TGM spaced out on Friday thinking the BracketBuster game was on Saturday. However, when TGM hit up the gym Friday night, he was shocked to see that the game was taking place in front of his very eyes.
Needless to say, it was a disappointing loss with the Gauchos going down in flames 72-59 to Utah State. The Gauchos always seem to play their worst on the "national" stage. Don't believe me? See Stanford, UNC and now Utah State. When I say "national," I mean games on television or against a well-known opponent. Three of the Gauchos three worst offensive efficiency rated games have come against said three opponents. Either the boys need to grow balls and turn into men or our coaches need to learn the definition of "big game."
From an efficiency standpoint, the Gauchos registered an 89.6. Utah State managed a 109.3, good for seventh best on the season against the Gauchos. To digress slightly, at least the Gauchos are consistent. The Gauchos have allowed 9 opponents to register 100 or higher on the efficiency scale. 7 of those 9 worst defensive performances have resulted in our losses. For those of you keeping score at home, we have 7 losses on the season.
Let's look at the Four Factors and see how miserable our performance was.
Effective Field Goal Percentage
UCSB: 41.1%
USU: 58.3%
UCSB was right around their three point percentage average with a 9-23. Unfortunately, they ran into the EFG% juggernaut that is Utah St. Taking away USU's three pointers (4-10), they shot 22-38 from inside the three. When they weren't busy torching us from inside the arc, they went to the line and killed us with 16-21.
Kudos to Alex Harris and James Powell for being the only dudes who showed up. If it wasn't for those two, an NAIA team (Westmont, anyone?) probably would have kicked our ass. Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure I saw a milk carton with a missing person's ad with Chris Devine's picture. Devine was the epitome of horrible, going 1-8 from the field, no free throw attempts, 1 rebound (not bad for a 6-9 forward) and 3 turnovers in 19 minutes. Seriously, when I saw that line, I thought they had confused Nedim for Chris Devine because there was no way (at least I thought) that he would have a line like that. Not to mention (this is really an assumption because I don't know), his counterpart on the Utah side, Tai Wesley, went 10-14 from the floor, 4-8 from the line, 9 rebounds, and 3 turnovers in 31 minutes. That, my friends, is the type of game where you can insert any AND 1 slogan and it will work. Take notes, son.
Free Throw Rate
UCSB: 17.7
USU: 43.8
UCSB got back to their normal percentage range on Friday. The problem? The problem was that they went 8-11, while sending Utah St. to the line 21 times. The embarrassing thing is that none of our forwards got to the free throw line once. I believe a couple midgets put in at forward could have gotten to the line at least once. That is about as pathetic a performance as you're going to see from the forwards. Whatever the opposite of mad props is, that's what I'm saying to the forwards tonight.
Offensive Rebounding Percentage
UCSB: 23.0%
USU: 29.4%
At first glance this stat isn't that bad. However, consider that Utah St. shot 54.2% from the field and 57.9% from inside the arc. Basically when Utah wasn't owning our defense, they were getting offensive rebounds. Of Utah State's 22 misses, they managed to snag 7 offensive boards, leaving 15 to the Gauchos.
Of UCSB's 41 misses, the Gauchos managed to get 9 offensive rebounds. This was the lone bright spot (kind of like finishing in last place, but still getting a medal) for the forwards.
This is one of the two stats that I've resigned our fate to. The other being free throws. Either the team is completely incapable of getting to the free throw line more than 15 times a game or the coaches don't tell them to get there, hence the players don't care. Same thing for offensive rebounds. Bob Williams needs to go to East Lansing when his season ends in mid-March and beg Tom Izzo to sit in on his practices and watch his players duke it out in rebounding drills. Then Bob needs to acquire some football pads and helmets for his players and make them fight each other for rebounds. Basically, rebounding comes down to how tough you are and how bad you want it. If you're a weakling and don't give a shit, then you're probably not going to grab a board. Want it more than the other guy and most of the time you'll win the battle.
