1. Winning three of the Four Factors does not guarantee a victory. Dean Oliver’s Four Factors tell us a great deal of why teams win or lose. Having the advantage in them is desirable but, as noted, getting three of four does not always mean a W in the ledger. The example:

The Blue Demons had slight advantages in free throw rate, Offensive rebounding percentage and turnover rate. They were though, badly beaten in the main objective of Dr. Naismith’s game. They did not put the ball in the basket as often or as proficient as Seton Hall. DePaul was 23 of 67 (5 of 20 from three) from the field. The Pirates were 37 of 63, including 11 of 21 (52%) from beyond the arc. That was a difference DePaul found too much to overcome.

1. The Hall has multiple choices. Fuquan Edwin followed up his 24-point performance at Providence with a game-high 28 points. Edwin had 24 at the half. The second half Aaron Cosby heated up, shooting three for five from deep and scoring 14 of his 15 points. Herb Pope had another solid 11-point, 13-board night and Jordan Theodore had another outstanding 26-point, 11-assist effort. Edwin’s emergence of late as a scorer and added offensive option couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.
2. DePaul is in the middle of a tough stretch. The game at Seton Hall was the second of three straight on the road. The Blue Demons will visit Louisville on Saturday. Still, after the Hall contest they stand at 1-3 in the Big East and 10-6 overall.
3. What DePaul did well. Compete and get to the line. Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard was impressed with their constant full court pressure and the fact they kept working. The Blue Demons whittled the halftime deficit to a three-possession game midway through the second half before the Hall went on a game-clinching run. DePaul was able to draw fouls and made the most of their chances, shooting 22 of 25 from the line. Those 22 makes led to their impressive 33%  free throw rate (FTM/FGA). DePaul does have some young talent for Oliver Purnell to build with. Notable in that group is sophomore guard Brandon Young, who led the Blue Demons with 16 points. Cleveland Melvin, another sophomore, at forward, is an 18-points-per-game scorer. Cleveland did add 14 points but was held to 4 of 13 from the floor.
4. The Hall is not resting on laurels. That was a mantra repeated in post-game comments by players and the Seton Hall coaching staff. They have a ranking but are not resting on laurels. Chalk a lot of that up to chemistry. “We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores and it is easy to maintain their attention,” Willard said. “We also have two seniors (Theodore and Pope) who not only want to make their last season special and want to further their careers.” Translated, everyone is on the same page, focused and working hard.

• Earlier in the afternoon/evening it was officiating at Hudson Catholic. The Jersey City-based school coached by Nick Mariniello is building into a legitimate state power. Even the sub varsity teams are strong. My JV game saw Hudson win 106-34 (no misprint). At any rate a familiar face was in the stand: Mike O’Koren, who starred at Hudson with Jim Spanarkel and later North Carolina before an NBA career, was in attendance. As an alum of Hudson, he is happy regarding the program’s new found strength and to be a part of it. “Nick (Mariniello) has been wonderful inviting me back and keeping me involved and close to the program. O’Koren takes in as many games as he can, especially in the gym where he and Spanarkel lead the Hawks to county and state titles.

1. Both teams competed. Canisius entered 0-3 in conference while St. Peter’s was 1-2. It hasn’t been easy for either team. Regardless, they went after it in conference “battle-tested” fashion. St. Peter’s had a 16-point lead with just over five minutes to play. On the road and 3-10 on the season, it would have been easy for Canisius to ride out those final minutes. Instead they staged a determined rally that saw them attempt a game-tying three in the final seconds. Not about to lament over the last few minutes, St. Peter’s regrouped defensively for that crucial last possession and forced Harold Washington to launch an off-balance attempt that missed everything. The Peacocks held on for a win, bringing them to .500 in conference.
2. John Dunne has some young talent. It has been a learning experience with so many newcomers. At this point the St. Peter’s coach is pleased with their development and daily improvement. Sophomore guard Chris Burke, listed at 6-4 but playing bigger,  had nine points and 11 rebounds. “(Burke) just gave us so much energy,” Dunne praised. Freshman guard Lamin Fulton is a player Dunne wants to produce in the scoring column. He’s done just that of late and led St. Peter’s with 14 points.
3. Work in progress. Early in the season Dunne wanted to teach his team to stay in games. Now he’s focusing on closing them out. St. Peter’s got the win in a close game but there is significant work to do. “Overall our performance was good,” Dunne said, “but in the last few minutes we didn’t keep people in front of us defensively. We allowed too much penetration by their guards. On offense we made a lot of errors in execution. It’s something we really have to address.”

