Other national bb stats - rankings of interest

[Fullfillmer]

While it is still early - it is still interesting to note where we stack up nationally in some Key statistical categories thru 6 games. Here are a few I found of interest and reflective of great play and great coaching.

1. Scoring Defense - currently sitting at Number 1 in the country in scoring defense.
2. Field goal percentage defense -- 10 th in the country.
3. Assist to turnover ratio -- 11 th in the country - Gonzaga is 12th.
4. Turnover margin -- 9th in the country.
5. Free throw percentage -- 13th in the country. Colorado is first.

It will be interesting to follow all of these categories as the season progresses, but it reflects a well disciplined and well coached team. A team that shoots well and values and handles the basketball. A team that values and
appreciates the importance of playing defense and a team who will ferociously defend their basket. If we are any where close to these numbers at year end it will be a remarkable season.

 

[VolforFootball]

Looks great. Hopefully it’ll stay close to those numbers during conference play.

 

[HiltonHeadVol]

Hold on there scooter......I love our Vols but we are not a good shooting team - or even a respectably good shooting team. We rank 64th in scoring offense and a sad 82nd in field goal percentage. Its true that we are 5th in scoring margin, but that is obviously inflated somewhat due to out of conference weak foes. Lets hope that gets much much better.

 

[Fullfillmer]

Hold on there scooter......I love our Vols but we are not a good shooting team - or even a respectably good shooting team. We rank 64th in scoring offense and a sad 82nd in field goal percentage. Its true that we are 5th in scoring margin, but that is obviously inflated somewhat due to out of conference weak foes. Lets hope that gets much much better.

I am extrapolating to some degree - but, we have some slashers and penetrators and we can get to the free throw line and should get to the free throw line a lot. No issues with our shooting from there. Usually, not always ..... people who are good free throw shooters can be and tend to be good field goal shooters as well. As our chemistry improves and everyone learns and knows their roles and spots I expect field goal shooting to improve - so 82 nd isn't great, but i expect it to improve and it has been of late, although the competition hasn't been that great. We have good shot selection overall - I expect percentages to improve.

 

[cardvolfan]

Hold on there scooter......I love our Vols but we are not a good shooting team - or even a respectably good shooting team. We rank 64th in scoring offense and a sad 82nd in field goal percentage. Its true that we are 5th in scoring margin, but that is obviously inflated somewhat due to out of conference weak foes. Lets hope that gets much much better.

You do realize we are in the top 20% at 64th, right? There are 330 teams.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Hold on there scooter......I love our Vols but we are not a good shooting team - or even a respectably good shooting team. We rank 64th in scoring offense and a sad 82nd in field goal percentage. Its true that we are 5th in scoring margin, but that is obviously inflated somewhat due to out of conference weak foes. Lets hope that gets much much better.

We aren’t a great shooting team, although I do think we are likely better than we’ve shown...however, our offensive efficiency ranks Top 25 according to most metrics, our offensive rebounding, free throw attempts and free throw % are big reasons why.

 

[HiltonHeadVol]

Is that your basis for comparison? Do you think top 20% will land us in the top 5 or 10 toward the end of the season? Nope, it won't. Not without a true board cleaner rebounding machine.

 

[TMvol10]

These stats are great but we need to point out that our pre conference was trash. Obviously it wasn’t our fault, as we were supposed to have played a number of good teams at this point, but the teams we have played have provided us with the opportunity to put up some nice stats. I have high hopes but let’s see how we play when the competition gets better.

 

[cardvolfan]

Is that your basis for comparison? Do you think top 20% will land us in the top 5 or 10 toward the end of the season? Nope, it won't. Not without a true board cleaner rebounding machine.

In Kenpom Tennessee is 26th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 3rd in defensive efficiency. So yeah, that combination will tend to make you pretty good.

 

[HiltonHeadVol]

In Kenpom Tennessee is 26th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 3rd in defensive efficiency. So yeah, that combination will tend to make you pretty good.

I don't think anyone is denying that our Vols are "pretty good". Im hoping their shooting improves dramatically to make us elite.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Is that your basis for comparison? Do you think top 20% will land us in the top 5 or 10 toward the end of the season? Nope, it won't. Not without a true board cleaner rebounding machine.

Assuming you meant Top 20 like my post said and not Top 20% (that would equate to ~Top 90)...you are still incorrect though. 3 of the Top 15 teams in KenPom’s final 2020 ranking had offenses ranked outside the Top 20.

When you have an elite defense your offense doesn’t have to match it, Texas Tech national title playing team had an elite defense but offense around 25th nationally.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

These stats are great but we need to point out that our pre conference was trash. Obviously it wasn’t our fault, as we were supposed to have played a number of good teams at this point, but the teams we have played have provided us with the opportunity to put up some nice stats. I have high hopes but let’s see how we play when the competition gets better.

That’s why you used advanced analytics, and not simply PPG etc...those metrics take into account opponent.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

I don't think anyone is denying that our Vols are "pretty good". Im hoping their shooting improves dramatically to make us elite.

Their offense doesn’t need to be elite though, I think that’s what others are saying that you’re missing or disagree with...elite defensive teams need to be Top 20 offensively, anything more than that is borderline rare.

 

[cardvolfan]

Their offense doesn’t need to be elite though, I think that’s what others are saying that you’re missing or disagree with...elite defensive teams need to be Top 20 offensively, anything more than that is borderline rare.

I don't think they understand what "advanced analytics" means.