Turnover Percentage
UCSB: 12.2%
USU: 24.3%
Actually, TGM was a little harsh earlier. This was another good spot for the team. They were able to double Utah State's turnover rate, as compared to UCSB's. In fact, the Gauchos only had 8 turnovers, which is quite impressive, compared to the 16 of USU.
That's all for the game analysis. Basically, we can sum the game performance up in two words: we sucked. Sometimes the truth hurts, but you gotta learn sooner rather than later. However, not all is doom and gloom for the Gauchos as they are still fighting for their lives in the Big West with three games to go. Get a #2 seed and they may have a chance at making the NCAA Tournament. Operative word is may.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
UCSB at Pacific Recap
20 wins. This is a nice accomplishment for the Gauchos. However, this 20 win season will be discounted in the eyes of many if the Gauchos fail to make the NCAA Tournament.
Last night was an impressive win. In case you failed to read TGM's preview (below), we weren't too confident that UCSB would pull out with a victory. TGM enjoyed a nice serving of humble pie today.
Last night's victory was important for multiple reasons. First, this victory put the Gauchos in sole possession of third place. With a match-up against Northridge, the Gauchos have a chance to help themselves in the standings if they take care of business. Second, while the final score was close, the Gauchos were able to keep a commanding lead for a majority of the game. Third, the Gauchos offensive output was not good. Despite that, they persevered and came out with a victory.
As said above, the Gauchos 98.8 efficiency rating on offense and held Pacific to 87.2. Regardless, they salvaged victory with a convincing win.
Effective Field Goal %
UCSB: 53.4%
Pacific: 45.8%
The Gauchos didn't spend much time hucking up the three last night. Instead, the focused on attacking the hoop inside the arc. Everyone was very efficient if you look at their total field goal percentages.
On defense, the Gauchos were aided by a 1-10 performance from Steffan Johnson. Most of the other Tigers were efficient.
Free Throw Rate
UCSB: 45.5
Pacific: 39.6
TGM is really proud of this line (sort of). The Gauchos got to the line 20 times. TGM is now slightly worried because UCSB shot 65% from the line again. No one was atrocious, but they need to get back to their solid FT shooting ways.
Offensive Rebounding Percentage
UCSB: 28.6%
Pacific: 43.8%
Again, one of the Gauchos biggest weaknesses was exploited again last night. Pacific gathered 14 offensive boards, while UCSB had 8. It's probably too late to change this nasty habit, but they really need to focus on it, if possible.
Turnover Percentage
UCSB: 24.7%
Pacific: 29.6%
The Gauchos did a good job of forcing turnovers last night. Unfortunately, the committed a couple turnovers themselves.
Interestingly, the Gauchos played at a pace of 60 last night, which is about 5 possessions slower than Pacific wants to play (according to conference numbers). While they weren't at the 100+ efficiency mark, I'll take this victory.
Next up is a tough match-up with Utah State in the Bracket Buster dealy-o.
Last night was an impressive win. In case you failed to read TGM's preview (below), we weren't too confident that UCSB would pull out with a victory. TGM enjoyed a nice serving of humble pie today.
Last night's victory was important for multiple reasons. First, this victory put the Gauchos in sole possession of third place. With a match-up against Northridge, the Gauchos have a chance to help themselves in the standings if they take care of business. Second, while the final score was close, the Gauchos were able to keep a commanding lead for a majority of the game. Third, the Gauchos offensive output was not good. Despite that, they persevered and came out with a victory.
As said above, the Gauchos 98.8 efficiency rating on offense and held Pacific to 87.2. Regardless, they salvaged victory with a convincing win.
Effective Field Goal %
UCSB: 53.4%
Pacific: 45.8%
The Gauchos didn't spend much time hucking up the three last night. Instead, the focused on attacking the hoop inside the arc. Everyone was very efficient if you look at their total field goal percentages.
