may not be around for as much as we think.

Let's put the Scruggs Show in reality. He is becoming awesome, but didn't he recently have an 8 or 9 turnover game before his new found "greatness". I wonder if he might became Point Guard 1A & Goodin Point Guard 1B at some "point".

[SemajParlor]

Let's put the Scruggs Show in reality.

Sounds good.

[Xuperman]

Time to dust off this Scruggs thread and get some heavy use out of it.

UC ended his 9 game stretch of scoring in double digits, the longest streak of his career. Not all that impressive but to put it into perspective, JP’s career streak was 8.....but contrast that with Trevon’s 36 straight and it’s not a fair fight. Anyway, JP is great comparison to look at in regards to Paul. Their numbers are strikingly similar across the board. Like JP, Paul has suffered through some inconsistency from an offensive standpoint but getting max effort every game on defense, not a problem for either guy.

Here’s the thing, I think Scruggs is a lock to start another dub-digit scoring streak that extends well into conference play. His 3 ball is looking like a solid 35% and he’s so hard to stay in front of, then once he’s past you, he has more moves than ExLax in the paint. 10+ a game should be a no brainer considering his usage and skill set but there is one thing that’s definitely a hindrance........wait for it........HE DOESN’T GET TO THE FREE THROW LINE. The stat is shocking considering his playing style and elite physical makeup. His career game high for FTA is 9, which he has done only ONE time....and it just happened to be part of his career high 28 vs Nova. Not a coincidence. So far this year it’s even more remarkable. Only 12 attempts in 10 games? He’s made TEN OF THEM. Most likely our best weapon from the line and it’s buried deep in our toolbox. C’mon Travis, it’s a skill that is coachable, get him to draw more contact.
:happy:

[IM4X]

Time to dust off this Scruggs thread and get some heavy use out of it.

HE DOESN’T GET TO THE FREE THROW LINE. The stat is shocking considering his playing style and elite physical makeup. So far this year it’s even more remarkable. Only 12 attempts in 10 games? He’s made TEN OF THEM. Most likely our best weapon from the line and it’s buried deep in our toolbox. C’mon Travis, it’s a skill that is coachable, get him to draw more contact.
:happy:


Agreed. Scruggs getting to the line more will be crucial this year. It very likely will allow X to win a game or three that they otherwise would not have.

There were easily more than a handful of games back when Trevon was playing, where X won because the best FT shooters (Tre, JP or Myles) were able to get to the line often. I could see Steel already saying something to him and the rest of the team like, "When you get to the foul line, you are increasing your shooting % by as much as 45%. Why would you not want to do that."

[Masterofreality]

Paul deferred Saturday, just like every body else did, to Naji's awesomeness.

When a dude is on fire like Naj was Saturday, you just get out of the way & admire the greatness. Just like back in 1968 when basically everybody on Xavier just got out of Bob Quick's way when he scored 40 out of 72 of Xavier's points vs UC. They called it the "Cobra Offense" then. Saturday was Naji Nastiness.

Paul will have his games, and soon. Naj won't score 31 every game and they'll start helping out on him. Perfect for Paul to take advantage.

[Xuperman]

Agreed. Scruggs getting to the line more will be crucial this year. It very likely will allow X to win a game or three that they otherwise would not have.

There were easily more than a handful of games back when Trevon was playing, where X won because the best FT shooters (Tre, JP or Myles) were able to get to the line often. I could see Steel already saying something to him and the rest of the team like, "When you get to the foul line, you are increasing your shooting % by as much as 45%. Why would you not want to do that."

I can't f...ing believe it!! I took some serious pushback on this subject (and a couple of nasty neg reps), but nice to have someone in solid agreement on such an obvious area of concern. Thanks IM4X, for giving me a tiny shred of legitimacy. I feel better now because I was called a "clown" from some whimpy X dude on HLOH for down playing BUTLER'S potential.....I thought ALL X FANS would consider that a given.

[IM4X]

I can't f...ing believe it!! I took some serious pushback on this subject (and a couple of nasty neg reps), but nice to have someone in solid agreement on such an obvious area of concern. Thanks IM4X, for giving me a tiny shred of legitimacy.

Ha. That's what I'm here for... giving people tiny sheds of legitmacy.

I didn't see your other posts, but I do believe at some point Steele mentioned the need for his players to get to the line more.

