SU leads NCAA in two categories...

[LennX6]

that is two different questions

as Knicks411 pointed out recently, Syracuse annually ranks among the very top teams in blocked shot percentage. This is the 3rd consecutive season that SU has ranked in the top 10 in steals percentage, but prior to 09-10, SU only cracked the top 50 one other time (05-06, 31st). The Orange are usually in the 50 to 100 range (of ~340 D1 teams).

However, even with the the high steals/blocks rankings of the past two years, this is the first time in Pomeroy's 10 year database that SU has ever been in the Top 50 of overall turnover percentage. The difference is that, while prior teams were opportunistic in getting steals and blocks to start the break, this year's edition has - so far - excelled in also producing a lot of dead ball turnovers - travels, charges, shot clock violations, bad passes that go out of bounds. I don't know of any database available to back it up, but my first impression guess is that charges taken has been a big factor in that thus far, with Fab being a noticeable contributor. He is really turning into a very good zone defender.

In Georgetown's heyday, and to a certain degree now, it seemed like EVERY loose ball ended up in their hands. With SU through the years it always seems the opposite. The last few years (and really noticeable this year), all the loose balls are sticking to Orange hands. If nothing else Fair, Waiters , Keita are as fast or faster than anyone we have played yet and that is the key.

 

[Knicks411]

Fab def takes a ton of charges.

I am waiting to see us hit the BE season to see if the TO remain, but if they do,wow. We usually have pretty good FG defense, combine that with lots of TO...good stuff

 

[Niastri]

it has definitely been a team effort, but I think Fab has been noticeable in the number of charges he has taken, especially compared to last year when he was consistently called for fouls.

one wonders if the staff intentionally coached them up on how to effectively use the arc?

More of a Rhetorical question... I think many of us thought that the arc under the basket would reduce charges all around, not cause teams to use it more. At least the calls seem to be more fair this year. There have been very few calls that I was really annoyed with.

 

[moqui]

More of a Rhetorical question... I think many of us thought that the arc under the basket would reduce charges all around, not cause teams to use it more. At least the calls seem to be more fair this year. There have been very few calls that I was really annoyed with.

that is what I expected, as well, but it's possible that there is a flip side - the presence of the arc might create a tendency in the refs to subtly adjust their calls - since if the defender is on the inside, it's always a block, then if they are on the outside the defender gets the benefit of the doubt on all the close calls. A perceptive coach watching the arc experiment in the NBA might have picked up on it, I don't know. Most likely it is just a happy accident, but when you know that your head coach watches just about every basketball game he can, it wouldn't surprise me if it was the latter.

 

[moqui]

according to Pomeroy, SU is currently ranked in the top ten in the following measures:

• #1 in steal percentage
• #1 in offensive rebounding percentage
• #2 in turnover percentage
• #4 in block percentage
• #7 in adjusted offensive efficiency

Also, just outside the top ten in adjusted defensive efficiency, at #11

And, as a curiosity, Pomeroy has compiled data on team height. SU is the 4th tallest team in the nation, with an average height of 78.8 inches, and 8th in "effective height" (which is explained in this old blog post)

fun with small sample sizes: last night's game effected SU's ranking in two of those categories:

Offensive efficiency went from 116.1 to 114.6 as SU fell out of the top ten to #11
Offensive rebounding percentage is now ranked 6th instead of first (I don't have a record of what the actual value was before yesterday's game; it is now 43.0.
Block percentage climbed a tiny bit from 21.3 to 21.7, enough to move SU from 4th to 3rd

 

[LennX6]

fun with small sample sizes: last night's game effected SU's ranking in two of those categories:

Offensive efficiency went from 116.1 to 114.6 as SU fell out of the top ten to #11
Offensive rebounding percentage is now ranked 6th instead of first (I don't have a record of what the actual value was before yesterday's game; it is now 43.0.
Block percentage climbed a tiny bit from 21.3 to 21.7, enough to move SU from 4th to 3rd

Wonder where Marshall lies with Offensive Rebounding Margin? Kinnon was always in perfect position, and all their players were bulky Pitt/UCLA type of players.

 

[SWC75]

Syracuse enters Tuesday’s game as the NCAA leader in steals (12.5 per game). The Orange are second nationally in turnover margin (+8.8 per game). (Per the Big East's daily stat compilations).

Good because we are not a good half-court team and will rely on the defesne and the fast break to get us going all year.