Xavier Basketball: 3 reasons why the Musketeers will be better than Cincinnati in 2018-19
By Brian Rauf
1) Breakout stars in Quentin Goodin and Paul Scruggs
Yes, it’s going to be extremely difficult for Xavier to replace the likes of Bluiett and Macura…but it’s not impossible. In fact, the Musketeers have two players that are poised to step up in guards Quentin Goodin and Paul Scruggs.
Goodin has been Xavier’s starting point guard for the past season and a half and has played well in a complementary role. His 4.9 assists per game from a season ago ranked third in the conference – a number that should only increase as he becomes more of a focal point of the offense.
Speaking of focal point, that’s who the Musketeers are counting on Scruggs to be. The No. 34 overall prospect in the 2017 class, Scruggs will be making the move from key bench player to someone Xavier will heavily rely on. I think he’s more than ready for the challenge and is ready for a breakout season.
At 6-4 and 210 pounds, Scruggs has the strength and quickness to get to the rim whenever he wants and, when he gets there, he knows how to finish and/or draw contact. He was also a premier defender as a freshman who was routinely tasked with defending the opponent’s best offensive player.
Both players struggle to shoot from distance, but both are tough, athletic slashers, good playmakers, and – most importantly for the style Xavier wants to play – really good defenders. These two will make up one of the better backcourts in the country.