Canisius was led by Alshwan  Hymes with a game-high 15 points. Chris Manhertz of Canisius and St. Peter’s Burke shared rebounding honors with 11 apiece. In a game frequently less than artistic, both teams had 17 turnovers. In the tempo-free TO rate that equals a 23 percent rate for Canisius and 24 percent on the part of St. Peter’s. Bot figures are too high over the 20 percent cutoff.

“We figured (Jeremy) Lamb would get his points,” Willard said. “It was pick your poison so we decided to defend Napier as tough as possible.”

The final line for the sophomore guard showed six points on 2 of 12 shooting (1 for 6 from three) in 35 minutes. Using the Manley formula, Napier came out with a -3. The 2 for 12 shooting coupled with five turnovers were major contributors.

The tempo free breakdown:

Among the Four Factors, turnover rate was the key. At the end of the first half UConn trailed 35-22. They had 13 turnovers in 34 possessions. A painfully poor 38% TO rate. “We didn’t discriminate on turnovers,” UConn coach George Blaney said. “They were well-distributed.” The second half saw only one UConn turnover. The damage though, was done. For the game the Huskies were over the 20 percent cutoff with a 21 percent rate while the Hall showed a commendable 17 percent.

Added notes/observations:

1. Lamb finished with a team-high 19 points but received little help on a consistent basis.

2. Seton Hall used a 2-3 zone with very good results. Kevin Willard is an admitted man-to-man defensive coach but his zone was very effective. It was not just in the defensive results. Teams that do not play much zone often react after the pass. The Hall did it as a good zone team should, they moved and shifted on the pass.

3. The crowd at the Rock was literally electric.

4. Student section cheered and jeered when Blaney received a second half technical. Many of those students were probably too young to remember his days on the sidelines at the Hall.

5. I was impressed with the hustle and take charge play of Seton Hall’s Jordan Theodore. Still, I feel he is more a shoot-first point guard. Regardless, can’t find much fault in his sterling 19-point, 11-assist outing.

6. Herb Pope had another ‘rock’ solid 15 points and eight boards (six offensive) for the Hall.

7. A freshman of note is Brandon Mobley of Seton Hall. The 6-9 forward had a nice eight-point, seven-rebound effort in twenty minutes. Look for his role to keep gaining prominence as the season progresses.

8. The win snapped an eleven game UConn win streak in this series. The last Seton Hall victory was March of 2001.

9. As excited as Willard was of the win, he was equally thrilled to meet Victor Cruz of the NY Giants. Cruz visited the Seton Hall locker room after the game.

10. On the baseline: It was nice to see the Hall players and coaches join the dance team, mascot and cheerleaders for the post game alma mater – and not just ‘join’ but sing. I ran into Seton Hall cheerleading friends Reyna and Christine (they were in one of my stories last season). They told me I made a good decision in passing up St. John’s to cover the Hall.

Ladies, you were 100% correct.

Baylor       112

St. John’s     94

Very efficient offense and solid D by Kim Mulkey’s club.

The key of the Four Factors. Two of them actually. Baylor enjoyed a 22-6 free throw rate edge and a 43-31% lead in the offensive rebounding percentage department.

For defense, there is a metric that showed Baylor’s outstanding job. The formula:

Defense = blocks + steals/personal fouls

The Bears clicked in at 1.86 while St. John’s was .625.

