2016-17 College Basketball All-Injured Team

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Jan 29, 2017; Queens, NY, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard Edmond Sumner (4) drives past St. John’s Red Storm forward Tariq Owens (11) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

Shooting Guard: Edmund Sumner

Team: Xavier

Stats: 15.0 PPG, 5.0 APG, 4.3 RPG

Completing the Big East backcourt, Sumner is a 6-foot-6 guard that did it all for Xavier. He was the Musketeers’ driving force on offense, owning a ridiculous 57 percent true shooting percentage. Using nearly a quarter of the team’s possessions, he converted at a high efficiency despite large volume. A big reason for that efficiency was his ability to get points with the clock stopped. Despite shooting a mundane 73.5 percent from the free throw line, he shot so many it didn’t matter. Drawing 6.2 fouls per 40 minutes led him to the 47th-best free throw rate in the nation, per Kenpom. Coupled with his high assist rate (30.6), that more than made up for his spotty outside shooting to make him a great offensive player.

Having such a large stature in the backcourt was beneficial to his defensive effort. A versatile defender, he is quick enough to guard smaller guards while having the length to contend with forwards. That showed in his numbers as he placed in the top quartile nationally in both steal and block percentage. Luckily, Xavier has the size to help make up for his absence on that end, with all the other guards standing 6-foot-4 or taller. Still, losing one of your best players on both ends is never easy for a team. Xavier has lost four in a row, but are still comfortably in the field. Not having their go-to guy in Sumner, though, will hurt them come March. They’ve lost his fearlessness in attacking the hoop and drawing lots of fouls, a big part of closer, slower tournament games.