Just in case you need a reason to get pumped up about the true beginning of the ACC season.....Watch Mr. Gist crank that highlight reel dunk on UCLA's Alfred Aboya.
This week we'll be looking at the numbers. While the only numbers that really matter in college basketball are wins and losses, individual statistics give you an idea of who and what teams rely upon to succeed. Keep in mind that these numbers have come largely against out of conference competition as many teams have yet to begin their ACC seasons.
Scoring:
(Name, Class, School, Average)
1. Tyler Hansbrough, Jr, UNC - 22.4 ppg (points per game)
2. Tyrese Rice, Jr, BC - 19.8 ppg
3. Sean Singletary, Sr, UVA - 17.8 ppg
4. Greivis Vasquez, So, Maryland - 16.9 ppg
5. J.J. Hickson, Fr, NC State - 16.8 ppg
Rebounding:
(Name, Class, School, Average)
1. Tyler Hansbrough, Jr, UNC - 9.6 rpg
2. Trevor Booker, So, Clemson - 9.2 rpg
3. James Johnson, Fr, Wake Forest - 8.7 rpg
4. Jeff Allen, Fr, Virginia Techh - 8.0 rpg
5. Anthony King, Sr, Miami - 7.9 rpg
Blocks:
(Name, Class, School, Average)
1. Tyrelle Blair, Jr, BC - 4.2 bpg (wow)
2. James Gist, Sr, Maryland - 2.4 bpg
3. Bambale Osby, Sr, Maryland - 2.2 bpg
4. Trevor Booker, So, Clemson - 2.2 bpg
5. J.J. Hickson, Fr, NC State - 1.8 bpg
Assists:
(Name, Class, School, Average)
1. Sean Singletary, Sr, UVA - 6.8 apg
2. Greivis Vasquez, So, Maryland - 6.1 apg
3. Tywon Lawson, So, UNC - 5.5 apg
4. Eric Hayes, So, Maryland - 5.4 apg
5. Tyrese Rice, Jr, BC - 5.2 apg
Steals:
(Name, Class, School, Average)
1. Tony Douglas, Jr, FSU - 2.6 spg
2. Jeff Teague, Fr, Wake Forest - 2.5 spg
3. James Mays, Sr, Clemson - 2.4 spg
4. Cliff Hammonds, Sr, Clemson - 2.2 spg
5. Tywon Lawson, Fr, UNC - 2.1 spg
Team Field Goal %
1. North Carolina - 50.3%
2. Duke - 49.8%
3. Georgia Tech - 47.4%
4. Florida State - 47.3%
5. Clemson - 47.1%
Team Three Point Shooting %
1. Miami - 43.2%
2. Duke - 42.3%
3. Clemson - 40.7%
4. Virginia - 40.5%
5. North Carolina - 37.7%
Team Free Throw Shooting %
1. Florida State - 78.5%
2. North Carolina - 73.7%
3. Georgia Tech - 71.4%
4. Maryland - 70.8%
5. Virginia - 70.8% (played one less game and attempted less free throws than Maryland)
Just a quick glance at these statistics explains why teams like North Carolina, Miami, Clemson, and Florida State have gotten off to such great starts. This season, much like almost every other season, the team statistics are a better indication of how good a team is than anything else. For example, Maryland is off to below par 9-6 start yet are well represented amongst the individual leaders in the conference. On the flip side, 8th ranked Duke is 10-1 and has no players in the top 5 of any of the individual statistical categories listed. What the Blue Devils do have going for em' is that they are ranked 2nd in both team 3 point and team field goal shooting percentage. In conclusion, if your team makes a high percentage of their shots they'll probably win basketball games. I also know that if you score more runs than the other teams in baseball you will win as well. It's a shame that everyone isn't born with this ability to deduce.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Sunday, December 30, 2007
ACC game of the week (12/30 - 1/6) - #20 Clemson vs. #1 North Carolina (1/6)
ACC ball is starting to pick up and there were a few big games to choose from this week. Virginia at Xavier should be a great game to watch as should #3 Kansas at Boston College. After looking at the schedule though it be hard to say that either of those games matter more than Clemson at UNC next Sunday. The Tigers have won 11 of 12 games this year with their only loss coming against Ole Miss a little over a week ago. Coach Oliver Purnell has a deep squad this season as Clemson has 4 guys averaging over 10 points a game and 9 guys getting over 15 minutes a night. Maybe having so many players giving them good minutes can help them compete with the All-Americans on the other team. Carolina has won all 12 games they've played this season and have won their last two by a margin of 35 and 36 respectively. As expected, the Tar Heels seem to be playing the best ball of all the ACC teams going into Conference play. This should be a competitive game as Clemson wants to make people forget about last years late season breakdown and UNC is looking to go wire to wire.
