Comments on: Big Ten Geeks: Homework

By: Josh Reed, Big Ten Geeks

Josh Reed, Big Ten Geeks — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:15:17 +0000

@Brian, offensive rebounds do not count as additional possessions, at least not in most tempo-free circles.

@Don, the post was simply focused on defense. While Indiana’s offense is in fine shape and has (and will) win them a lot of games this year, so far the defense looks like it could use some work. It’s true that they’ve had a tough slate to begin conference play, but giving up 82 points to lowly Penn State should be cause for some concern.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:45:47 +0000

Any time you get an offensive rebound, that counts as another possession. So, no, two teams don’t always have an equal number of possessions at the end of a game.

By: Don Faust

Don Faust — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:17:27 +0000

This statistic is bogus at best. First of all, basketball is a game of alternating possessions. I score, you get the ball. You score, I get the ball. I can steal it from you (your possession becomes mine), but I cannot steal the ball from myself. So in any given game, the number of possessions for each time will be statistically equal.

Next the points per possession is simply a calculation of the number of points scored divided by the number of possessions in the game. Since we’ve already established that the number of possessions are statistically equal, is this stat simply restating the game score and margin of victory?

Indiana is 3-1 in the BigTen. They have won their four games by a total of 12 points (OSU by 4, Michigan by 2 and PSU by 6). Their loss was by 15 points (to MSU). So it is only reasonable that they are giving up more points per possession than they have scored because they have given up more points than they have scored (by 3).

Indiana needs to improve it’s offensive productivity and improve on it’s defensive effort, as well. But simply winning one more game by more than 3 points will even out the “points per possession” statistic. We’ve still got a long way to go, but we’ve also come a long way already. Don’t rain on our parade.

By: Hoosier Hype | Indiana Daily Student | idsnews.com | ‘All is Not Well in Bloomington’

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:49:37 +0000

[...] across and interesting read tonight by Josh Reed of the Big Ten Network. He wrote a ‘homework’ type piece on what a handful of Big Ten [...]

By: Joey Justice

Joey Justice — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:25:15 +0000

The worst defense “since conference play began.” You left out that important qualifier regarding Indiana. That’s without arguably their best, and unarguably one of their three best, defensive players in Will Sheehey. That’s a bit of an important note to make. On the season, IU has the 23rd best defense in the country, according to Pomeroy (not counting today’s results, which will probably make that ranking fall a bit.).

I’m not saying there isn’t work to do defensively; there most certainly is. The defensive play without Will has been troubling, as an IU fan, especially the way that opponents have been able to get to the rim. Having said that, however, it’s not fair to put too much weight on a grade with cherry picked data.

Indiana won’t have the top defense in the league with or without Will, and probably wouldn’t even have a top three. Wiscy, MSU, and OSU are all among the elite of the elite, and Illinois is very good too. With Will, however, they’re better than most of the other teams in conference, and comparable to Illinois.

I don’t disagree with your main point, not that you in any way need my approval, of course. I just think the way you stated it is a bit hyperbolic.