Jessup's X-factor: Placer alum Xavier Lovelace ready to make an impact on hardwood

"He's a guy that is going to be our X-factor this season. He's a guy that can turn the game on its head for us in a lot of different ways," William Jessup basketball coach Lance Von Vogt says. An X-factor is a fitting role for a player named Xavier Lovelace, nicknamed X by his teammates. The former Placer High School and Eastern Oregon star is back home in Placer County as he joins a loaded William Jessup team for the 2022-23 season. "It feels good to be back," Lovelace said. "I've never really been home to play basketball for a full season. It's nice to be back and have family come out to games and just feel that atmosphere again." "He brings a lot to this lineup. He's a versatile guy. Defensively, he's switchable and can guard anyone one through five," Von Vogt says. "He's a guy that can play bigger than his size. He's one of the best rebounders that we've ever had here. Offensively, he's another big body that can attack the rim, but he's got a really, really nice, sweet three-point stroke." "I think I just fit in just about any system," the 6-foot-7 Lovelace says. "I can play off the ball. I can play on the ball. I can rebound. I can shoot. So I think I can fit anywhere where I'm needed, and I kind of just do whatever the team needs me to do at the moment." Lovelace is no stranger to playing in Rocklin. Last season, he faced Jessup while at Eastern Oregon in a non-conference game in November. He was a menace on the boards, reeling in a game-high 10 rebounds. "I think I played 10 times better than what I normally do in that game just because my friends and family were there and it felt like home," Lovelace says. "I think that's going to elevate my game this year, and it's something that I want to have all season." As a Mountaineer last season, he averaged 13 points per game and a team-best 8.3 rebounds. Lovelace is wearing new colors, but the transition has been smooth. He says his new Warrior teammates have welcomed him with open arms. "The chemistry was immediate. We played a few open gyms, and I didn't feel anything kind of different than I have when I've played with guys for years," he says. "I feel like these guys really embraced me and it's gonna be a good year." "Last year, we had Tarren Storey-Way, who was such a valuable player for us," Von Vogt says. "Xavier and him are built in the same mold as far as skill set goes, and they actually played junior college together if you can believe that." Though Lovelace has only been on campus for two months, he's adamant that Jessup is his home and he's comfortable donning the blue and red. "I feel like we continue to grow as a family really," Lovelace says. "Since my first day here, it's been feeling like family more than any other basketball team I've been a part of." Lovelace and the Warriors scrimmage Chico State on Saturday, Oct. 22, before tipping off the season at Oregon Tech on Oct. 29.