Xavier has now been hit by the injury bug as Brad Redford will be out for the season after tearing his ACL. Redford only played 13 minutes per game last season, but he was the team's best three-point shooter, hitting at a 42.5% clip.
Three point shooting is very important for Xavier, because they still play the same style of basketball as they did under Sean Miller. They are extremely athletic, and feature quick forwards and long guards that can all attack the rim. But to make that most effective they need shooters that can spread the defense out. With Jordan Crawford gone to the NBA, and now Redford lost to injury, the team is now short on shooters.
Dante Jackson is a very good outside shooter (he shot at a 40% clip last season, and actually hit more total threes than Redford because he was on the floor more), but after him the team has no proven shooters. Terrell Holloway likes to launch threes, but he has been pretty inefficient at them in the past (no higher than 32.7% in either of his two season). One player who needs to step up is Mark Lyons, who shot well as a redshirt freshman in 2009-10, and should get more time on the floor in 2010-11.
The Brad Redford injury isn't a disaster for Xavier. They're still probably the favorite to win the Atlantic Ten, and are very likely to return to the NCAA Tournament. But it's a problem that needs to be solved.
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