NCAA Basketball: 5 former top-100 recruits set for breakout 2018-19 seasons

Paul Scruggs, Xavier

Scruggs did play a role off the bench for Xavier last season but with a number of players graduating, namely stars Trevon Bluiett and J.P. Macura, he is expected to become the focal point of Xavier’s attack under new head coach Travis Steele.

With great size for a guard at 6-4 and 210 pounds and quickness to boot, Scruggs is able to get into the lane virtually whenever he wants and excels at finishing around the basket. That slashing ability works to his playmaking advantage as well, as he has shown a willingness to find the open man on the perimeter once he gets the defense to collapse.

That said, Scruggs’ biggest impact as a freshman came on the defensive side of the floor. He showed he could routinely lock down any opposing player on the perimeter and that will likely be his biggest role again.

During his introductory press conference, Steele stressed his vision for Xavier to become a dominant defensive team and for Scruggs to lead that charge.

"“I think we have to be able to score more off of our defense. I think that’s critical. We have to be a higher ball pressure team than we ever have been before because we have to create turnovers. We may not be as skilled on offense next year but I do think we could be tremendous defensively.”"

Shooting remains a weak spot in Scruggs’ game (he shot just 30.4 percent from three-point range), but his slashing ability and lockdown defense could make him the next star for the Musketeers.