On defense, the Gauchos were aided by a 1-10 performance from Steffan Johnson. Most of the other Tigers were efficient.
Free Throw Rate
UCSB: 45.5
Pacific: 39.6
TGM is really proud of this line (sort of). The Gauchos got to the line 20 times. TGM is now slightly worried because UCSB shot 65% from the line again. No one was atrocious, but they need to get back to their solid FT shooting ways.
Offensive Rebounding Percentage
UCSB: 28.6%
Pacific: 43.8%
Again, one of the Gauchos biggest weaknesses was exploited again last night. Pacific gathered 14 offensive boards, while UCSB had 8. It's probably too late to change this nasty habit, but they really need to focus on it, if possible.
Turnover Percentage
UCSB: 24.7%
Pacific: 29.6%
The Gauchos did a good job of forcing turnovers last night. Unfortunately, the committed a couple turnovers themselves.
Interestingly, the Gauchos played at a pace of 60 last night, which is about 5 possessions slower than Pacific wants to play (according to conference numbers). While they weren't at the 100+ efficiency mark, I'll take this victory.
Next up is a tough match-up with Utah State in the Bracket Buster dealy-o.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
2/20/08: UCSB at Pacific
UCSB Gauchos (19-6, 8-4) at Pacific Tigers (17-8, 8-4)
February 20, 2008, 7:00 p.m. (PST)
TV: Channelsurfing.net says that they will have the game.
The Gauchos are on the home stretch of the Big West regular season play. UCSB has four Big West games (including tonight's match-up), plus a Bracket Buster game on Saturday against Utah St. These final four games will go a long way to determine how many games the Gauchos get to play before their inevitable semi-final elimination (that occurs every year).
Effective Field Goal Percentage
UCSB: 52.6%
Pacific: 55.9%
Believe it or not, but Pacific is the 6th rated team (kenpom.com) when it comes to effective field goal percentage. What does this mean? UCSB will have to do a stellar job on the offensive end. Last time we met up with the Tigers, the Gauchos let the Tigers have an efficient day, registering a 111.6.
UCSB, on the other hand, had an inefficient day, coming up with a 91.2. That's not going to cut it tonight. Pacific has lost two in a row and they had their worst defensive performance of the year on Saturday by letting CSUF register a 126.3. Two things can happen after a performance like that; continue with their third crappy defensive performance or turn the intensity and mess the Gauchos up. Let's hope it's #1 because I don't have much faith in a Bob run team to overcome #2.
Free Throw Rate
UCSB: 24.9
Pacific: 32.4
This is Pacific's second biggest strength, as they are 13th in Division I. UCSB is going to have to keep the Tigers off the line, while increasing their chances at the line. Last game, against Davis, the Gauchos did a great job getting to the line. They were unable to convert, but I think that's an anomaly.
Offensive Rebounding Percentage
UCSB: 29.0%
Pacific: 32.2%
UCSB has to keep the Tigers off the board and work on getting their own offensive boards. This is UCSB's biggest weakness. They are a bad offensive rebounding team and allow their opponents to get a lot of offensive boards. If they can channel their inner Dennis Rodman, the Gauchos have a good opportunity to pull off the victory.
Turnover Percentage
UCSB: 21.3%
Pacific: 23.6%
Finally, an area where the Gauchos have a statistical advantage! Neither the Gauchos nor the Tigers are particularly good at keeping their turnovers down. The flip side of this is the Gauchos 4th ranked defense in this category. If they can take advantage of the Tigers propensity to turn the ball over, they can push the ball and get some easy buckets.
Tonight, I want a Gaucho win (like everyone else). However, TGM is feeling very skeptical today because this is the same type of situation that Bob's teams in the past have let us down. The Gauchos have an opportunity to lay claim to sole possession of third place since I don't even know when. I don't want to get my hopes up if the let-down occurs. Therefore, there will be no prediction, but I think this will be a tough game for the Gauchos to come out with a victory. If they can emerge with a win, they should feel good about themselves and where they stand in Big West.
