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[QUOTE="SWC75, post: 2036527, member: 289"]
As of this writing, (1/17/17), SU has played 19 basketball games and 16 of them have bene won or lost by double digits. That leaves 3 close games: We beat north Florida 77-71, (but were more in control of the game than the margin implies), lost to Connecticut 50-52 and lost to Georgetown 71-78. That’s it as far as close games. 16% of our games have been close and we’ve won 33% of those games. We’ve won 62.5% of the games that weren’t close.

I decided to see what the mix of close and not close games has been over the years and, while I’m at it, what our record has been in each. I realize close games can eventually be lost by double figures and that one-side games can slip into single figures in garbage time but I’m going to assume that those instances tend to cancel each other out.

I decided to begin with the beginning of our streak of winning seasons, which began in the 1970-71 season. I’ll designate the seasons using both years as the close and not close games were played in both years. I counted an overtime game won or lost by 10+ points as a close game because ti would have been tied at the end of regulation. I’ll record each year like this:
2016-17                1-2          +             10-6       = 11-8    16%        33%        62.5%

1970-71                7-4          +             12-3       = 19-7    42%        64%        80%
1971-72                12-4       +             10-2       = 22-6    57%        75%        83%
1972-73                13-3       +             11-2       = 24-5    55%        81%        85%
1973-74                7-4          +             12-3       = 19-7    42%        64%        80%
1974-75                11-7       +             12-2       = 23-9    56%        61%        86%
1975-76                8-2          +             12-7       = 20-9    34%        80%        63%
1976-77                4-2          +             22-2       = 26-4    20%        67%        92%
1977-78                5-5          +             17-1       = 22-6    36%        50%        94%
1978-79                7-4          +             19-0       = 26-4    37%        64%        100%
1979-80                9-3          +             17-1       = 26-4    40%        75%        94%
1980-81                7-8          +             15-4       = 22-12 44%        47%        79%
1981-82                9-6          +             7-7          = 16-13 52%        60%        50%
1982-83                6-6          +             15-4       = 21-10 39%        50%        79%
1983-84                12-4       +             11-5       = 23-9    50%        75%        69%
1984-85                10-6       +             12-3       = 22-9    52%        62.5%    80%
1985-86                6-4          +             20-2       = 26-6    31%        60%        91%
1986-87                12-5       +             16-2       = 31-7    45%        71%        89%
1987-88                5-8          +             21-1       = 26-9    37%        38%        95%
1988-89                7-8          +             23-0       = 30-8    39%        47%        100%
1989-90                12-5       +             14-2       = 26-7    52%        71%        87.5%
1990-91                12-3       +             14-3       = 26-6    47%        80%        82%
1991-92                13-6       +             9-4          = 22-10 59%        68%        69%
1992-93                10-6       +             10-3       = 20-9    55%        62.5%    77%
1993-94                10-4       +             13-3       = 23-7    47%        71%        81%
1994-95                8-9          +             12-1       = 20-10 57%        47%        92%
1995-96                12-5       +             17-4       = 29-9    45%        71%        81%
1996-97                6-5          +             13-8       = 19-13 34%        55%        62%
1997-98                13-4       +             13-5       = 26-9    49%        76%        72%
1998-99                4-5          +             17-7       = 21-12 27%        44%        71%
1999-00                6-3          +             20-3       = 26-6    28%        67%        87%
2000-01                12-2       +             13-7       = 25-9    41%        86%        65%
2001-02                6-6          +             17-7       = 23-13 33%        50%        71%
2002-03                15-2       +             15-3       = 30-5    49%        88%        83%
2003-04                9-4          +             14-4       = 23-8    42%        69%        78%
2004-05                9-5          =             18-2       = 27-7    41%        64%        90%
2005-06                10-5       =             13-7       = 23-12 43%        67%        65%
2006-07                6-9          =             18-2       = 24-11 43%        40%        90%
2007-08                8-9          =             13-5       = 21-14 49%        47%        72%
2008-09                9-2          =             19-8       = 28-10 29%        82%        70%
2009-10                6-3          +             24-2       = 30-5    26%        67%        92%
2010-11                11-6       +             16-2       = 27-8    49%        65%        89%
2011-12                15-3       +             19-0       = 34-3    49%        83%        100%
2012-13                7-6          +             23-4       = 30-10 32.5%    54%        86%
2013-14                11-5       +             17-1       = 28-6    47%        69%        94%
2014-15                8-6          +             10-7       = 18-13 45%        57%        59%
2015-16                7-8          =             16-6       = 23-14 41%        47%        73%       
2016-17                1-2          +             10-6       = 11-8    16%        33%        62.5%

Comments: This team has, by far, played the lowest percentage of close games in the era of The Streak. They have the lowest winning percentage, as well but the sample is tiny. Only two teams have won a lower percentage of the not close games and those teams went 16-13 and 18-13 on the season. We’re on a pace for 10 double figure losses in the regular season, which would be a record for the era.

We’ve had three teams that have never been defeated by double figures: 1978-79, 1988-89 and 2011-12. That’s the Louie and Bouie Show, (playing a pre-Big East schedule – the whole season was rather like November and December are now), the team that most fans feel is the most talented we’ve ever had and the team that wound up with the best record. We’ve had eight teams wind up with a losing record in close games and some of those teams have been surprising, including the last two Sherman Douglas teams. I’d always assumed that having a great point guard gave you and advantage in close games. The last three years we’ve been defeated by double digits 19 times after sustaining only 9 such losses in the previous five years.
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