 

[HiltonHeadVol]

Assuming you meant Top 20 like my post said and not Top 20% (that would equate to ~Top 90)...you are still incorrect though. 3 of the Top 15 teams in KenPom’s final 2020 ranking had offenses ranked outside the Top 20.

When you have an elite defense your offense doesn’t have to match it, Texas Tech national title playing team had an elite defense but offense around 25th nationally.

You make a point......all Im saying is this team MUST shoot better to be in the conversation about a possible run to elite 8 imo.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

You make a point......all Im saying is this team MUST shoot better to be in the conversation about a possible run to elite 8 imo.

But what I’m saying is that is factually incorrect, comparing with the Texas Tech team from 2 years ago that played in the national championship...

FG%
UT: 47.4%
TT: 46.9%

2ptfg%
UT: 52.2%
TT: 52.8%

3ptfg%
UT: 36.1%
TT: 36.5%

FTA
UT: 21.3
TT: 18.3

FT%
UT: 79.7%
TT: 73.2%


We are almost mirror image offensively as that team, and they didn’t just have a possible E8 run, they played in the National Championship.

 

[cardvolfan]

But what I’m saying is that is factually incorrect, comparing with the Texas Tech team from 2 years ago that played in the national championship...

FG%
UT: 47.4%
TT: 46.9%

2ptfg%
UT: 52.2%
TT: 52.8%

3ptfg%
UT: 36.1%
TT: 36.5%

FTA
UT: 21.3
TT: 18.3

FT%
UT: 79.7%
TT: 73.2%


We are almost mirror image offensively as that team, and they didn’t just have a possible E8 run, they played in the National Championship.

You didn't have to use advanced metrics on that one. Also, in the year of Covid, and being that our 5-stars are being gently integrated into the scheme, our upside is quite a bit higher than Texas Tech's full year performance.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

You didn't have to use advanced metrics on that one. Also, in the year of Covid, and being that our 5-stars are being gently integrated into the scheme, our upside is quite a bit higher than Texas Tech's full year performance.

I will be watching, as metrics currently stand we are a Top 10 team, any top 10 team can make a run...if our offense continues to improve WHILE our defense remains elite we will climb to a top 2 or 3 team in most models.

 

[cardvolfan]

I will be watching, as metrics currently stand we are a Top 10 team, any top 10 team can make a run...if our offense continues to improve WHILE our defense remains elite we will climb to a top 2 or 3 team in most models.

I agree. Also, I noticed Pons and Keon both are shooting 18% from three. That will improve. I am not sure by how much, but possibly by quite a bit. Just one of the examples of upside. Ultimately, Tennessee's success will be predicated on great defense as a starting point. Continued progress offensively is just icing on the cake. This team has the potential to be scary good.

 

[ColinS]

These stats are watered down with three cupcakes and a short manned winless St Joes team. I wouldn't read too much into them. I hope our defensive metrics still grade this well after a few SEC games. We will know more after we get routine games against legit competition. Obviously the signs point to us being one of the better defensive teams in the country but I'm not so quick to annoint.

 

[cardvolfan]

These stats are watered down with three cupcakes and a short manned winless St Joes team. I wouldn't read too much into them. I hope our defensive metrics still grade this well after a few SEC games. We will know more after we get routine games against legit competition. Obviously the signs point to us being one of the better defensive teams in the country but I'm not so quick to annoint.

Advanced metrics do take into account the relative strengths and weaknesses of each individual opponent. Traditional stats not so much.

 

[cncchris33]

These stats are watered down with three cupcakes and a short manned winless St Joes team. I wouldn't read too much into them. I hope our defensive metrics still grade this well after a few SEC games. We will know more after we get routine games against legit competition. Obviously the signs point to us being one of the better defensive teams in the country but I'm not so quick to annoint.

While 6 games is a small sample size, the stats aren’t watered down. All the qualifiers you are throwing out are taken into account in ADVANCED metrics. That is what makes them advanced.

 

[ColinS]

While 6 games is a small sample size, the stats aren’t watered down. All the qualifiers you are throwing out are taken into account in ADVANCED metrics. That is what makes them advanced.

Good point. I guess I was just thinking in terms metrics and not advanced metrics.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

These stats are watered down with three cupcakes and a short manned winless St Joes team. I wouldn't read too much into them. I hope our defensive metrics still grade this well after a few SEC games. We will know more after we get routine games against legit competition. Obviously the signs point to us being one of the better defensive teams in the country but I'm not so quick to annoint.

Again, advanced metrics take opponent quality into equation.

 

[VolGee4]

Hold on there scooter......I love our Vols but we are not a good shooting team - or even a respectably good shooting team. We rank 64th in scoring offense and a sad 82nd in field goal percentage. Its true that we are 5th in scoring margin, but that is obviously inflated somewhat due to out of conference weak foes. Lets hope that gets much much better.

I am not saying we are a juggernaut, but 82 is out of 329. Top 25%. All I look at is KenPom's offensive efficiency, and we are 30th in adjusted offense. Of course, we will play tougher competition now, but if we can keep both numbers around that range, we will end up being very, very good. You have to be elite in one category (which we are in defense) and can just be efficient in another to make a FF run. In 2019, Texas Tech was 25th and 1st (off and def). In 2018, Michgan was 35th and 3rd and Kansas was 5th and 47th. In 2017, South Carolina was 91st and 3rd. In 2016, Syracuse was 50th and 18th. Just food for thought.

Edit: Didn't read past the post. Some of this has been answered.