NCAA Basketball: Top small forwards for 2016-17 season

Mar 27, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Justin Jackson (44) reacts during the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the championship game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jan 16, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard Trevon Bluiett (5) reacts after scoring during the first half against the Marquette Golden Eagles at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Trevon Bluiett, Xavier

2015-16 Season
15.1 PPG
6.1 RPG
2.2 APG

Trevon Bluiett withdrew his name from this summer’s NBA Draft in order to return to Xavier for his junior season.

Last season, Bluiett led the Musketeers to 27 regular season wins, a second-place finish in the Big East, and a two-seed in the NCAA Tournament. He’ll be looking to lead his team to the Sweet 16 (and beyond) this year after a heartbreaking second-round loss to the East region’s 7th seed, Wisconsin.

Bluiett averaged 15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game and was named to the All-Big East first team. Over the course of the season, he was one of the best three-point shooters in the conference, hitting nearly 40 percent of his attempts. He was also top-15 in the conference in scoring and free-throw percentage.

Bluiett was not invited to participate in the NBA Combine, but was scheduled to meet with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics, according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman.

Regardless, he had seemingly little interest in leaving Xavier for the NBA.

Bluiett led Xavier in scoring, three-point shooting (made and attempted) and minutes per game last season. One would have to expect to see similar trends this year as he enters his junior season with a lot of experience and high hopes of a deep tournament run in March.

Bluiett will undoubtedly be one of the best players in the Big East Conference as well as one of the top small forwards in the country in 2016.

Next: 1. Dillon Brooks

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