A Question

[jibsey]

I just spent some time reviewing our team stats vs other teams in the league and surprisingly we are as good on 3 pt %, TO's, Assists, FG% as most other of the league's leading teams. SMU has about 4 assists more per game and slightly higher FG% but as many turnovers. So the question is why have we fared so poorly against the better record teams with the same stats sometimes by significant margins? What is misleading here?

 

[UConnSwag11]

I just spent some time reviewing our team stats vs other teams in the league and surprisingly we are as good on 3 pt %, TO's, Assists, FG% as most other of the league's leading teams. SMU has about 4 assists more per game and slightly higher FG% but as many turnovers. So the question is why have we fared so poorly against the better record teams with the same stats sometimes by significant margins? What is misleading here?

this is getting annoying, for millionth time, we lost basically our entire team minus boat. im not just talking points, rebounds, assists, etc... this year we have lazy defense at times and mainly transition defense is bad, especially after a turnover... but losing our entire team, im talking about end of game scenarios, the mental game, experience... wanna know why bazz was able to do what he did, because he had boat to take the pressure off, because if a team blitzed him they'd leave the leading 3 point shooter in the country open, because when bazz and daniels did a screen and roll and the defenders switched daniels had a mismatch down low or bazz with a big... no one on on the this team played significantly last year besides boat and then brimah(and he's been playing bball for what 4 years?). purvis had a year off and had surgery, calhoun barely played and had multiple injuries, boat was injured, brimah had surgery. everyone on last years team knew their roles and what they had to do and when they had to do it. we have a lot of talent to be good, they only thing missing is size upfront (which I believe we will start getting, already have enoch) and maturity/game experience

 

[Matrim55]

I just spent some time reviewing our team stats vs other teams in the league and surprisingly we are as good on 3 pt %, TO's, Assists, FG% as most other of the league's leading teams. SMU has about 4 assists more per game and slightly higher FG% but as many turnovers. So the question is why have we fared so poorly against the better record teams with the same stats sometimes by significant margins? What is misleading here?

We're 0-5 in one-possession games and overtime. We are 327 in the country in the Kenpom Luck rating, after finishing 22nd last year.

The thing to understand is that the luck rating doesn't really reflect luck so much as execution - boxing out for crucial rebounds, hitting free throws, getting good looks late in the shot clock. As an inexperienced team, we suck at pretty much all of that (as do Michigan State & Florida, to name two pretty good teams from last year who've had tumbles similar to ours this season).

If you want something more quantifiable, just look at the opposition's 3-point % and number of 3-pointers allowed. To me, this is a measure of our defensive efficiency, since good teams chase their opponents off the 3-point line. We are abysmal at that since our rotations are slow and naive.

 

[selles]

I just spent some time reviewing our team stats vs other teams in the league and surprisingly we are as good on 3 pt %, TO's, Assists, FG% as most other of the league's leading teams. SMU has about 4 assists more per game and slightly higher FG% but as many turnovers. So the question is why have we fared so poorly against the better record teams with the same stats sometimes by significant margins? What is misleading here?

In addition to what was posted above, I think the home/road schedule so far has something to do with it. There are 5 teams ahead of us in the conference. If you throw the Temple game out as an outlier (we win that if Boat doesn't get hurt), we're 2-4 against the other four teams: 2-0 at home (Cincy, Tulsa), 0-4 on the road (Cincy, Tulsa, SMU, Memphis). I expect us to handle Memphis at home. SMU may be a different story, but I think they're a cut above everyone else.

Bottom line is I think the stats are correct that we're basically on the same level as the teams ahead of us other than SMU, but our record against them doesn't reflect it because we've played more road games (plus the Temple asterisk). Nothing exacerbates the sins of inexperience more than playing on the road.

On the bright side, that's why I expect us to put up a heck of a fight in the conference tournament.

 

[Jaker]

we seem to be on the road more than usual.

 

[imno1]

we seem to be on the road more than usual.

Plus the miles traveled so far has to be a factor. There can't be many teams that have logged more miles than the huskies. In less than 3 weeks time this month the team has been to Houston, New Orleans, Dallas, and Memphis.

 

[Jaker]

Plus the miles traveled so far has to be a factor. There can't be many teams that have logged more miles than the huskies. In less than 3 weeks time this month the team has been to Houston, New Orleans, Dallas, and Memphis.

agreed, plus what, 2 trips to Florida?

 

[huskiesNhoos]

dont forget stanford early on

 

[imno1]

agreed, plus what, 2 trips to Florida?

and Oklahoma. It's just brutal

 

[Jaker]

it has to be a factor, all of the travel is draining

 

[jibsey]

The stats I saw are overall stats for the season and are not just against league competition which may show differently, but all we hear about is how we turn the ball over and to see that SMU turns it over as much makes your head spin. Maybe a lot of our good stats are piled up on lesser teams on the schedule. We're getting 35 rebounds a game, 12 assists. Everyone knows who we lost from last year but I was looking for a tell tale sign in the stats which I don't really see. We almost lead the conference in 3 pt. shooting %, most of us would say based on our eyes that we stink at that.

 

[nycscooby]

I agree the travel is brutal and that's another reason this hodgepodge of a conference sucks but it's not going to change. Not sure how much of an effect really but the team has not fared well on the road so they have to handle the travel better.

 

[Fishy]

I just spent some time reviewing our team stats vs other teams in the league and surprisingly we are as good on 3 pt %, TO's, Assists, FG% as most other of the league's leading teams. SMU has about 4 assists more per game and slightly higher FG% but as many turnovers. So the question is why have we fared so poorly against the better record teams with the same stats sometimes by significant margins? What is misleading here?

I think you're struggling with the stats.

SMU is in the top 20 nationally in assists per game - we're not in the top 200. They're in the top 20 in field goal percentage - we're around 120th. There is a Grand Canyon between our offenses.

Statistically, we're awful offensively. Defensively, we're marginal.

We lose games because we aren't particularly good at anything.

 

[champs99and04]

I think you're struggling with the stats.

SMU is in the top 20 nationally in assists per game - we're not in the top 200. They're in the top 20 in field goal percentage - we're around 120th. There is a Grand Canyon between our offenses.

Statistically, we're awful offensively. Defensively, we're marginal.

We lose games because we aren't particularly good at anything.

This has to be acknowledged as good work.

 

[DogMania]

just look at some of the scoring droughts we have in just about every game, and how much we struggle to put points on the board simply tells the story. I think this year's team can defend pretty well, but when you need to get stops, trip after trip, because you can't put points on the board at the other end, it starts wearing down our defense.

One factor that few are noting, is how well they shot free throws last season. They shot lights out from the line last year, winning so many close games because of it. If you take away two or three points due two missed free throws, they don't win nearly as many games last year, and definitely would not have won the national championship. Just take into account the NC game against Kentucky where they didn't even bother trying to stretch out the game. This year's team is leaving way too many points on the floor, especially with one-and-one opportunities. They're poor free throw shooting has probably cost them at least two or three games this season, though their overall struggles to put the ball in the basket is their biggest hurdle to overcome.

 

[sledog]

They suffer from early (often entire) game paralysis. The key is to find the culprit who's been cutting the apparent lethal fart in the pre-jump huddle.