I have to say, I am really impressed with Travis. I love how his demeanor and how he openly admits to issues that are negatively affecting the team... and what he plans to do about it. He never dismisses anyone or makes people feel small... like his old boss did (who often came across as a complete dick!)

I know he has a lot of work still to do, but between his attention to detail, his openness and his warm and approachable personality, he is quickly becoming my favorite X coach of all time. Note: check back with me at the end of the season.

[IM4X]

Paul deferred Saturday, just like every body else did, to Naji's awesomeness.

When a dude is on fire like Naj was Saturday, you just get out of the way & admire the greatness.


This is a response I certainly can buy.

Naji was deep, deep in a zone. When that happens, teammates are wise to just assist the man while he puts on his show.

[scoscox]

Paul deferred Saturday, just like every body else did, to Naji's awesomeness.

When a dude is on fire like Naj was Saturday, you just get out of the way & admire the greatness. Just like back in 1968 when basically everybody on Xavier just got out of Bob Quick's way when he scored 40 out of 72 of Xavier's points vs UC. They called it the "Cobra Offense" then. Saturday was Naji Nastiness.

Paul will have his games, and soon. Naj won't score 31 every game and they'll start helping out on him. Perfect for Paul to take advantage.

not to mention paul only played like 2 minutes in the first half. considering he only played half the game, his numbers and production were pretty normal

[Xuperman]

Pardon the interruption, but we are back to the regularly scheduled programming. Brought to you by Graeters Ice Cream....The Paul Scruggs Show is back and better than ever!

The star of our show, owned the Cats, and looked every bit the part of a All BE stud.

I brought up the fact that he has to have a "Kamar Baldwin/TSR" type season for us to get where we want to go. Most here disagreed, and in limp noodle fashion, was happy with Ol' Scruggy to just kick back and be a solid SR Captain.....Foolish, and you know who you are.

IF...I say IF....... IF Mr. Scruggs can bring THAT intensity and heat, we WILL scorch the BEast landscape. He played like a Kamar Baldwin. He was the best player on the floor, and was just overwhelming to the opposition.

NO days off Paul, as in the past. You have to play every game with that kind of passion. This type of ongoing performance is paramount,

[xukeith]

Pardon the interruption, but we are back to the regularly scheduled programming. Brought to you by Graeters Ice Cream....The Paul Scruggs Show is back and better than ever!

The star of our show, owned the Cats, and looked every bit the part of a All BE stud.

I brought up the fact that he has to have a "Kamar Baldwin/TSR" type season for us to get where we want to go. Most here disagreed, and in limp noodle fashion, was happy with Ol' Scruggy to just kick back and be a solid SR Captain.....Foolish, and you know who you are.

IF...I say IF....... IF Mr. Scruggs can bring THAT intensity and heat, we WILL scorch the BEast landscape. He played like a Kamar Baldwin. He was the best player on the floor, and was just overwhelming to the opposition.

NO days off Paul, as in the past. You have to play every game with that kind of passion. This type of ongoing performance is paramount,

I wonder how long we will have to wait before Scruggs shoots his average 3pt fga. We need that. BE opponents will force him to play his opposite hand. Hope he can successfully nail that foul line jump shot.

[American X]

HUGE senior game - 20 points, 8 assists, 4/5 from 3, 4/4 FT, 3 steals.

[Snipe]

Ridiculous how solid that young man has become. Driven, Determined, Leader....He is everything you could ask for in a player right now. He is a true senior captain.

And I have to add, I am a big fan of the dreds. I like the look. He is a new man, and this is his team.

[Xuperman]

I wonder how long we will have to wait before Scruggs shoots his average 3pt fga. We need that. BE opponents will force him to play his opposite hand. Hope he can successfully nail that foul line jump shot.

He answered that bell nicely. The man is on a mission.

[XUGRAD80]

What’s nice is that he doesn’t appear to be forcing anything, nor hogging the ball. He is not like the black holes Xavier was forced to endure the last couple of seasons, where the ball stopped moving when it got caught in one of those gravity fields. His assist numbers reflect that, but don’t tell the complete story. He would be credited with even more if there was such a thing as “hockey” assist in BB. The ball continues to move. He either takes an open shot, or moves via the dribble to a point that puts pressure on the defense, and leads to an assist. If he keeps playing like that he will be all-BE.