Game two saw Tennessee defeat DePaul 84-61. The Lady Vols do not have a superlatively talented marquee type like a Candace Parker. No problem. They are solid with a number of good players and an outstanding defense. In an up-tempo game with DePaul at 83 possessions and Tennessee at 81, the efficiency clearly shows the dominance of Pat Summitt’s Lady Vols:

Tennessee    101

DePaul         75

The key of Four Factors. No surprise, it’s defensively-oriented. DePaul could not handle Tennessee’s pressure full court or changing zones in half court. The result?   Twenty four turnovers and a very high 30% TO rate. A 43-18% edge in free throw rate was another plus for Tennessee.

The two winners, as noted, had sizable advantages in free throw rates. A good part of that can be explained looking at points in the paint in the box score. Baylor had a 52-30 margin over St. John’s, while Tennessee enjoyed a 50-18 showing against DePaul. Post up and/or attack the basket and you get to the line. Plain and simple.

The Lady Vols shot 0 for 5 from three to which assistant coach Holly Warwick quipped, “this proves we are not an all-perimeter team.”

Manley efficiency leaders on the two games:

B. Griner, Baylor              31

E. McPherson, St. John’s     22

B. Pope, Baylor                          20

J. Penny, DePaul                     16

G. Johnson, Tennessee         16

K. Hayden, Baylor                  16

Amazing.  In a 101-43 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kentucky forced 48 turnovers. The TO rate for the Lady Lions was 58%. I can’t remember seeing one that matched that total.

Tempo Free agrees. Princeton, you are good on the defensive end. A local writeup listed Princeton as number eleven in the country giving up 54 points per game. After a 78-67 loss to DePaul, the Tigers are now giving up 56.5 points per outing, which is a very commendable total. Of greater significance is the fact Princeton allows opponents just an 8o offensive efficiency. The Tigers are also forcing a 29% turnover rate. Those last two totals tell more and leave a greater impression than just the points allowed average.

Another special moment from the Maggie Dixon Classic…..

It was very special to see Pat Summitt receive the Maggie Dixon Courage award at the classic. The long-time Tennessee mentor and legend is battling Alzheimer’s disease. “Pat (Summitt) has had a tremendous impact at Tennessee,” Warwick said. “In fact, she has done for women’s basketball what John Wooden did for the men.” Warwick went on to note that seasons at Tennessee have championship expectations. “If you don’t get a championship at Tennessee, the fans look at the year as a disappointment,” she said. “That is a testament to what Pat Summitt has built.”

Beyond championships, Summitt today is sending a stronger message. She is the Lady Vols head coach and still involved in practices and games. “Through her (Summitt) example Pat is showing us,” Warwick said. “You can have this disease, battle it and still be productive.”

Incredible courage from an incredible individual.

Missouri 81, Villanova 71

Marquette 79, Washington 77

1. Missouri is good. Very good. The entered the game with a 126 offensive efficiency. Against Villanova, the Tigers put up a very impressive 117. Defensively they allowed a 103 efficiency to Villanova but did force the wildcats into a 22% turnover percentage rate. Frank Haith does not employ a full court pressing defense with this Missouri team. Rather, he’s decided to use a tough man-to-man defense that disrupts offenses an creates turnovers in a half court setting. Offensively he has a solid sharpshooter in Marcus Denmon, a game-high 28 point scorer on 6 of 10 three point shooting. Kim English is a capable guard and scoring threat. At the point Phil Pressey handed out 12 assists while committing just three turnovers in 24 minutes. Inside there is one key player. Ricardo Ratliffe is solid and the 6-8 forward made his presence known against Villanova with a 17 point 11 rebound outing. “Missouri is a tough team,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “They are so quick to the ball and rebound very well. They are the type team that can play four guards and be very successful at it.”

