I tried this column last week but didn’t quite hit the note I intended. Let’s try it again.
All teams referenced are statistical outliers according to the data on Kenpom.com.
Efficient outside, inefficient inside, 39% of 3’s, 46% of 2’s
From now on, no one but Harangody gets a 2 point shot.
Notre Dame
Callously jacking up threes.
It doesn’t matter if they go in.
Michigan
Callously refusing to take a three unless wide open.
Hey, nobody shoots 43.9% when closely guarded.
California
The only two’s we take are layups.
Best 2 Pt % in the nation, but mostly shoot 3’s.
Arizona St.
Take the ball inside. Make the shot. That’s it.
You’d think with this strategy we wouldn’t be so inconsistent.
Wake Forest
Take the ball inside. Make the shot OR get fouled.
We do have Jon Brockman after all.
Washington
Seriously, please don’t foul us.
Good two point shooting and terrible FT percentage.
Syracuse
The “unluckiest” BCS team has free throw problems, just like Illinois 2008.
Not quite the same in conference performance as Illinois 2008, but lots of close losses.
Georgia Tech
How to solve a free throw problem?
Zero free throws attempts is par for the course.
Illinois
Terrible free throw shooting and good three point shooting?
Ken Pomeroy says that for individuals, bad free throw shooters don’t keep making their threes. Not sure if that holds for a team.
South Carolina
Fouling the right people, 61.9% FT defense.
Or maybe the good defense just throws off their groove.
Illinois
Fouling the wrong people, 73.4% FT defense.
Or maybe it’s just luck.
Arizona St.
We get blocks, we get steals, we get turnovers.
And we end up sending your best shooter to the line.
Minnesota
Lots of teams get blocks and turnovers.
We only get get blocks.
UConn
Recklessly giving up open 3 pointers by playing a laid back zone defense.
We deny the lane, even if we don’t need to.
Ohio St.
How can a team be this good at offensive rebounding and this bad at defensive rebounding?
It’s called crashing the boards.
Boston College