Cincinnati vs. Xavier: Who wins the position battles?

Shooting guard: Jarron Cumberland vs. J.P. Macura

After coming off the bench all of last season, sophomore guard Jarron Cumberland is now a full-time starter, averaging over double-figures in scoring. In terms of offense, the guard’s inconsistencies have shown early on. He’s shot better from distance, but the overall field goal numbers have dipped. After getting to double-digits in points the first four games, he’s scored 14 points total the past three games.

His defense, however, has been anything but inconsistent. His defensive rating is 82.0 — good for third of all AAC players. Even in games where he doesn’t score, his opponent won’t either.

That’ll be put to the test against J.P. Macura, a senior guard who has just as many enemies as he does friends in the basketball world. He’s second on the team in scoring with 14.6 ppg and shoots an absurd 60% from the field. A lot of his offense comes from driving into the paint and forcing fouls. His big game came against Wisconsin, where he scored 20 points and got into it with the Badger fan base.

This will be a battle of strengths, as Macura is currently in the top five of many offensive metric categories of Big East players. Both guys like to be irritants, and considering the nature of this rivalry, expect these two to really go at it, both on the court and by the mouths. I personally favor defense over offense, but this is as even as it gets.

Edge: Cumberland