2. Villanova will be good. Right now the Wildcats need work and realize it. “A game like this will help us grow,” said junior forward Dominic Cheek. “We will watch tape on this and get back to practice sand get better.” A case in point was the opening of the second half. “We gave Denmon a wide-open three that he hit,” Wright said.”And we let him get loose on a backdoor. Think of that. Two possessions for five points. Down the stretch we still were right there.”

Mouphraou Yarou is solid inside. The junior forward scored 11 points, adding eight rebounds. He needs help in the paint, however. JayVaughn Pinkston, a redshirt freshman, added 10 points and seven rebounds. Pinkston showed some flashes of competence inside but is still a work in progress. “Last year he (Pinkston) was suspended,” Wright said. “He not only lost competition but training because he was working nine hours a day. He’s still rusty.”

Maalik Wayns hit a few threes during the second half Villanova run. Cheek runs the floor and is effective in transition . A freshman guard, Darrun Hilliard, has a nice outside touch and is a player to watch.

The Wildcats, in Wright’s estimation, are on the right track. “It’s almost embarrassing to say after losing by ten but we are getting better,” Wright noted. “We have confidence. We do have room for improvement in a lot of spots but I really like our team. We have a chance to be very good.”

3. Marquette-Washington entertained us. It all came down to the final possession. A last-second Washington shot was off the mark and Marquette held on for a nice intersectional triumph. It was a game with nine ties and 19, yes 19, lead changes. Just moments before the final Husky miss, Jae Crowder of Marquette buried a three for the game winner. It was Crowder’s (18 points) only made trey on the evening.

It was one of those rare games where the Huskies ‘won’ in the efficiency 109-107 but lost the game. Washington had 71 possessions, while Marquette checked in at 74. Terrence Ross (19 points), C.J. Wilcox (15) and Tony Wroten (13) effectively manned the backcourt. The Huskies did not have a solid finisher up front, though the presence of 7-footer Aziz N’Diaye, with his 13 boards and two rejections, was significant.

Marquette lost 7-foot Chris Otule to a knee injury just two minutes into the contest. Coach Buzz Williams felt Otule’s presence would be significant in defending ball screens. Darius Johnson-Odom penetrated well, got out in transition and led all scorers with 23 points. Williams is a tempo free aficionado preaches the value of caring for the ball to his team. Little surprise, Marquette had only 10 turnovers, a sterling 14% TO rate. Washington in contrast checked in with a 23% TO rate. Very significant in a one possession game.

4. Pressure. The window is closing. The Pac 12 may not, probably not, provide Washington with the chance for many signature wins that are needed come Selection Sunday. The Huskies, with this loss fell to 4-3. With Duke coming up at the Garden on Saturday, is there pressure to win that matchup? After Duke, only three home dates, UC Santa Barbara, South Dakota St and Cal State Northridge, remain prior to Pac 12 play. “There is pressure each and every game to be our best,” said Washington coach Lorenzo Romar. “Tonight I thought we played a pretty good game but each game and each practice we put the pressure on ourselves to get better.” Saturday Duke will provide its share as well.

Records: Marquette and Missouri exited MSG with perfect 8-0 slates. Villanova is now 5-3.

1. Tempo Free gives us a better look. Following the victory over Stanford, Jim Boeheim said his Syracuse team played 35 minutes of “horrendous offense” and five (in the stretch) of good. A tempo free look shows the Orange had 72 possessions and a 96 offensive efficiency (points per possession times 100). The 96 is a bit below average. Boeheim lamented that his offense needed work and thankfully the defense was good both days.

Against Virginia Tech in the semifinals, a 69-58 Syracuse victory, the Orange had 61 possessions for a 113 offensive efficiency, which is quite impressive.  So the offense for the two games could be considered a bit above average overall – excellent against Virignia Tech and and subpar in the Stanford game. Those first 35 minutes of the championship game were on the Syracuse coaching staff’s concern while tempo free numbers tell us the Orange did not have that poor a showing looking at their two contests at the Garden. The two games combined saw Syracuse with 138 points over 133 possessions, a 104 offensive efficiency. Over 100 is considered above average.

