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Grayslake Central junior Xavi Granville obviously knows the drill.
Granville was the ringleader for the Rams’ sophomore team last season, and he has seamlessly reprised that role on the varsity level.
“I was very anxious to play this season,” he said. “I didn’t know how it would unfold, but I knew guys on the team would look to me to score. That’s always been something I’ve been able to do.”
Indeed, from the season’s opening tip, the 6-foot-4 swing man has made it clear that teammates could depend on him to put points on the board. Granville entered 2024 averaging a team-high 17.0 points along with 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals.
“He worked his tail off in the offseason getting ready for taking on this role,” Grayslake Central coach Brian Centella said. “He’s certainly athletic, but he’s also very skilled. There’s so much he can do.”
Granville’s contributions have been essential for the Rams (9-5, 3-1) given their personnel turnover after a senior-dominated team won 29 games, the Northern Lake County Conference title and a Class 3A sectional championship last season.
Statistically, Granville’s impact is easy to measure. He has scored in double figures 11 times and topped the 20-point mark five times.
His importance shows in other ways too. For instance, he plays at a relentless pace, suggesting he has an extra gear that others on the court don’t have.
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“In my head, when I get tired, I think to myself that I just have to do this for four quarters,” Granville said. “I might as well empty my tank, and if the team sees me doing that, hopefully they’ll follow, which is really important to me.”
It has become commonplace for Granville to implore his teammates to practice at full throttle and avoid taking plays off during games, according to his younger brother Alex, a sophomore guard who is also in his first varsity season.
“He never slacks off and is always going 100%,” Alex Granville said. “When I see him going like that, I know I have to do the same. We all look up to that.”
Xavi Granville’s competitive drive was fueled in part by years of pickup games with his brother in the driveway.
“Sometimes it would get pretty competitive, but as we’ve gotten older, we know when to chill,” Alex Granville said. “Playing all those years against each other has gotten us both better.”
In Xavi Granville’s case, he had progressed to a point entering last season where he was disappointed he wasn’t pulled up to the varsity team. But looking back, he can appreciate the experience.
“I was kind of upset about it at first because I felt I was good enough,” he said. “But it did help me progress, and I definitely got a lot better. Now I realize that I was fortunate that it happened the way it did.”
Lake County News-Sun
Getting Granville accustomed to being the offensive focus on the sophomore team has already paid dividends this season. Centella pointed to the Rams’ come-from-behind overtime win against Cary-Grove at Jacobs’ Hinkle Holiday Classic on Dec. 26 as a showcase for Granville’s best. He had 26 points, 13 rebounds and five steals.
“He put the cape on that night and refused to let us lose,” Centella said. “He hit a huge three to send it to overtime and made some crucial free throws down the stretch and in overtime. That was a special performance.”
Granville said the Rams needed a pick-me-up.
“I noticed early in the game that our energy was low,” he said. “So I put my foot down and did everything I could to keep us in the game.”
It helps that Granville has multiple ways to score. He said he has made great strides with his outside shooting, an area he targeted in order to make him more unpredictable.
“Last year, I felt like I could get to the hole whenever I wanted,” he said. “I had a feeling that developing a catch-and-shoot game and moving back my range was definitely something I would need to add.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.