A few numbers that say a lot...

[Dog3]

As a team for the 2014-15 season, these numbers jumped out:




ASSISTS 384 TURNOVERS 385



Anyone who knows something about college basketball knows that is a terrible percentage of assists to TOs. It should be at least 3 or 4 to 1 or better.



You will get very few wins against quality teams with that percentage.



Sadly, we did not have a BE level PG on the roster and IMO that is Willard's fault, not any of the players.



Carrington is NOT a PG. 57 assists to 50 TOs - not good.



Whitehead is NOT a PG. 78 assists to 73 TOs - not good.



Sterling is not a PG. 110 assists to 58 TOs - perhaps the best option we had but we needed him to score.



Sina was our only option as a PG last season. 55 assists to 30 TOs - the best of the lot. At least he didn't turn the ball over much but was not a BE level PG on a daily basis at this stage of his career.


Hope, pray, genuflect, meditate, rub a shamrock, carry a rabbit's foot in your pocket, or just plain cross your fingers that Willard finds a PG for next year or the guys on the roster have a major metamorphosis and become one over the summer or else more of the same problems in the half court offense next year.

 

[anon_4htvdezyfe7k9]

Isn't 3 or 4 to 1 an exceptional ratio from an individual standpoint? Not saying 1:1 isn't terrible as a team, and I could be wrong, but 3 or 4 to 1 as a team would seem to be unprecedented.

 

[Dog3]

I think if you want to beat quality teams you will need closer to the 3 or 4 to 1 ratio -- 1:1 is just not going to do it.

What stat I did not see is what our assists to TOs ratio was in just BE games. Perhaps it was even worse.

You may squeak out a game here or there but the BE is not a very forgiving conference - even in its watered-down state. Teams are getting better and so must we; or else...

 

[sami]

Kentucky

500 assists
361 turnovers


make up "norms" to suit your argument.

 

[HallBall10]

"Anyone who knows something about college basketball knows that is a terrible percentage of assists to TOs. It should be at least 3 or 4 to 1 or better. "

Davidson led country with a 1.8 Ast/To ratio.

Nova led big east with 1.47 Ast/to ratio.
We were 9th with a 1.00 Ast/To ratio.

Point taken. We need to improve that ratio. But no team is averaging a 3:1 assist to turnover ratio.

 

[sami]

or maybe a team that has a decent point guard like Wichita State...

445 assists
301 turnovers

how do they not have close to 1200 assists? terrible.

 

[sami]

Originally posted by HallBall10:
"Anyone who knows something about college basketball knows that is a terrible percentage of assists to TOs. It should be at least 3 or 4 to 1 or better. "

Davidson led country with a 1.8 Ast/To ratio.

Nova led big east with 1.47 Ast/to ratio.
We were 9th with a 1.00 Ast/To ratio.

Point taken. We need to improve that ratio. But no team is averaging a 3:1 assist to turnover ratio.

what he said

 

[Dog3]

Interesting sami, and that is with mostly frosh and sophs I believe who like to run and gun.

I think you will find the successful teams (NCAA level teams) have a solid (how is that for 'norm') assists to TO ratio and not close to 1:1.

The main point I'm trying to get across is we need a PG next year - a lot of our focus is on getting a big man - which we need desperately as well, but you cannot overlook the need of a quality PG to run the show next year.

IMO, no PG next year - we will see more of the same, even if we get a big man.

 

[Dog3]

OK, HallBasll, good stats. Being 9 out of 10 in the BE is poor.

I was thinking back to a few games we had earlier in the season when Sterling had like 5 or 6 assist to 1 TO. Obviously, no one could sustain that. But I think you got my main point.

The ratio has to improve next year.

 

[Seton75]

Davidson lead the nation is '14 - 1.779

 

[Hall91]

stats don't lie. I do chalk up both Carrington and Whiteheads poor TO to Assist ratio to being Freshmen. I don't think Carrington is a PG, but I do think Whitehead is and can be better. His judgement of when to and not take it to the basket was very suspect at times this year.

Plus, if they kept a stat of how many points an opponent got off of missed 3s or Turnovers, I think it would be staggering to see how bad Whitehead's play affected us at times. I'm not trying to kill Whitehead, but I wrote a few weeks ago about how he needed to be managed more in these games because his discretion was not good. Yet he appeared to have the same green light for every game, and I did not see a whole lot of adjustment. I just hope someone is sitting Whitehead down after this season to let him know what he needs to do differently to get better.

 

[ironlung75]

1.4 to 1.6 is a Top 25 Assist to Turnover ratio. 1:1 doesn't cut it, but it is not bottom of the pack either.. Lets get real. Our biggest issues are:
1. Points in the paint
2. Putbacks (Angel is great on the boards, but how many offensive boards go back in)
3. Points on Turnovers

 

[JIMSOULS]

You generally want a point guard with a 2:1 or better ratio. The team overall ratio will less impressive because other players don't get as many assists. It's important for the point guard to have a good assists-to-turnovers ratio.

Speaking of which, here are some stats for Kentucky's two point guards. Andrew Harrison is 126:59 for the season, and 41:16 since the start of February (The consensus among people on the UK board is that he's been their best player since then).

His backup, Tyler Ulis, 120:34 for the season. That's the third-best rate ever by a freshman since the NCAA started keeping track of turnovers.

Combined, the two are 246:93 for the season. People talk about Kentucky's size, athleticism, shooting, and defense as being strengths. But their biggest advantage of all might be having what is considered by some to be two of the top 10 point guards in the nation. Both players run their offense to perfection.

 

[Dog3]

Good points, Iron.

And your first and third points are crying out for a solid PG. Knowing when and where guys get touches in the paint and not turning the ball over are critical skills a PG must have.

 

[Dog3]

Show me a team with a starting PG who can average close to 2 to 1 assists to TOs and I'll show you an NCAA level team.

I believe that is our goal.

 

[Old_alum]

Originally posted by ironlung75:

1.4 to 1.6 is a Top 25 Assist to Turnover ratio. 1:1 doesn't cut it, but it is not bottom of the pack either.. Lets get real. Our biggest issues are:
1. Points in the paint
2. Putbacks (Angel is great on the boards, but how many offensive boards go back in)
3. Points on Turnovers

#3 is HUGE negative for this year's team. We just never "get back " on defense.


Is there a site on the Internet which tracks stats like these, or do they all have to be computed?

 

[BostonBlackie]

Dog 3, who ever told you 3 or 4 to 1 OR BETTER is the minimum assist to TO ratio? This is equivalent to 42 home runs and 110 RBI's. You have a lot to learn about basketball.