KenPom Scouting Report - Nice Addition

[saxamaphone]

2009 scouting report for Georgetown

I know it's early and the sample sizes are small, but there's a nice new addition to KenPom's scouting report pages. Individual rankings are now shaded red and green based on where the team falls within all of D-I.

Early on, the numbers seem to confirm what looks obvious: rebounding and 3PT shooting both need some work.

Something else to watch is tempo. Again, small sample size, but our pace is up from 62.1 poss/40 min last year to 67.5 poss/40 min. I guess it seems obvious from watching CW push it in transition, but a stat worth watching - especially if we can keep the offensive efficiency numbers up.

[seaweed]

TN game is largely responsible for that rise in poss/40min, but you are right about Wright also. Seems like JTIII has greenlighted the early spot up shot also, which we have been foregoing for years - that will up the poss/40min also.

Per the rankings thread, most of this is only marginally useful after about MLK day

[kchoya]

Jeebus. Our free throw defense stinks. Fire JT3!

[HoyaSinceBirth]

anyone know what is illegal for us to do during free throws. Clearly us students have to step it up. we're open to suggestions.

[Boz]

Dec 1, 2008 12:26:13 GMT -5 kchoya said:

Jeebus. Our free throw defense stinks. Fire JT3!

;D ;D

Which announcer was it that brought that subject up last year? I can't remember. Was it Rick Majerus?

[tal1286]

Dec 1, 2008 12:26:13 GMT -5 kchoya said:

Jeebus. Our free throw defense stinks. Fire JT3!

The student sections had a sub-par performance during the Drexel game. We'll have to step it up.

EDIT: And that's what happens when you don't read the rest of the thread. seriously though, sub-par. I think they went like 95% or something.

[momzer]

Jimmy Dykes talked of FT Defense

[Locker]

With all the focus on our deficiencies, it's worth noting the major area of improvement in our offense vis-a-vis prior years -- the rate at which we go to and convert from the line. Our free throw rate is 7th in the nation compared to 259th last season. And when there we are taking advantage, ranking 36th in the nation in FT% compared to 286th last year.

[chep3]

Plus, we are not as bad a 3 point shooting team as we have started out this year. I figure that might be a little skewed because of 3's by Henry, Nikita, and Omar (TN game aside), but I'm expecting a nice jump in that number during the course of the season.

[royski]

We're currently sitting at 5th on kenpom. I'm sure nobody would mind if we sat there until march.

[SFHoya99]

Chep and Locker, 100% agree.

Just posted something at HP in more detail: LINK

[saxamaphone]

Dec 2, 2008 23:40:06 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

Chep and Locker, 100% agree.

Just posted something at HP in more detail: LINK

Regarding SF's section on pace, does anyone know if there are there any box scores out there that indicate transition points? It's one of those stats that broadcasters always seem to have but I can never find.

[SFHoya99]

CO might have something like that because he's been playing with play by play data.

If it isn't in the PBP specifically, you could probably make some kind of assumption between the time of the rebound and a basket on the other end and call it "transition points", but I don't know if anyone actually has that.

[I Bleed Hoya Gray]

I've definitely seen it somewhere. Maybe GUHoyas box score?

[SFHoya99]

Good call.

It's in the GU Hoyas PBP this year -- not sure about last -- as (FB/PNT) after the basket line item, so you'd have to count them up.

FB = Fast Break
PNT = Paint
The other items are foul calls -- P2T7 means 2nd Personal, 7th Team Foul.

CO may be compiling them.

[CO_Hoya]

I do track both fast break points and points in the paint. I haven't been posting them, but I certainly can if y'all are interested.

I'm not a big fan of the way fast breaks are tracked by the play-by-play for a couple of reasons:

• fast breaks are only noted on made baskets, so if a player misses a shot or turns the ball over on a fast break, it's not recorded as a failed fast break
  
• more importantly, players who get fouled on a fast break (without making a basket) don't have their made FTs noted as resulting from a fast break, so fast break points from the play-by-play are generally lower than the actual points generated by the fast break in a game
  

I've been thinking of some alternatives, but haven't had time to try and implement anything (and probably won't this season).

Having said all that, I'll try to put something up on H.P. later this week. If you have any suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.

[hoyaboy1]

You could do something along the lines of "all possessions ending in less than x seconds" are fast breaks, although that would end up including TOs in the backcourt and off of inbounds plays too.

[HoyasAreHungry]

Dec 1, 2008 12:26:13 GMT -5 kchoya said:

Jeebus. Our free throw defense stinks. Fire JT3!

haha by far the best comment made this year...last year when majerus went on about our offensive freethrow plays so funny

[hifigator]

Here are the latest Sagarin rankings:

www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/bkt0809.htm

There still not especially useful, as the rankings are still biased -- factoring in a starting rating. It is somewhat interesting looking at these early season rankings though. The teams with the 3 strongest strengths of schedule are, in order, Coppin State, UT Chatanooga and then South Dakota. Not sruprisingly they are a combined 0-11 on the year. Certainly that will change as the year continues.