2. The defense was good. Syracuse held Virginia Tech to a 95 efficiency and Stanford a 91. Both marks are considered well above average defensive efficiencies. Boeheim was right on the money praising his defense as solid both days. Tempo free numbers bear him out on this.

3. The consolation game was fun. Exciting and down to the final possession. Virginia Tech edged Oklahoma State 59-57. The Cowboys got out to a fast 8-0 lead over the game’s opening four minutes. Virginia Tech did not panic and rebounded, literally and figuratively. The Hokies pounded the glass, getting second chance opportunities which spelled conversions and/or frequent trips to the charity stripe. Sophomore guard Markel Brown, a game-high 19 point scorer, provided an offensive spark for Oklahoma State.  But it was not enough. As coach Travis Ford pointed out, his Oklahoma state club allowing 21 offensive rebounds and 30 free throw attempts was too much to overcome.

4. Melo was a stuffer and other tempo free items . This had nothing to do with leftovers from Thursday’s feast. Fab Melo, Syracuse’s seven-foot sophomore center, had a “stat stuffing” game against Stanford. Melo scored six points on 3 of 6 shooting. He added nine rebounds while blocking three shots and coming up with three steals. His Manley efficiency number was 16, the game’s second-highest only trailing MOP  Kris Joseph. Melo did not get All-Tournament honors but his play drew the praise of Boeheim and his Syracuse teammates.

Notes

• A big factor in Virginia Tech’s consolation win was dictating pace. Oklahoma State entered the game a speedy 72 possession per game team. Virginia Tech forced them into a pedestrian 56 possession tempo. In addition, the Cowboys scored only two transition points. Another factor was freshman forward Dorian Finney-Smith’s 10-point, 14-rebound (8 offensive) performance.
• Stanford had an outstanding 50% offensive rebound percentage in the final. Syracuse, though, was on their heels with a 47% mark. Both rates are outstanding. Melo (5) and Joseph (4) combined for nine of Syracuse’s 16 offensive boards.
• Syracuse actually had an eFG percentage of 51% in the final. The sore spot which brought Boeheim’s concerns of offensive improvement was an alarmingly high 29% TO rate on 21 turnovers. Stanford, thanks to a solid Syracuse defense, was actually worse at 35% (24 turnovers). Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins made reference to how long the Syracuse defenders are and how they disrupt the passing lanes , thus creating turnovers.
• Preparing for Syracuse’s zone, especially if you never faced it is tough. You can break it down on tape but simulating it in practice is very difficult. It’s an active zone with, as Dawkins noted, long defenders that take away options and shots usually available in other 2-3 alignments.
• Stanford shot almost as well from three 7 of 18 (39%) as from two point range 17-38 (45%).
• The Cardinal were also hurt by Josh Owens, a double-digit scorer, putting up only 4 points on 2 of 7 shooting.

The Honors:

Most Outstanding Player: Kris Joseph, Syracuse

All-Tournament:

C.J. Fair, Syracuse

Dion Waiters, Syracuse

Aaron Bright, Stanford

Erick Green, Virginia Tech.

Results:

• Consolation: NC State 77, Texas 74
• Championship: Vanderbilt 64, Oregon State 62

 1. Resiliency

This word has been used frequently as a number of teams have shown the admirable trait of coming from behind, especially in the face of second-half deficits. In the consolation game, NC State battled back from an 18-point deficit to defeat Texas 77-74. As several Wolfpack players noted, coming off Saturday’s loss to Vanderbilt, it would have been easy to pack it in faced with a long road back in the consolation.

In the final, Oregon State fell behind by nine early in the second half. Vanderbilt seemed to be in control with momentum. Regardless, the Pac-12′s representative never quit and remained in the game down to the final possession.

