Closing Games - Interesting Stat

S

SJU1512

Active member
Just noticed that we've opend up double-digit leads in the 2nd half of all 6 BE wins this season, which is impressive. However, only 1 resulted in a double-digit win, and I believe in every game that lead shrunk to 3 or less in the last 10 minutes.

I'm not sure that this means anything heading into the toughest part of our schedule as the liklihood of us having this kind of lead in the 2nd half is reduced, but I think it highlights the need for us to play a full 40 (and how good we can be if we do). If you look at the arc most of our games take we start slow, play an unbelievable middle 20, and then don't close games out (until the last 2 minutes, where we have been quite good at finding a way).

Early in BE play I thought the culprit was falling into the prevent offense when we could have stepped on the gas and finished teams clearly on the ropes. Can't say I've seen that since the ND game. Any thoughts on what the difference is in the last 10? Legs? Experience? Nature of the BE?
 
I don't like the way this team plays with a lead. They let the clock run down to 13 and more often than not are foced to put up a bad shot. I'd like to see them put teams away.
 
The "stall offense" is a factor of not getting defensive stops. If we get a stop (with the exception of a dead-ball turnover), it's off to the races for us, and that is clearly when we are at our best on offense. So yes, the halfcourt offense needs to be better, but IMO, it starts on the defensive side of the ball.

Also, beyond Syracuse, Louisville, and Marquette, we play in a league this year, in which not a lot seperates the teams. Lots of teams are very good when they are on there games, and very bad when they are off. So, there are going to be runs both ways in most games. I'd still rather have a double digit lead, then have to fight back from a double digit deficit. It's great when you do it, but you obviously can't rely on that every night.
 
We are a terrible defensive team, especially against the 3 point shot. Most teams behind by double digits start to think about the 3 and we rarely show up to contest it.

The Lavin Match up zone gives up a lot of matador lay ups, especially when CO isn't in the game..
 
I don't like the way this team plays with a lead. They let the clock run down to 13 and more often than not are foced to put up a bad shot. I'd like to see them put teams away.
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A[so they seem to be setting up their offense to far from the rim they dribble too much when quick passes would be more advantageous against zones They do not play the back door enough and need work on stting up better screens Oh and least I forget terrible foul shooting Can not see how we could ever advance in a tournment shooting under 65%
 
We are a terrible defensive team, especially against the 3 point shot. Most teams behind by double digits start to think about the 3 and we rarely show up to contest it.

The Lavin Match up zone gives up a lot of matador lay ups, especially when CO isn't in the game..
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Norte Dame ranks 15 in three point percentage on the NCAA at 39.9% and St. John's defense made them shot 11.1% from three only hit one the whole game. They have gotten better at closing out and still have work ahead of them but I think they will show is alto this week.
 
Those "Matador" shots now appearing when CO is in the game as well. I think he has learned to not go after the bait all the time. He seems to be less subject now to his own man beating him when he goes on vacation to help out with a block. Coach says it is a work in progress, and it is. It is nice to see Chris staying home but the next step has to be taken with the rest of the defense. The DePaul game was a great example of many, many,uncontested shot opportunities. That's not acceptable at this level.
However, as with the change for the good in Chris, we will learn.......
 
We are a terrible defensive team, especially against the 3 point shot. Most teams behind by double digits start to think about the 3 and we rarely show up to contest it.

The Lavin Match up zone gives up a lot of matador lay ups, especially when CO isn't in the game..
Click to expand...

We are 4th in the league in FG% defense which means the your are entirely wrong about us being a terrible defensive team. We are mid-pack against the 3, probably we're higher before the Hall game. We are actually one of the better defensive teams in the league since we've gone to man-defense. Wh have played only limited matchup zone in the past 5-7 games.
 
Statistics are often misleading as a indicator of skills or lack thereof The issue was about defense in the later stages of the game when opponents are looking to close against our lead.. Thus the flurry of 3 pointers and outside 2 pt shots, which are allowing teams to cut into these double digit leads, often to the point of risking losing these games that appear won at the 35 minute mark or close to it.

And, I would not call us a good defensive club just yet.We look terrible at many times during the games, especially late. Add that to our propensity to think the games are over when double digit leads are squandered, around that same 35 minute mark.

Lavin doesn't use a deep bench and our core players look tired in the late stages of games.Almost every game too.
 
