Cincinnati vs. Xavier: Who wins the position battles?

Small forward: Jacob Evans vs. Trevon Bluiett

If you thought the battle with the shooting guards will be fun, this is the match-up of arguably the top players from both teams. Jacob Evans of Cincinnati does everything well, including leading the team in assists (4.3 apg) and is second in scoring (11.7 mpg). He’s done this in only 25 mpg, with a combination of blowouts and precautions with his hip being the reasons.

Where Evans shines the most is on defense, where he’s second in the AAC, in defensive rating at 79.4. He can guard the 2, 3 and 4 spots on the court and has the athleticism and toughness to take just about anybody down.

Trevor Bluiett has the athleticism and toughness to score on just about everyone, with the Musketeers elite eight run proof of it. He played the undersized forward and became a matchup nightmare towards the end of the season. He’s improved from last season’s numbers, from scoring 18.5-19.7 ppg and all the other offensive categories.

Bluiett has scored at least 20 points in each of his first five games and figures to be in the top five of Big East scorers for the duration of this season. In terms of his battle with Evans, it’ll be interesting to see if coach Chris Mack puts him at the four spot again. But assuming it’s these two, Evans defense gives him an advantage against most players. However, Bluiett isn’t just a normal player — he’s an All-American caliber athlete.

Edge: Bluiett