February 20, 2008, 7:00 p.m. (PST)
TV: Channelsurfing.net says that they will have the game.
The Gauchos are on the home stretch of the Big West regular season play. UCSB has four Big West games (including tonight's match-up), plus a Bracket Buster game on Saturday against Utah St. These final four games will go a long way to determine how many games the Gauchos get to play before their inevitable semi-final elimination (that occurs every year).
Effective Field Goal Percentage
UCSB: 52.6%
Pacific: 55.9%
Believe it or not, but Pacific is the 6th rated team (kenpom.com) when it comes to effective field goal percentage. What does this mean? UCSB will have to do a stellar job on the offensive end. Last time we met up with the Tigers, the Gauchos let the Tigers have an efficient day, registering a 111.6.
UCSB, on the other hand, had an inefficient day, coming up with a 91.2. That's not going to cut it tonight. Pacific has lost two in a row and they had their worst defensive performance of the year on Saturday by letting CSUF register a 126.3. Two things can happen after a performance like that; continue with their third crappy defensive performance or turn the intensity and mess the Gauchos up. Let's hope it's #1 because I don't have much faith in a Bob run team to overcome #2.
Free Throw Rate
UCSB: 24.9
Pacific: 32.4
This is Pacific's second biggest strength, as they are 13th in Division I. UCSB is going to have to keep the Tigers off the line, while increasing their chances at the line. Last game, against Davis, the Gauchos did a great job getting to the line. They were unable to convert, but I think that's an anomaly.
Offensive Rebounding Percentage
UCSB: 29.0%
Pacific: 32.2%
UCSB has to keep the Tigers off the board and work on getting their own offensive boards. This is UCSB's biggest weakness. They are a bad offensive rebounding team and allow their opponents to get a lot of offensive boards. If they can channel their inner Dennis Rodman, the Gauchos have a good opportunity to pull off the victory.
Turnover Percentage
UCSB: 21.3%
Pacific: 23.6%
Finally, an area where the Gauchos have a statistical advantage! Neither the Gauchos nor the Tigers are particularly good at keeping their turnovers down. The flip side of this is the Gauchos 4th ranked defense in this category. If they can take advantage of the Tigers propensity to turn the ball over, they can push the ball and get some easy buckets.
Tonight, I want a Gaucho win (like everyone else). However, TGM is feeling very skeptical today because this is the same type of situation that Bob's teams in the past have let us down. The Gauchos have an opportunity to lay claim to sole possession of third place since I don't even know when. I don't want to get my hopes up if the let-down occurs. Therefore, there will be no prediction, but I think this will be a tough game for the Gauchos to come out with a victory. If they can emerge with a win, they should feel good about themselves and where they stand in Big West.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Mid-Major Top 25
This poll has turned into nothing more than a mockery in the eyes of TGM (can a blog have eyes?). It's such a silly poll that makes so little sense, I humor myself every Monday when it comes out. If nothing, it gives me a good laugh to see how ridiculous the poll is.
UCSB rose in the rankings to #17, up from #20. CSUN, the Big West first place squad, moved up six spots to #12. Fullerton finally moved into the rankings at #18, right behind the Gauchos. Pacific fell out of the MM25 this week.
Another week, another silly poll
Sunday, February 17, 2008
UCSB vs. Davis Recap
UCSB improved on to 8-4 in conference play with last night's 77-73 victory over the Aggies from Davis. Although this score was close, UCSB made this game much closer than it had to be. The Gauchos played some uncharacteristic ball last night by shooting poorly from the three point line (it's gonna happen sometimes) and some poor free throw shooting. Below is the game flow chart, courtesy of statsheet.com. From the looks of the chart, you'll notice that UCSB never relinquished their lead, which is nice to see from the team at this point in the season.
NOTE: I had to delete the Chart, as it was abnormally humongous and taking up a huge part of the site. You can head over to statsheet.com to check out the game flow chart.