Backcourt - Carolina's Tywon Lawson is one of the top 5 point guards in the country and he'll definitely be the best one on the floor next Sunday. Clemson's freshman point guard Demontez Stitt is having a decent year for a true freshman and dropped 15 on Samford yesterday. This should give him more confidence going into this game. It also helps Stitt to have senior guard Cliff Hammond and 6'5 junior K.C. Booker on the wings. Rivers is averaging over 16 a night (team best) and a little over 7 rebounds as well. K.C. is the only guard in the conference ranked in the top 10 in rebounding. Clemson should stay in this game as long as they get him going. While the Tigers' guards have been playing well Lawson's speed alone should give the Tar Heels an advantage in this matchup. We've already went on about how great Ellington, Ginyard, and Green have played and their size should give the shorter Clemson guard's problems. It bodes well for you when your point guard is in the top 5 assist leaders in the conference and your your two guard is in the top 5 in scoring. I'd go with Carolina.
Frontcourt - While Clemson has several talented low post players the Tar Heels have Player of the year candidate Tyler Hansbrough. He leads the conference in scoring (22 ppg) and rebounding (9.6 rpg), and free throws made (93). In fact, Tyler is hittin' more free throws than UVA's Sean Singletary (number 2 in free throws made) has shot. While Hansbrough might be tough to handle for one player, Clemson has at least three post players to throw at him. Led by James Mays Clemson's front court has bullied most of their opponents. Mays goes 6'9 230lbs. and considered the NBA for a bit this past summer. His biggest asset is his athleticism as he can do things like this:
To go along with Mays the Tigers have 6'7 240lbs sophomore Trevor Booker. Booker is 3rd in the conference in rebounds per game (9.3) while shooting 60% from the field this season. The matchup inside is the one opportunity that Clemson has to win this game. If they can keep Hansbrough in check they can keep the game close and have a shot to win at the end. Tyler doesn't have too many bad games though and for that reason I like Carolina here as well.
While this should be a great game there's no reason to think that Carolina won't go on a few of those classic runs and keep Clemson at least 8 to 10 points away throughout the game. The Tiger's best chance is to keep their front court players out of foul trouble so they can keep the Heels off the glass late in the game. I think Carolina takes this one by the middle of the second half but Clemson goes on a run at some point late in the game to make it interesting.
Backcourt - Carolina's Tywon Lawson is one of the top 5 point guards in the country and he'll definitely be the best one on the floor next Sunday. Clemson's freshman point guard Demontez Stitt is having a decent year for a true freshman and dropped 15 on Samford yesterday. This should give him more confidence going into this game. It also helps Stitt to have senior guard Cliff Hammond and 6'5 junior K.C. Booker on the wings. Rivers is averaging over 16 a night (team best) and a little over 7 rebounds as well. K.C. is the only guard in the conference ranked in the top 10 in rebounding. Clemson should stay in this game as long as they get him going. While the Tigers' guards have been playing well Lawson's speed alone should give the Tar Heels an advantage in this matchup. We've already went on about how great Ellington, Ginyard, and Green have played and their size should give the shorter Clemson guard's problems. It bodes well for you when your point guard is in the top 5 assist leaders in the conference and your your two guard is in the top 5 in scoring. I'd go with Carolina.