It is early, so you could say teams are in a better mindset and more willing to battle back. That is part of the story, and there’s also a rationale for crediting comebacks to coaches who are working to establish a good attitude. By instilling that concept, teams will know it’s not time to hit the panic button when staring at a double-digit deficit.

2. Players should not use profanity, especially when you can be heard.

With just more than eight minutes to play in the consolation game, Texas’ J’Covan Brown was whistled for his fourth foul. As coach Rick Barnes was substituting, Brown walked to the bench, remarking that the call was BS. Brown did not use those initials. He was hit with a technical, which spelled a fifth foul and disqualification. Minus their main offensive threat, Texas eventually gave up a 12-point lead and lost to NC State.

Officials are instructed to use game management techniques. For instance, if Brown made that remark so that only he and the official heard it, the official might have just warned Brown to watch his language and that another outburst could hurt his team. Brown made the remark so that it was audible on press row and probably by a few front row patrons. The official, Earl Walton, had no choice but to call a T. Even coach Rick Barnes said it was the right call, adding that Brown “is a veteran and should be more aware that something like that hurts your team.”

3. Tempo free.

Texas posted a 117 offensive efficiency against Oregon State in the semifinals and 111 in the consolation game against NC State. Those figures should get you two wins, but not when you allow a 127 and 113 against your respective opposition. Clearly, there is some defensive work needed for these young Longhorns.

Vanderbilt survived a 32 percent turnover rate in the final against Oregon State. Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings was quick to credit Oregon State’s tough defense but did note his club needed to care for the ball a lot better. Although Vanderbilt committed 22 turnovers, Oregon State had 17 of their own for another high 24 percent turnover rate.

Vanderbilt — and specifically Jeff  Taylor — did a nice job holding Oregon State’s Jared Cunningham, a 26 ppg scorer, to nine points. OSU coach Craig Robinson said Cunningham will see a lot of defensive pressure but can impact the game in other ways. The senior guard did just that with seven steals in the championship.

The Manley efficiency formula shows MVP John Jenkins had only a 6 for the championship game against Oregon State. That was not a problem for the Commodores as he scored 14 points and hit a big 3-pointer late in the game.

Former St. Anthony’s High School product Devon Collier led all scorers with 19 in the final. The Oregon State sophomore forward had an outstanding Manley efficiency of 25.

Honors:

MVP: John Jenkins, Vanderbilt

All-Tournament:

• C.J. Leslie, NC State
• Sheldon McClellan, Texas
• Jared Cunningham, Oregon State
• Jeff Taylor, Vanderbilt

Semifinals:

Mississippi State 69, Texas A&M 60

Arizona 81, St. John’s 72

Consolation:   Texas A&M 58, St. John’s 57

Championship:  Mississippi State 67, Arizona 57

1. Renardo Sidney is an enigma. If he ever gets it going, look out. Mississippi State Coach Rick Stansbury praises his effort but the truth is, too many times Sidney appears disinterested or going through the motions. He scored three points on 0-of-8 shooting in the semis. The first two minutes of the final he hit his first two shots and seemed to be on the way. After that opening, he basically disappeared, finishing with eight points. The Bulldogs have a solid backcourt led by Dee Bost. Tournament MVP Arnett Moultrie is a versatile and dangerous talent with relentless energy. Mississippi State simply is an excellent club. But if Sidney gets it together, watch out.

2. The pieces are falling into place at Arizona. Sean Miller’s club wound up as runner-up, but the Wildcat mentor likes their progress. Both nights they had a turnover rate of under 20%, a very good mark. The Wildcats will shoot the three, as evidenced by the St. John’s game where 48% of their points were from long range. They have a few inside players in Jesse Perry and Solomon Hill. There is a really nice freshman talent in Nick Johnson. Miller however, would like the aforementioned pair of Perry and Solomon to continue to make plays and show upperclass leadership. Arizona is a club that will continue to improve and Miller is excited about their prospects. With good reason.