From an efficiency standpoint, the Gauchos had their fourth most efficient game of the season with a rating of 118.2. Defensively, the Gauchos had their third worst performance with a rating of 112.0. While the offensive performance is clearly something to get excited about, the defensive performance should have you worried. I'm willing to chalk up the performance to one bad game, however, anytime you let an inefficient Davis rack up a 112.0 on you, you should be worried. For reference, it was Davis' sixth highest offensive output of the season, putting us up there with LaVerne (Who?), Presbyterian (Who?), Portland St. (Who?), Irvine (Who?, Just kidding) and Pacific.
Effective Field Goal Percentage
UCSB: 56.4%
Davis: 60.5%
Believe it or not, but this was our seventh highest effective field goal percentage performance of the season. This is cause for celebration because the Gauchos shot 4-15 from the arc. All this means that the Gauchos headed to the hoop and got them some two pointers like they were going out of style.
On the other hand, UCSB allowed Davis to get a higher percentage on the floor. This was likely the effect of the Aggies' three point shooting. All told, the Aggies shot 8-22 from beyond the arc.
Free Throw Rate
UCSB: 43.6
Davis: 55.8
This stat really surprised me for two reasons. First, it was nice to see the Gauchos get to the line 24 times. I'm sure they've been to the charity stripe that many times in a couple of games, but I can't recollect any games in recent memory. Secondly, I was surprised because the Gauchos shot an uncharacteristically poor percentage from the line, going 15-24. I consider this a one game aberration and believe they'll get back on track this week.
Offensive Rebounding Percentage
UCSB: 43.6%
Davis: 28.6%
For once, the tables are turned! Maybe Bob Williams lit a fire under their ass. Maybe the players drank some crunk juice. I don't know, but whatever the players did (and Davis didn't), the Gauchos need to keep up the good work.
I know Davis didn't have Michael Boone in the middle, but I still believe the Gauchos have the power to rebound like madmen. Most importantly, they kept Davis off the offensive glass.
The Gauchos gave themselves a lot of second chances in the game which is always nice to see. If anyone out there has a second chance point stat, I'd love to see it. You can leave me a comment.
Turnover Percentage
UCSB: 18.4%
Davis: 26.1%
Davis committed 17 turnovers, as compared to the Gauchos 12. Not exactly a whopper of a differential, but if you consider the fact that 12 of the Aggies 17 turnovers came from UCSB steals, you have to be impressed.
Our guards were a little high on the turnover side again, but the overall performance of the Gauchos was a pretty good game.
In wrapping up tonight's review, I wanted to point out a couple of other things. For the past couple weeks, we've been harping on the Gauchos inability to control the pace. The Davis game presented an interesting case study because they play at such a slow speed. While UCSB wasn't exactly playing lights out, they seemingly pushed the pace because they ended with a pace of 65. Not bad considering their last game was played at a 53.
One thing of concern is the lack of minutes that the bench is receiving. TGM has always been a big proponent of playing as many players as you can to create depth. It's our opinion that you do so by playing guys an average of about 10+ minutes a game. The Gauchos have been getting seven or eight guys 10+ minutes a game over the course of the season. The problem with this strategy will surface during the Big West Tournament (Mark my words). If the Gauchos end up playing back-t0-back-to-back games, they could experience some extreme fatigue. The other problem with this is foul trouble. When someone gets into foul trouble, who can Bob turn to? As stupid as it sounds, the players who get these minutes won't have the confidence and Bob won't have it in them. That's enough for tonight.
See you back on Monday.
NOTE: I had to delete the Chart, as it was abnormally humongous and taking up a huge part of the site. You can head over to statsheet.com to check out the game flow chart.