Frontcourt - While Clemson has several talented low post players the Tar Heels have Player of the year candidate Tyler Hansbrough. He leads the conference in scoring (22 ppg) and rebounding (9.6 rpg), and free throws made (93). In fact, Tyler is hittin' more free throws than UVA's Sean Singletary (number 2 in free throws made) has shot. While Hansbrough might be tough to handle for one player, Clemson has at least three post players to throw at him. Led by James Mays Clemson's front court has bullied most of their opponents. Mays goes 6'9 230lbs. and considered the NBA for a bit this past summer. His biggest asset is his athleticism as he can do things like this:
To go along with Mays the Tigers have 6'7 240lbs sophomore Trevor Booker. Booker is 3rd in the conference in rebounds per game (9.3) while shooting 60% from the field this season. The matchup inside is the one opportunity that Clemson has to win this game. If they can keep Hansbrough in check they can keep the game close and have a shot to win at the end. Tyler doesn't have too many bad games though and for that reason I like Carolina here as well.
While this should be a great game there's no reason to think that Carolina won't go on a few of those classic runs and keep Clemson at least 8 to 10 points away throughout the game. The Tiger's best chance is to keep their front court players out of foul trouble so they can keep the Heels off the glass late in the game. I think Carolina takes this one by the middle of the second half but Clemson goes on a run at some point late in the game to make it interesting.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
ACC Game of the Week (12/23-12/30) - Nevada vs. #1 North Carolina (12/27)
The best ACC game you'll find this week is on Thursday as the Nevada Wolf Pack come to Chapel Hill to play the number one ranked Tar Heels of North Carolina. While it's unrealistic to expect Nevada to have the quality depth that the Tar Heels possess you shouldn't sleep on the Wolf Pack. The good news for Wolf Pack fans is that after a rough start their team has won their last 5 games and are finally beginning to come into their own. NBA prospect Marcelus Kemp has increased his scoring average to 19.1 and is averaging almost 6 boards a game. He should keep Nevada in the game and even give them a shot to win if North Carolina plays horribly. Unfortunately for these same fans UNC is on an eleven game winning streak and will probably not play bad enough for them to lose this game. Here is a quick look at the matchup:
1. Point Guard - UNC's laser quick Sophomore Tywon Lawson is one of the best point guards in the country. He's so good that the best song in the history of youtube basketball clips was used in his video (the song is 'Cold World' by Tribeca). In fact, I'm willing to bet that Bobby Frasor, UNC's backup point guard, would be too much for Nevada to handle. Who is Nevada's point guard you ask? Well I looked a second a go and it's a guy name Armon Johnson. No disrespect Armon but I think it's going to be a long day for you. Advantage Tar Heels.
2. Shooting Guard - The best player in this match up is UNC Sophomore Wayne Ellington. Ellington, the 06's McDonald's All American, is averaging a little over 17 points a contest and can score with any guard in the country. While Nevada's Brandon Fields has averaged a respectable 12.5 point per game he won't be able to outshine Ellington. Advantage - Tar Heels.
3. Small Forward - This will be the best match up of the night. Nevada's Marcelus Kemp can ball. Plain and simple. He was an NBA prospect last season and decided to come back for his Senior season to drop even more buckets. Across from him will be UNC Junior Marcus Ginyard. For those that don't know Ginyard is a lock down on ball defender. In fact he is the best on ball defender in the ACC and perhaps the country. His athleticism and length give most college guards fits. While Ginyard will probably force Kemp to shoot tough shots Kemp will probably score a lot as his team will need all the points they can get. Advantage - Wolf Pack.
4. Power Forward - This is the only position on the court where both teams don't get much production. North Carolina's 6'8, 240lbs. Sophomore Deon Thompson was supposed to be the perfect compliment to All Everything Center Tyler Hansbrough. Last season he shot almost 56% from the field but this season he has seen his field goal percentage dip to 48%. On the other side Nevada's Sophomore power forward is not really asked to do much offensively. He is mainly in the lineup to provide a big body down low. Normally I would say this matchup is a wash but because Thompson is the more talented player the Heels get the nod here. Advantage - Tar Heels.