3. Texas A&M has a few good wide bodies, notably Ray Turner, who can finish inside. One of their priorities will be in limiting turnovers. They had a 24% TO rate in the semis and 26% against St. John’s. There are times in the half court sets when they over-dribble and the offense stagnates. They can get the job done in transition but need better execution in the half court, especially against teams skilled in stopping the break. In 6-9 sophomore Kourtney Robinson, they have a solid rebounder who grabbed double figures in boards both night. They are another team with work to do, but one that took a lot more than just a two-game split out of their trip to New york.

4. St. John’s will compete and is resilient. Both nights  they came back from second-half deficits. They are small with little depth, so inside play on the defensive end is a concern for coach Steve Lavin. Opponents had a very high offensive rebounding percentage of over 40% both nights. Dribble penetration is outstanding with their quickness in the backcourt. Nurideen Lindsey got to the basket and caused match up problems against their opposition in the two contests. As noted, that penetration gets them to the charity stripe on a regular basis.  In that regard Lavin admits they must take advantage of the situation, as they were only 22 of 38 from the line in that one-point setback against Texas A&M.

The tournament honor roll with the Manley efficiency averages. The “Manley formula” devised by Martin Manley adds positives as points, FGM, FTM, rebounds, steals , assists and blocks while subtracting negatives: missed shots and turnovers.

MVP: Arnett Moultrie, Miss. State, 20

ALL-Tournament: Kourtney Roberson, Texas A&M, 10

Murideen Lindsey, St. John’s, 10.5

Jesse Perry, Arizona, 14.5

Dee Bost, Miss. State, 12.5

Without going into a list and breakdown of formulas, which you will see on this site in future essays (from yours truly and the insightful work of Michael Protos), let us simply look at the concept of points per possession. For years a team giving up 55 points a game was automatically presumed a great defensive club. One allowing 70 was thought to be sloppy and disinterested on the defensive end. Tempo-free allows us to see the pace of a team. Maybe that 55 PPG allowed team is good defensively. But if there average possessions are 50, they really are not that great (1.10 Points per possession allowed ) on the defensive end. Conversely, the team allowing 70 per outing maybe a race horse pace team averaging 80 possessions. If that’s the case, they are doing a solid job (.88 points per possession allowed) on the defensive end.

Let’s take a look from last season. In Atlantic 10 play La Salle averaged 74.3 points per game while St. Bonaventure chucked in at 69.2 per. The better offensive team? St. Bonaventure. The following figures illustrate:

For purposes of easier readability, the points per possession is multiplied by 100 to give us a more manageable figure known as offensive efficiency. Therefore, La Salle had an of offensive efficiency of 102 while St. Bonaventure checked in at 107.

La Salle averaged eight possessions a game more than the Bonnies. That’s not a big number, but significant as far as pace is concerned. At 73 possessions the Explorers looked to push the ball. The Bonnies’ 65 suggests a half court team that ran on opportunities.

There are teams, such as Xavier for instance, that chart every possession and actually review the points per possession during time outs. There is a formula used to calculate possessions off a scoresheet or comprehensive box score.

Possessions = FGA + (FTA * .475) – OR + TO

The .475 is a multiplier to allow for one and one free throws (with the first shot missed) and single free throws for players fouled while converting a field goal. The possession ends on a made field goal, made free throw, defensive rebound or turnover. So offensive rebounds are subtracted because they in fact, extend the life of the possession. Points per possession is very simply points divided by possessions.

To date, baseball has seen some scouts and some higher ranking personnel in front offices be slow to accept analytics. The ‘old school’ approach is to trust the eyes not numbers. Basketball is going through that as well. With basketball analysis in its younger stages, as noted, there is more skepticism to overcome. The barriers are falling, however. Even coaches asked if they used tempo-free studies, the ones claimed not to and saw little value in them at least knew of their existence, which is a huge positive step. It’s a sure sign of progress thanks to the movement which has spread considerably in a few short years.