From an efficiency standpoint, the Gauchos had their fourth most efficient game of the season with a rating of 118.2. Defensively, the Gauchos had their third worst performance with a rating of 112.0. While the offensive performance is clearly something to get excited about, the defensive performance should have you worried. I'm willing to chalk up the performance to one bad game, however, anytime you let an inefficient Davis rack up a 112.0 on you, you should be worried. For reference, it was Davis' sixth highest offensive output of the season, putting us up there with LaVerne (Who?), Presbyterian (Who?), Portland St. (Who?), Irvine (Who?, Just kidding) and Pacific.
Effective Field Goal Percentage
UCSB: 56.4%
Davis: 60.5%
Believe it or not, but this was our seventh highest effective field goal percentage performance of the season. This is cause for celebration because the Gauchos shot 4-15 from the arc. All this means that the Gauchos headed to the hoop and got them some two pointers like they were going out of style.
On the other hand, UCSB allowed Davis to get a higher percentage on the floor. This was likely the effect of the Aggies' three point shooting. All told, the Aggies shot 8-22 from beyond the arc.
Free Throw Rate
UCSB: 43.6
Davis: 55.8
This stat really surprised me for two reasons. First, it was nice to see the Gauchos get to the line 24 times. I'm sure they've been to the charity stripe that many times in a couple of games, but I can't recollect any games in recent memory. Secondly, I was surprised because the Gauchos shot an uncharacteristically poor percentage from the line, going 15-24. I consider this a one game aberration and believe they'll get back on track this week.
Offensive Rebounding Percentage
UCSB: 43.6%
Davis: 28.6%
For once, the tables are turned! Maybe Bob Williams lit a fire under their ass. Maybe the players drank some crunk juice. I don't know, but whatever the players did (and Davis didn't), the Gauchos need to keep up the good work.
I know Davis didn't have Michael Boone in the middle, but I still believe the Gauchos have the power to rebound like madmen. Most importantly, they kept Davis off the offensive glass.
The Gauchos gave themselves a lot of second chances in the game which is always nice to see. If anyone out there has a second chance point stat, I'd love to see it. You can leave me a comment.
Turnover Percentage
UCSB: 18.4%
Davis: 26.1%
Davis committed 17 turnovers, as compared to the Gauchos 12. Not exactly a whopper of a differential, but if you consider the fact that 12 of the Aggies 17 turnovers came from UCSB steals, you have to be impressed.
Our guards were a little high on the turnover side again, but the overall performance of the Gauchos was a pretty good game.
In wrapping up tonight's review, I wanted to point out a couple of other things. For the past couple weeks, we've been harping on the Gauchos inability to control the pace. The Davis game presented an interesting case study because they play at such a slow speed. While UCSB wasn't exactly playing lights out, they seemingly pushed the pace because they ended with a pace of 65. Not bad considering their last game was played at a 53.
One thing of concern is the lack of minutes that the bench is receiving. TGM has always been a big proponent of playing as many players as you can to create depth. It's our opinion that you do so by playing guys an average of about 10+ minutes a game. The Gauchos have been getting seven or eight guys 10+ minutes a game over the course of the season. The problem with this strategy will surface during the Big West Tournament (Mark my words). If the Gauchos end up playing back-t0-back-to-back games, they could experience some extreme fatigue. The other problem with this is foul trouble. When someone gets into foul trouble, who can Bob turn to? As stupid as it sounds, the players who get these minutes won't have the confidence and Bob won't have it in them. That's enough for tonight.
See you back on Monday.
Friday, February 15, 2008
2/15/08: UCSB vs. UC-Davis
UCSB Gauchos (18-6, 7-4) at UC-Davis Aggies (8-16, 2-9)
February 16, 2008, 7:00 p.m. (PST)
Effective Field Goal Percentage
UCSB: 52.4%
Davis: 50.5%
Turnover Percentage
UCSB: 21.5%; opponent 26.9%
Davis: 24.8%; opponent 21.3%
Offensive Rebounding Percentage
UCSB: 28.5%
Davis: 24.9%
Free Throw Rate
UCSB: 24.8
Davis: 25.4
If you recall from a post earlier this week, Davis is going to try and walk the ball up the court if their opponent lets them. What does that mean tomorrow's game will bring? Davis and UCSB will be walking the ball up the court. Bob has shown an aversion to a fast pace when his opponent plays a slow pace (I really hope he surprises me one game). Look for the game to be closer to a 59/60 than to 69/70.
