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Xavier lands a commitment from a kid named ‘Skinny’

EDMONDSUMNER_NIKE_

Xavier landed a commitment from Edmond Sumner on Sunday night, a three-star point guard out of Detroit that currently ranks 111th in the Class of 2014, according to Rivals.

At 6-foot-2, Sumner has earned the nickname ‘Skinny’ because, well, he’s skinny, checking in at 160 pounds.

But that doesn’t mean that he can’t play. Sumner is what we like to call ‘basketball strong’. He might get pushed around while his body continues to fill out, but he’s tough and he knows how to play the game. Sumner is a point guard, but he’s unselfish enough and a good enough shooter that he can be used at either back court position.

Big guys aren’t the only players that have potential despite being undersized and waiting to grow into their frame. I enjoyed this explanation from Dave Telep:

In evaluating basketball prospects, the goal is to learn something every day, but more importantly to learn from mistakes. One of the common mistakes that comes back to haunt evaluators is dismissing the players with under-developed bodies. It’s a lesson learned by NBA evaluators (see Stephen Curry) as well as scouts and college coaches (see C.J. McCollum).

When you find a player with toughness, smarts and drive, the prudent move is to do the homework on him, vet his work ethic, and trust the college strength and conditioning coaches to do their jobs.


If a kid can play, he can play. That’s the bottom-line. Sounds like Xavier landed themselves a good one.

(Image via Rivals)

You can find Rob on twitter @RobDauster.