Coach Richard Pitino has a problem on his hands: super tall guys that would stand out anywhere keep going missing on his watch. First it was Anthony Robinson, then it was Pape N’Diaye, then, in a shocking development, it was both. Tune in at 11 to see if either of these two gigantic men can be found in time to help save a season.
So that’s a little overwrought, but Xavier has had an issue with their bench bigs this season and it is starting to have a significantly deleterious effect on the rotation
at the end of games. As Tre Carroll, Jovan Milicevic, and Filip Borovicanin tire, their output drops. Borovicanin has struggled in each of the last two games and, frankly, looks more than a little worn out. Carroll’s fatigue seems to manifest itself in late game decision making and execution. All credit to Jovan, he’s managed to find himself rest by simply slapping people periodically.
What Xavier needs is for Anthony Robinson or Pape N’Diaye to be able to provide consistent useful minutes. Both have had their moments this season, both have also been very conspicuous by their absence at times.
Anthony Robinson
Robinson actually started the first three games of this Xavier season and played 20+ minutes in all of them. His line was 12/10/3. No, that’s not his averages or four a single game, that was his output in all three of those games combined. In a harbinger of things to come, he also had seven turnovers.
Robinson then functionally vanished. He came off the bench for 19 minutes against TAMCC and 14 against Saint Francis, but other than that was only playing single digit minutes. His 12 points against TAMCC remain his season high, as do the eight rebounds he managed in that game. From that stretch until February 3rd, Robinson was basically a rumor and didn’t even appear in five games.
Then, he was back. Against UConn on the 3rd he managed 13 minutes and was so active that he got to the line for nine attempts. Only two of those went in, but Anthony was all over the place and managed to not turn the ball over even once. Against St. John’s in the next game he played 19 minutes, had a 148 offensive efficiency and went for 10/4/1 with a block against SJU’s vaunted front line. He looked for all the world to have figured something out.
Since then he has played a total of 21 minutes and had a total line of 5/2/2 in three games. Against Butler he rolled open in the middle of the lane with no one between he and the bucket and watched an inch perfect pass sail right through his hands. His turnover rate of 20.3% remains far too high for a big man who rarely dribbles.
Pape N’Diaye
Pape was always going to be a project. He is very much here to develop for a year while bringing his skillset to play in certain circumstances as best he can. Early in the season he played garbage time minutes against buy game teams. He didn’t make a two pointer until the Crosstown Shootout and didn’t make multiple shots in a game until the first Creighton debacle.
But then came a stretch of seven games in which N’Diaye played over 10 minutes six times and began to flash some real signs of contribution. In that Creighton game he went for 10/2/2 with two blocks. He had 8/5/0 with two blocks against DePaul and added two blocks. In that seven game stretch he shot 9-14/5-7/3-4, blocked nine shots, and wiped the defensive glass.
Then, like a comet, he sailed out of sight. That stretch ended on January 10th against Providence. Since then N’Diaye has not scored. He has blocked four shots in the last 10 games. His total line is 0/8/2 and he’s had two DNPs. Against Butler he played four mostly anonymous minutes.
Coach Pitino has to figure out how to get something out of his backup big men. Neither of them has been able to consistently produce to the point where they are a staple in the rotation. Robinson has all the tools and has shown all of them at times. He can be a genuine menace around the rim, has an explosive first step, and has the body to fight with anyone in the post. He also simply cannot hold on to the ball.
Pape N’Diaye is a little bit different. He is as raw as they come, but with a nice shooting touch and the ability to challenge basically any shot. He catches the ball cleanly and is even decent near the rim. He is also too thin to handle most Big East big men and seems quite meek when playing the game at times.
Somewhere in both of these guys is a 20 minute per game player that can have a real impact on a season. Xavier needs to find that before both end up finding their potential elsewhere.