Defensively, UCSB has been a top 60 squad in almost all categories. They're ranked third in turnover percentage, while Davis is one of the worst Division I teams at handling the ball. Seriously, I don't know if you can find any more solid evidence to show Bob Williams that the Gauchos need to run in Saturday's game.
The one weakness is UCSB's game is Offensive Rebounding %. They ranked as the 301st team in Division I. This isn't a big deal in a game with a lot of possessions because, over the long run, the more efficient team will have the extra possessions to get a bigger lead. However, if the Gauchos hold true to form they could be in for a world of trouble tomorrow in a slow, close game. Their saving grace? Davis is the 333rd worst offensive rebounding team in the country.
The last match-up with Davis was a solid victory for the Gauchos and look for them to continue that dominance on Saturday night.
February 16, 2008, 7:00 p.m. (PST)
Effective Field Goal Percentage
UCSB: 52.4%
Davis: 50.5%
Turnover Percentage
UCSB: 21.5%; opponent 26.9%
Davis: 24.8%; opponent 21.3%
Offensive Rebounding Percentage
UCSB: 28.5%
Davis: 24.9%
Free Throw Rate
UCSB: 24.8
Davis: 25.4
If you recall from a post earlier this week, Davis is going to try and walk the ball up the court if their opponent lets them. What does that mean tomorrow's game will bring? Davis and UCSB will be walking the ball up the court. Bob has shown an aversion to a fast pace when his opponent plays a slow pace (I really hope he surprises me one game). Look for the game to be closer to a 59/60 than to 69/70.
Defensively, UCSB has been a top 60 squad in almost all categories. They're ranked third in turnover percentage, while Davis is one of the worst Division I teams at handling the ball. Seriously, I don't know if you can find any more solid evidence to show Bob Williams that the Gauchos need to run in Saturday's game.
The one weakness is UCSB's game is Offensive Rebounding %. They ranked as the 301st team in Division I. This isn't a big deal in a game with a lot of possessions because, over the long run, the more efficient team will have the extra possessions to get a bigger lead. However, if the Gauchos hold true to form they could be in for a world of trouble tomorrow in a slow, close game. Their saving grace? Davis is the 333rd worst offensive rebounding team in the country.
The last match-up with Davis was a solid victory for the Gauchos and look for them to continue that dominance on Saturday night.
UCSB vs. Cal Poly Recap
Last night, another unspectacular, but solid performance by the Gauchos in beating Cal Poly 60-47. The Gauchos played a pace of 63 and were less than 100 on the efficiency scale at 95.1. However, their defense is what carried the day, as they held Poly to a 74.5 efficiency rating.
We're going to change up the four factors we look at. Instead of looking at the straight stats, we're going to use the more mathematical versions from kenpom.com and from Basketball On Paper.
Effective Field Goal Percentage: This stat is just like regular free throw percentage, except it gives 50% more credit to a three point shot. The formula looks like this (.5*3 point made + Field Goals Made)/Field Goal Attempts. Obviously, the better you shoot the three (like UCSB), the higher your effective field goal percentage.
UCSB: 50
Cal Poly: 40.2
Cal Poly shot their characteristically crappy three point percentage, going 5-21. Almost half their shots were three pointers. From Bob William's post-game quotes it looks like he might have been a little too concerned about the Mustangs' three point ability. Hopefully he encouraged them to fire away.
Turnover Percentage: This is a pace-dependent measure of ball security. The formula is determined by Turnovers/Possessions.