This is getting uncanny. 7-7 in opening up double-digit leads in the 2nd half of our Big East wins, and 7-7 in the game getting back to within 3 points (or worse). Something is obviously working, and this team really shows toughness down the stretch (especially for a young team).

But it's tough not to think about how impressive it is just to be able to open up those double-digit leads in almost every game against this kind of competition, and how there seems to a change in pace that takes away what got us that impressive lead in the first place. I don't recall seeing the weave once in the first 35 minutes, we were punishing UConn in transition and controlling the tempo, and at 39-24 we could have dropped the hammer. Then after the 16 min TO started to see a lot of the weave, the game started to get played almost exclusively in the half-court at UConn's speed, and 5 minutes later Uconn is on a 15-1 run.

I understand they started making shots, and I understand nobody is going to roll over. But this seems to be a pattern beyond the specifics of last night's game (or any individual game). When we start playing in the half-court with a lead, good things do not seem to happen until the last 2 minutes. Ecstatic with last night's win and the way this season is going (and again big props to the staff and the players for the way they execute down the stretch in these games), but would like to see us play our game at our pace for 40 minutes and see what happens as we enter this critical part of the schedule.
 
Statistics are often misleading as a indicator of skills or lack thereof The issue was about defense in the later stages of the game when opponents are looking to close against our lead.. Thus the flurry of 3 pointers and outside 2 pt shots, which are allowing teams to cut into these double digit leads, often to the point of risking losing these games that appear won at the 35 minute mark or close to it.

And, I would not call us a good defensive club just yet.We look terrible at many times during the games, especially late. Add that to our propensity to think the games are over when double digit leads are squandered, around that same 35 minute mark.

Lavin doesn't use a deep bench and our core players look tired in the late stages of games.Almost every game too.
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Not using a deep bench is starting to concern me a bit. In big time games, guys are going to get in foul trouble. I'm starting to get concerned that he's not using Garrett enough. Against bigger teams, he is still a very valuable rebounder and defender. I'm also starting to wonder if he only plays 10 minutes a game then he will just quit hoops and focus on baseball.
 
Statistics are often misleading as a indicator of skills or lack thereof The issue was about defense in the later stages of the game when opponents are looking to close against our lead.. Thus the flurry of 3 pointers and outside 2 pt shots, which are allowing teams to cut into these double digit leads, often to the point of risking losing these games that appear won at the 35 minute mark or close to it.

And, I would not call us a good defensive club just yet.We look terrible at many times during the games, especially late. Add that to our propensity to think the games are over when double digit leads are squandered, around that same 35 minute mark.

Lavin doesn't use a deep bench and our core players look tired in the late stages of games.Almost every game too.
Click to expand...

Not using a deep bench is starting to concern me a bit. In big time games, guys are going to get in foul trouble. I'm starting to get concerned that he's not using Garrett enough. Against bigger teams, he is still a very valuable rebounder and defender. I'm also starting to wonder if he only plays 10 minutes a game then he will just quit hoops and focus on baseball.
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Can we lock Jones in the gym with Ty Grant and Anthony Glover for like 3 days?
 
Statistics are often misleading as a indicator of skills or lack thereof The issue was about defense in the later stages of the game when opponents are looking to close against our lead.. Thus the flurry of 3 pointers and outside 2 pt shots, which are allowing teams to cut into these double digit leads, often to the point of risking losing these games that appear won at the 35 minute mark or close to it.

And, I would not call us a good defensive club just yet.We look terrible at many times during the games, especially late. Add that to our propensity to think the games are over when double digit leads are squandered, around that same 35 minute mark.

Lavin doesn't use a deep bench and our core players look tired in the late stages of games.Almost every game too.
Click to expand...

Not using a deep bench is starting to concern me a bit. In big time games, guys are going to get in foul trouble. I'm starting to get concerned that he's not using Garrett enough. Against bigger teams, he is still a very valuable rebounder and defender. I'm also starting to wonder if he only plays 10 minutes a game then he will just quit hoops and focus on baseball.
Click to expand...

I'd like to see more Garrett as well. Always seems to clean stuff up aruond the rim and get us a few easy baskets that way. Also agreed that he is one of our most effective rebounders against bigger competition. He's very aggressive on the defensive glass.
 
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