Graves

[wkrq59]

Adrion Graves has more upside than down. Remember, people, he is a sophomore with next to no freshman experience and coming off injury and illness. A year ago there was a lot of speculation on this board that he would transfer.
What minimal playing time he has had this season, he has at times shown brilliance in rebounding(especially offensive), in his ability to make the three and in his desire to become a good defender. He has given CJ and BJ an occasional break when they have either foul problems or just need a blow for a couple of minutes. Most of the time he hasn't hurt the team. Remember, the twos and threes Xavier has--Burrell, CJ and BJ--are pretty talented people. Throw Dante in there and even Derrick, and you have some formidable hurdles to leap ahead of to say the least. I agree, like Bronson, Adrion has never been exposed to the kind of defense he had to learn to get playing time, let alone be effective at both ends of the court.
During the offseason, both players can develop their game, especially on the defensive end. In Bronson's case, and I still think he's going to win Xavier a big game this season, you'll have three players competing for the five spot--Love, Bronson and Frease. You'll have CJ, BJ, and Derrick fighting for the three and four positions and the two guys sitting out this season will also be in the mix. I'm not that familiar with the recruits coming in, but I'd be willing to bet the Redford kid might just make a big contribution right away. Ditto for the kid from NY, the point-guard apparent. But as of now, Dante is going to be the pg, from all indications.
I say give Adrion and Bronson some slack. Their experience will be valuable.