UCSB: 17.4
Cal Poly: 38.0
From a turnover standpoint, this was our best performance of the year. The Gauchos were able to force the Mustangs into 24 turnovers. That is pretty amazing especially since 16 of them came off steals.
Offensive Rebounding Percentage: This is a measure of the possible rebounds that the offense is actually able to get. The formula looks like this Offensive Rebounds / (Offensive Rebounds + Defensive Rebounds of Opponent). This state tells us how efficient an offense is at pulling in their missed shots, hence, giving themselves second, third, etc... chance opportunities.
UCSB: 9.3%
Cal Poly: 42.6%
No surprise here folks. UCSB doesn't have the big men who want to bang down low. We consistently get out-rebounded by our opponent almost every game. On the other hand, when you're shooting so many threes (and why not? They're making a high percentage), your rebounders are out on the perimeter.
Regardless, we can all make excuses (you know the old saying, an excuse is like an asshole, everyone has one and they all stink), but this was still a very poor performance. The Gauchos had 3 offensive rebounds to Cal Poly's 15. This game would have been even more of a blowout had the Gauchos gathered a few more offensive or defensive rebounds.
Free Throw Rate: This stat captures a team's ability to score from the free throw line. It is determined by dividing Free Throws Made by Field Goal Attempts.
UCSB: 31.9
Cal Poly: 37.0
This is one beef that I suppose I'll always have with the Gaucho Coaches. They don't get to the line nearly enough. UCSB got to the line only 15 times. Granted, they made 13 of those shots. However, they need to take the ball to the basket on a regular basis if they aren't shooting the three.
We're going to change up the four factors we look at. Instead of looking at the straight stats, we're going to use the more mathematical versions from kenpom.com and from Basketball On Paper.
Effective Field Goal Percentage: This stat is just like regular free throw percentage, except it gives 50% more credit to a three point shot. The formula looks like this (.5*3 point made + Field Goals Made)/Field Goal Attempts. Obviously, the better you shoot the three (like UCSB), the higher your effective field goal percentage.
UCSB: 50
Cal Poly: 40.2
Cal Poly shot their characteristically crappy three point percentage, going 5-21. Almost half their shots were three pointers. From Bob William's post-game quotes it looks like he might have been a little too concerned about the Mustangs' three point ability. Hopefully he encouraged them to fire away.
Turnover Percentage: This is a pace-dependent measure of ball security. The formula is determined by Turnovers/Possessions.
UCSB: 17.4
Cal Poly: 38.0
From a turnover standpoint, this was our best performance of the year. The Gauchos were able to force the Mustangs into 24 turnovers. That is pretty amazing especially since 16 of them came off steals.
Offensive Rebounding Percentage: This is a measure of the possible rebounds that the offense is actually able to get. The formula looks like this Offensive Rebounds / (Offensive Rebounds + Defensive Rebounds of Opponent). This state tells us how efficient an offense is at pulling in their missed shots, hence, giving themselves second, third, etc... chance opportunities.
UCSB: 9.3%
Cal Poly: 42.6%
No surprise here folks. UCSB doesn't have the big men who want to bang down low. We consistently get out-rebounded by our opponent almost every game. On the other hand, when you're shooting so many threes (and why not? They're making a high percentage), your rebounders are out on the perimeter.
Regardless, we can all make excuses (you know the old saying, an excuse is like an asshole, everyone has one and they all stink), but this was still a very poor performance. The Gauchos had 3 offensive rebounds to Cal Poly's 15. This game would have been even more of a blowout had the Gauchos gathered a few more offensive or defensive rebounds.
Free Throw Rate: This stat captures a team's ability to score from the free throw line. It is determined by dividing Free Throws Made by Field Goal Attempts.
UCSB: 31.9
Cal Poly: 37.0
This is one beef that I suppose I'll always have with the Gaucho Coaches. They don't get to the line nearly enough. UCSB got to the line only 15 times. Granted, they made 13 of those shots. However, they need to take the ball to the basket on a regular basis if they aren't shooting the three.
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