Transfer Player Spotlight: Cam’ron Fletcher (Xavier)

Sean Miller talked on his podcast about his desire to add players who might not be able to impact the team this season but could be key contributors in two seasons. That is exactly what their newest transfer Cam’ron Fletcher could do. The 6-7 wing has struggled with injuries each of the last two seasons. He suffered season ending injuries in the 10th game two seasons ago and the 7th game this past season. Before the injury in 2022 Fletcher was showing real promise averaging 12 points and 8 rebounds per game. Last season he came back from an ACL tear remarkably fast but did not quite look the same and regressed back to 7 points and 5 rebounds before getting injured again. Fletcher is now the 3rd Xavier transfer to miss time last season with a knee injury and the 6th player on the roster to miss time with any injury last season. The 100th percentile outcome for the Musketeers is extremely high but injuries could quickly become an issue for them especially if their big men cannot stay healthy.  Fletcher still has two years of eligibility left. If he can regain his form and improve under Sean Miller’s system, he could be a big piece of the rotation in 2025-2026. One question is what position is going to best fit Fletcher in Xavier’s system. Fletcher played mostly the power forward position as a Seminole but that was still a mostly perimeter centric role. At Xavier he classifies better as a three unless he puts on significant muscle over the next year and a half. He will still play some four but much less than he was playing before. Either way Xavier fans should be excited about the potential of Cam’ron Fletcher.  

The most intriguing part of Fletcher’s offensive game is his versatility. He shines more on the outside when creating for himself, but he also has the ability to post up on the low block and take advantage of smaller defenders. His outside creation is what really took a hit last season and led to his regression. In 2022 Cam’ron got a lot of points off being the ball handler in the pick and roll and using his explosiveness combined with his size to create separation for three-point shots, get to his mid-range pull up, or the rim. In 2023 Fletcher, just like most athletes coming off a torn ACL, lost a step and it made him much less effective at creating his own shot off the dribble. This really limits his offensive impact because he does not provide value as an off-ball mover or have a game plan effecting gravity. He does, however, have a few saving graces in the half court that can make up for his lack of creation. The first of which is his shooting. Flectcher is not an elite shooter, but he is an extremely confident shooter with range. Over the past two years Sean Miller has proven that he can greatly improve 3pt shooting percentages at Xavier. The main benefactors being Souley Boum and Quincy Olivari. If he can get his three-point percentage up over 35% on the high volume of 3pt shots he takes that would be a valuable piece for the offense. The second saving grace of his offensive game is his offensive rebounding. His offensive rebounding rate of 9.1 would have been fourth on Xavier. Florida State’s scheme also did not focus on offensive rebounding as they had a pretty middling rate last season so for a forward to rebound at a rate like that is very encouraging, As for finishing around the rim once he gets the offensive rebounds Fletcher is pretty good at it because he seems to always be in the right place at the right time to get open looks. When he gets to the rim off the dribble Fletcher shows the potential to be a real rim pressuring threat, especially in transition. Fletcher loves to get to his euro step in transition and use his size to draw contact. This is an area where in Xavier’s system he could really thrive. Xavier scored some of the most transition points in the nation last season and with the emphasize from Sean Miller on getting elite shooters. The lanes are going to be wide open for the forwards like Dailyn Swain or Cam’ron Fletcher to get easy finishes in transition. While the potential is absolutely there for Fletcher, and he shows flashes of greatness he has not quite put it all together yet to be a good rim pressurer. This results in a pretty inefficient driver who cannot rely on that to create consistent offense. To go along with his finishing Fletcher does have his fair share of weaknesses on offense. The first of which being his post up positioning. His footwork and strength are not good enough to be an effective post up option because it is so difficult to actually get him the ball. He often gets overpowered which leads to easy steals or deflections. His next shortcoming is his playmaking. While it is not bad by any means, and he can be a solid ball mover he is also never going to be a guy that creates for others with his passing. Cam’ron Fletcher right now is not an above average offensive piece in the Big East. However, the potential to be a versatile forward who can shoot at an above average clip and finish well in transition makes him worth developing when you factor in how good his defense can be.  

The defensive versatility that Cam’ron Fletcher has the potential for is what really makes him an intriguing transfer for Xaver. Florida State’s defensive philosophy is to switch everything, so Fletcher had to guard 1-5 throughout the game and he can thrive in most matchups. Unless Fletcher is matched up with a dominant inside force or an exceptionally quick guard, he is capable of shutting any opponent down. The real strength of his defensive game is his ability to stay in front of his man. This really shined through at Florida State when he was asked to apply pressure for all 94 feet. His full court pressure was valuable at burning shot clock and could cause unforced errors from the other team. Fletcher can be an absolute defensive pest at 6 foot 7 if the coaching staff asks him too. His perimeter defense is his best attribute but his ability to not foul and stay straight up makes his perimeter defense that much better. Xavier’s current roster is lacking players who can be defensive stoppers outside of Dailyn Swain. If Fletcher is able to play at his best ability this season, he would immediately become Xavier’s second-best wing defender. His other valuable quality is the ability to be a secondary rim protector. Fletcher’s instincts and vertical are not off the charts but his hands are elite which allows him to get blocks and contests shots at a proficient level without fouling. His block rate of just above 4% last year would have ranked second on Xavier’s roster. If Fletcher can get his explosiveness back to the level, he was at in 2022 to pair with his current blocking capabilities he could be unbelievably valuable to Xavier in that secondary rim protector role. The potential of what his is and could be defense is what should excite Xavier fans for the future of Cam’ron Fletcher on their roster. His offensive game is never going to be good enough to be a star player but if he can better shooter and finish in transition consistently. Fletcher could be a huge piece for Xavier in 2025 but he needs to stay healthy for that to happen.