[American X]

Paul Scruggs is a f'in baller. He is in complete command of the game when out on the floor.

I am completely invested in the Paul Scruggs Senior Campaign.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

In his senior year, Paul has become a more complete player and leader.

[Muskeagle]

By the way, after today's 5-8 performance from 3....Scruggs is now 14-38 on the season. This works out to....yes...you guessed it.......37%. It was only a matter of time.

[Xuperman]

In his senior year, Paul has become a more complete player and leader.

Yes, he is. A FOR SURE Kamar Baldwin type game changer. Who out there was thinking he should be just a solid "glue guy"?

[American X]

As of 12/21/20, Paul Scruggs is the Big East Player of the Year.

[mid major]

As of 12/21/20, Paul Scruggs is the Big East Player of the Year.

Had you said this last season you would've been banned from this board but you are absolutely correct. It's a pipe dream for a player to come back for his senior year and perform like he has.

[xu82]

Had you said this last season you would've been banned from this board but you are absolutely correct. It's a pipe dream for a player to come back for his senior year and perform like he has.

Was it Freemantle who said something along the lines of it’s nice to be without any forces sucking the soul out of the team? Paul is thriving as the leader instead of playing second fiddle to.....other stuff.

[Xuperman]

There has to be a lot of ego driven/chemistry/mental gymnastics and just plain ol' personality aspects that effect what you see in high D1 hoops. I believe Paul was hindered by the core 4....BUT he's KICKIN' ASS NOW!!! Got to be consistent though.

His parents insisted he return and finish what he started. He is humble, dedicated, and very well grounded.

No doubt....X HOF.

[Cincypunk.org]

There has to be a lot of ego driven/chemistry/mental gymnastics and just plain ol' personality aspects that effect what you see in high D1 hoops. I believe Paul was hindered by the core 4....BUT he's KICKIN' ASS NOW!!! Got to be consistent though.

His parents insisted he return and finish what he started. He is humble, dedicated, and very well grounded.

No doubt....X HOF.

No doubt X HOF? He hasn't done anything in the post season. I'd like to see where this season goes. He is having an amazing year and am excited to see how it progresses. It is amazing what having shooters has done for him.

[American X]

Paul Scruggs Earns BIG EAST Conference Player Of The Week Honor (https://goxavier.com/news/2020/12/21/mens-basketball-paul-scruggs-earns-big-east-conference-player-of-the-week-honor.aspx)

[D-West & PO-Z]

No doubt X HOF? He hasn't done anything in the post season. I'd like to see where this season goes. He is having an amazing year and am excited to see how it progresses. It is amazing what having shooters has done for him.

I am not saying he already is a sure HOF but I think people forget he was a key cog off the bench in our #1 seed season. We obviously lost the game but he was the 3rd leading scorer in the FSU tourney game.

If doing something in the post season was the requirement for inclusion to the X HOF then we wouldnt have any basketball players pre 2004 in the HOF, including the GOAT DFW.

[Xuperman]

I just don't understand why Paul continues to struggle with consistent shooting numbers. He takes 19 shots vs MU, then proceeds to take only 25 total in the next THREE. I mean, arguably he's our best shooter....certainly our most experienced scorer and Coach Steele doesn't seem to be doing anything to get him more shots. Also, his inability to get to the line continues to baffle. Only 4 attempts in his last 90+ minutes? That is REALLY hard to do for a player like him, in a league like ours. Adding to this insanity is that he's made 27 in a row WHEN he gets there!!! Start seeking out some damn contact.

I can't see this team getting anywhere near 20 wins if this doesn't change and that's100% on Travis Steele. Scruggs can get his shot anytime he wants it...just can't understand why Coach doesn't insist he increase his volume.

[boozehound]

I'm not sure I agree that Scruggs can get his shot anytime he wants it. I think part of why we see inconsistent shot numbers from Paul is that when he is tightly defended or (especially) when a team presses he stops taking shots. It works better when Odom is in the game and can dish to Paul, because Odom has a much tighter handle. When we rely on Paul to run the offense and he can't get comfortable with his dribble he sometimes seems to get frustrated and stop driving.

It's a balance between not being selfish / taking poor shots and understanding that sometimes he needs to be selfish and take poor shots.

