Cincinnati vs. Xavier: Who wins the position battles?

Power forward: Gary Clark vs. Kaiser Gates

Kaiser Gates has become a legitimate weapon for Xavier, having doubled his offensive production from a year ago. He currently averages 11.3 ppg and 4.6 rpg, with three made deep shots a game. He’s the modern-day stretch forward, with 90% of his offense coming beyond the perimeter line.

There are two unique facts about Gates, including being the best when it comes to turnover percentages for players in the Big East. It makes sense since he operates away from the paint. On the opposite end, he’s fourth in the league in fouls committed, keeping him off the floor at times. Xavier has backup options, but Gates has become too good a player to not be playing.

That’ll be an issue going up against Gary Clark, who’s been one of the most underrated players in all of college basketball in terms of sheer importance. One of the more incredible stats not known to many people is that Clark has had the highest plus/minus box score ALL FOUR YEARS of the AAC. Basically, it means that when he’s on the court, the Bearcats do very well.

That’s because both his player efficiency rating (38.7) and defensive rating (71.3) are both the best so far in the AAC. He’s the lead scorer and rebounder for his team with 13.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg, along with shooting 88% from the line.

Even if Gates could stay on the court, this is an easy one. Clark won’t make many highlights or fill up the box score, but he’s the definition of a winning player. The stats prove it.

Edge: Clark