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College basketball week 5: 5 biggest takeaways

By Chris Stone

Dec 10, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Grayson Allen (3) congratulates guard Luke Kennard (5) during a game against the UNLV Runnin
Dec 10, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Grayson Allen (3) congratulates guard Luke Kennard (5) during a game against the UNLV Runnin /
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Dec 7, 2016; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Derrick White (21) attempts a successful three point attempt over Xavier Musketeers guard Edmond Sumner (4) in the final seconds of the second half at the Coors Events Center. The Buffaloes defeated the Musketeers 68-66. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2016; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Derrick White (21) attempts a successful three point attempt over Xavier Musketeers guard Edmond Sumner (4) in the final seconds of the second half at the Coors Events Center. The Buffaloes defeated the Musketeers 68-66. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Worrying about Xavier: yes, no or maybe?

Here’s the case for worrying about Xavier: The Musketeers started the week by following up a blowout loss to Baylor last Saturday with a narrow two-point defeat at Colorado on Wednesday. Earlier in the season, the team needed overtime to beat a pretty poor Missouri team on a neutral court and other than a six-point win over Clemson, there aren’t really any good lines on the Musketeers’ resume.

It’s also concerning that sophomore point guard Edmond Sumner hasn’t taken the leap that many expected. The 20-year-old’s per 40 minutes statistics are nearly identical across the board when compared to last season and his 3-point shot appears to have gone from bad to worse over the summer.

The case for not worrying about Xavier? Road games in college basketball are tough, especially against good teams like Baylor and Colorado and usually playing in those environments helps you down the line in March when it’s win or go home. The Musketeers even rebounded from the back-to-back defeats with a nice home win over Utah on Saturday.

Xavier is also playing without senior guard Myles Davis, who was indefinitely suspended before the season. Davis averaged 10.8 points per game in 2015-16 and can provide a steadying hand on the court. With reports indicating that he may return to the program before conference play, the Musketeers could get a much-needed boost.

Realistically, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Xavier appears to be a good, but not great team that was subjected to some outsized preseason expectations that are worth adjusting 10 games into the year.