Team Stats 9 games in; Review

regardless of stats offensively this is just a better team.  Not all one on one and praying DLO gets the ball when we need a basket like last year.   We legitimately have 4 - 5 guys that can score if given the right opportunity.  Also, last year when the ball went into the middle (Sampson) it was generally going up (a black hole).  This year Dom looks to kick out to shooters.

I'm all for advanced statistics, but like baseball ( even more so ) they can't tell the whole story..  
If you are trying to say that this team isn't much better than last year based solely on the numbers , then you are missing something... Just watch

Front page on ESPN basketball, is Lavin talking about season is going so far. Did not realize this is his second best start ever. Not much on the future though. Overall it's nice to SJU being relevant again, all we need now is consistency.
http://m.espn.go.com/ncb/story?storyPage=coachspeak141217

Quote from: Marillac on December 16, 2014, 04:59:51 PM

Quote from: desco80 on December 16, 2014, 04:46:53 PM

Defensively, the thing that jumps out at you (and credit to Fun for pointing this out) is our opponents apparently forgot how to shoot foul shots. Last year out opponents shot 70%, this year 58%. But generally speaking, our defense is better across the board. More steals, lower opponent shooting%s, less fouls. And noticeably, our 3pt defense is substantially improved. From being 178th in the country, to 15th in opponent 3pt %.

The opposing FT% will climb, but there is more to it than them being unlucky SJUs defense, as a few commentators have pointed out, makes them work and gets them winded. It is like jabs from a boxer...no single jab does that much, but it adds up.

Green's minutes have increased: his FT % has increased Obekpa's minutes have increased: his FT % has increased Branch's minutes have increased: his FT % has increased Question: why do our more tired players this year shoot FTs better than our less tired players last year?

Being tired, or out of breath creates a zen like state. One deep breath and in it goes. What a line of Dodo from me. 

I'm all for advanced statistics, but like baseball ( even more so ) they can't tell the whole story.. If you are trying to say that this team isn't much better than last year based solely on the numbers , then you are missing something... Just watch

Stats don't really account for timing.  A guy can finish with only one missed shot and one turnover, but if those both occur on the final two possessions of a close game, he just lost his team the game.  We have a few guys really make poor decisions to close games last season. We seem to be doing a better job getting the ball into the hands of guys more able to make smart plays thus far.
Our interior defense was awful last year.  Opposing coaches would concede getting several shots swatted knowing they could get several easy layups if they were not.  They also knew they had three pointers all day if they went inside and kicked it back out.  I'm not ready to crown this team a good three-point defensive team just yet, but they are at least making opponents work for for those shots.  The interior defense has really been so much better through the first nine games.  

#21 overall in KenPom
#4 defensive team

http://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankAdjDE