More steals than TOs on the season

[Suebird10fan]

After today's game (only 4 TO, none in H1!), season totals are: 342 TOs, 362 steals. It's extremely unusual for a team to have more steals than TOs over the course of a season.

I looked up the Huskies' top ten seasons for steals. In four of them, they had more TOs than steals by a margin of > 200. In five of them, the margin was > 100. in 2015-16, it was very close, 447 steals and 452 TOs.

If they didn’t do it in one of those seasons it’s a really good bet they’ve never had more steals than TOs in a full season.

With a margin of 20 at this point in 2024-25, they seem highly likely to do it. They'll probably have more steals than TOs or at least be roughly on par for the next four games. After that, the competition will improve, but if they have any games with a lot more TOs than steals, they probably lose the game, so the odds are good.

Anyone have any idea if a team has ever done this?

 

[Bone Dog]

This is an interesting indicator of defensive proficiency, even though it also implicates the offense as well. I suppose one could say the Huskies take really good care of the ball, whether it's in their possession or the opposing team's.

 

[fomalhaut]

It's apparently never been done in the NBA since the merger, so it's probably extremely unlikely. A posting on Reddit a few months ago had the Oklahoma City Thunder at +7 early in the season, but they've fallen well off the pace now at -70.

More steals than turnovers

Connecticut is easily the most dominant statistical team in D! history, so if they've never done, it it may have never happened. They were only -1 today, so it's not impossible since they're +19.

 

[fomalhaut]

HerHoops only goes back to 2009-2010. I checked Baylor, who's never even come close. The year Connecticut was -5 they set a school record for steals, I think, and this year they may set a record for fewest turnovers.

 

[fomalhaut]

I just signed up for a trial of Stathead (Basketball Reference). It has been done:
2015 Sacramento State 573 steals 470 TO (+103!!)
2018 Lamar 511 steals 438 TO (+73)
2019 Lamar 494 steals 458 TO (+36)
2014 Savannah State 533 steals 533 TO (0)
These four come from the list of most steals.

Back in the 1990's when teams played a completely different style, some teams committed very few turnovers.
2000 New Orleans 328 steals, 55 TO
1992 NE Louisiana 245 steals, 74 TO
1991 Dartmouth 352 steals, 88 TO
etc.
Probably not comparable at all to today's game.

 

[Rowdy831]

UConn has a very simple offense to run without making a lot of TOs. The basically rotate around the perimeter and their passes are either very simple passes or handoffs. If I was going to play UConn I would run a zone and make them actually make outside shots without the motion to tire the defense and see where it took me.

They also don't pass inside and that is beginning of a lot of TOs for other teams. Inside players usually have a lot of traffic around them and many don't have great hands to begin with. I would say on UConn Sarah is the exception to that rule and she is most of the inside game for UConn.

 

[MSGRET]

UConn has a very simple offense to run without making a lot of TOs. The basically rotate around the perimeter and their passes are either very simple passes or handoffs. If I was going to play UConn I would run a zone and make them actually make outside shots without the motion to tire the defense and see where it took me.

They also don't pass inside and that is beginning of a lot of TOs for other teams. Inside players usually have a lot of traffic around them and many don't have great hands to begin with. I would say on UConn Sarah is the exception to that rule and she is most of the inside game for UConn.

3/4 of the passes to both Jana and Ice by KC are bounce passes that turn into T/O's. Geno keeps harping at KC to throw the ball high, but she rarely does.