[XUBison]

Paul is a terrific player, no doubt. But I’ve had the sense, at least going back to last season, that he simply is not an alpha personality. obviously he’s capable of carrying us when he really gets rolling in a given game, but I don’t feel like he has the instinct to turn it on as needed, a la Tu, DFW, or Tre... not a criticism, just an observation.

[UCGRAD4X]

Paul is a terrific player, no doubt. But I’ve had the sense, at least going back to last season, that he simply is not an alpha personality. obviously he’s capable of carrying us when he really gets rolling in a given game, but I don’t feel like he has the instinct to turn it on as needed, a la Tu, DFW, or Tre... not a criticism, just an observation.

I don't care about the personality as long has a long string of alpha games. Assassins Creed: Big East

[Xuperman]

This is a great time for the Paul Scruggs Show to get a major boost in ratings!

[xukeith]

Against the bottom of BE, Scruggs can and should dominate. Really tough to look awesome against Jays,Pirates, and Wildcats. If X could scrape 1 win vs those 3 I won’t be surprised. Hoping for 5, expecting 1. We shall see.

[Olsingledigit]

Privileged to have been there to see it live. I have noticed that Scruggs is what i call a silent scorer. I looked up late in the second half and all three of us were surprised he had (at that time) 19 points. That is partly why I think he might not seem to be a strong leader when he actually is.

[paulxu]

Privileged to have been there to see it live. I have noticed that Scruggs is what i call a silent scorer. I looked up late in the second half and all three of us were surprised he had (at that time) 19 points. That is partly why I think he might not seem to be a strong leader when he actually is.

Someone on the Butler board (and the announcers commented also) said the Xavier cheers were very loud. Thanks for being there!

[Xuperman]

Just dissected the second half on replay, and after BU went on that crazy run Scruggy took over. He was hell bent and scored 11 straight to display my favorite Byron Larkin quote...."you only take your hands off the opponents throat to get a better grip"....ZIP EM' UP!
:medicated:

[XUGRAD80]

Just dissected the second half on replay, and after BU went on that crazy run Scruggy took over. He was hell bent and scored 11 straight to display my favorite Byron Larkin quote...."you only take your hands off the opponents throat to get a better grip"....ZIP EM' UP!
:medicated:


Senior leadership. I expect him to play like a man possessed over the next 6-8 weeks.

“There is no tomorrow....and that makes you all very dangerous men!”

[Masterofreality]

Does “Fired Up Karen” still exist here?
Was anxiously awaiting her takes after Saturday.

And Ovid Butler deleted his Twitter account after it was flooded with Paul Scruggs pictures.
That is one of the funniest things that X fans do (including me) to other teams official Twitter accounts (and their minion troll accounts too) after we beat their asses. Just keep a thread going posting pictures of the X Star of the game. Hilarious

[94GRAD]

Does “Fired Up Karen” still exist here?
Was anxiously awaiting her takes after Saturday.

And Ovid Butler deleted his Twitter account after it was flooded with Paul Scruggs pictures.
That is one of the funniest things that X fans do (including me) to other teams official Twitter accounts (and their minion troll accounts too) after we beat their asses. Just keep a thread going posting pictures of the X Star of the game. Hilarious

Ovid deleted his account because he posted the obituary of a Xavier fan's dad that he was arguing with. He, along with myself and other X fans, let the official Athletic/Basketball/Administration Twitter pages know what kind of fan they had. Supposedly his dad is a big donor and was none too happy.

[paulxu]

Does “Fired Up Karen” still exist here?
Was anxiously awaiting her takes after Saturday.

And Ovid Butler deleted his Twitter account after it was flooded with Paul Scruggs pictures.
That is one of the funniest things that X fans do (including me) to other teams official Twitter accounts (and their minion troll accounts too) after we beat their asses. Just keep a thread going posting pictures of the X Star of the game. Hilarious

Karen was in Atlanta:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/courtside-karen-lebron-james_n_601925bac5b6aa4bad37449d

[American X]

HUGE senior game from Paul Scruggs at Creighton. A nice 18 points, but more importantly 8 assists & 0 turnovers.

[Xuperman]

HUGE senior game from Paul Scruggs at Creighton. A nice 18 points, but more importantly 8 assists & 0 turnovers.

Oh yeah, that line makes a coach look really good. C'mon Paul, make your swan song some sweet music!!