5. Center - UNC has Tyler Hansbrough and the Wolf Pack don't. The Wolfpack's starting center these day is 6'11 Flint, Michigan native JaVale McGee. While at first glance it seems like this will be UNC's biggest advantage it actually is not. McGee is a talented big guy averaging almost 13 points and 9 boards a game. Against a California-Berkeley's big time front court (both interior players for the Bears are NBA prospects) JaVale scored 19, had 9 rebounds, and blocked 6 shots. While I think he will cause Tyler problems at times with his length Tyler should get the best of this match up due to his experience and overall skill level. Hansbrough is everyone's All-America and deservedly so. Advantage Tar Heels.
Bench - UNC has at least 5 guys that could probably start on Nevada. UNC's Danny Green is averaging 13 off the bench and would be probably be the Wolf Pack's second best player if here on their team. Advantage Tar Heels.
Coaches - I'll take Roy Williams over most coaches in the country. Mark Fox is a very good coach but he has a ways to go before he builds a resume quite like Roy's. Advantage Tar Heels.
That's 6-1 in favor of North Carolina. From this you might say that I don't think the Wolf Pack have a shot.....You're right. Should still be enjoyable as Nevada does have NCAA tournament experience and should put up a fight.
1. Point Guard - UNC's laser quick Sophomore Tywon Lawson is one of the best point guards in the country. He's so good that the best song in the history of youtube basketball clips was used in his video (the song is 'Cold World' by Tribeca). In fact, I'm willing to bet that Bobby Frasor, UNC's backup point guard, would be too much for Nevada to handle. Who is Nevada's point guard you ask? Well I looked a second a go and it's a guy name Armon Johnson. No disrespect Armon but I think it's going to be a long day for you. Advantage Tar Heels.
2. Shooting Guard - The best player in this match up is UNC Sophomore Wayne Ellington. Ellington, the 06's McDonald's All American, is averaging a little over 17 points a contest and can score with any guard in the country. While Nevada's Brandon Fields has averaged a respectable 12.5 point per game he won't be able to outshine Ellington. Advantage - Tar Heels.
3. Small Forward - This will be the best match up of the night. Nevada's Marcelus Kemp can ball. Plain and simple. He was an NBA prospect last season and decided to come back for his Senior season to drop even more buckets. Across from him will be UNC Junior Marcus Ginyard. For those that don't know Ginyard is a lock down on ball defender. In fact he is the best on ball defender in the ACC and perhaps the country. His athleticism and length give most college guards fits. While Ginyard will probably force Kemp to shoot tough shots Kemp will probably score a lot as his team will need all the points they can get. Advantage - Wolf Pack.
4. Power Forward - This is the only position on the court where both teams don't get much production. North Carolina's 6'8, 240lbs. Sophomore Deon Thompson was supposed to be the perfect compliment to All Everything Center Tyler Hansbrough. Last season he shot almost 56% from the field but this season he has seen his field goal percentage dip to 48%. On the other side Nevada's Sophomore power forward is not really asked to do much offensively. He is mainly in the lineup to provide a big body down low. Normally I would say this matchup is a wash but because Thompson is the more talented player the Heels get the nod here. Advantage - Tar Heels.
5. Center - UNC has Tyler Hansbrough and the Wolf Pack don't. The Wolfpack's starting center these day is 6'11 Flint, Michigan native JaVale McGee. While at first glance it seems like this will be UNC's biggest advantage it actually is not. McGee is a talented big guy averaging almost 13 points and 9 boards a game. Against a California-Berkeley's big time front court (both interior players for the Bears are NBA prospects) JaVale scored 19, had 9 rebounds, and blocked 6 shots. While I think he will cause Tyler problems at times with his length Tyler should get the best of this match up due to his experience and overall skill level. Hansbrough is everyone's All-America and deservedly so. Advantage Tar Heels.
Bench - UNC has at least 5 guys that could probably start on Nevada. UNC's Danny Green is averaging 13 off the bench and would be probably be the Wolf Pack's second best player if here on their team. Advantage Tar Heels.
Coaches - I'll take Roy Williams over most coaches in the country. Mark Fox is a very good coach but he has a ways to go before he builds a resume quite like Roy's. Advantage Tar Heels.
That's 6-1 in favor of North Carolina. From this you might say that I don't think the Wolf Pack have a shot.....You're right. Should still be enjoyable as Nevada does have NCAA tournament experience and should put up a fight.
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