The Centers

[SWC75]

We talk a lot about what we want from our centers. Usually it is said that we’d like them to combine for a “double double”: 10 points and 10 rebounds. I decided to amend that a bit. The things we want a center to do that show up in a box score are to score points, rebound misses and block shots. I think our goal should be that our centers should total are last 20 in points + rebounds + blocks. Here is a record of how they did in this regard. I decided to split them into pre-conference and conference games.

Pre-conference
San Diego State Christmas 3p 6r 5b Keita 2p 8r 1b Coleman 2p 2r 0b Total 7p 16r 6b =29
Wagner Christmas 8p 7r 1b Keita 15p 5r 2b Coleman 3p 7r 0b Total 26p 19r 3b =48
Princeton Christmas 10p 1r 2b Keita 2p 2r 1b Coleman 7p 6r 1b Total 19p 9r 4b =32
Colgate Christmas 10p 9r 2b Keita 3p 4r 0b Coleman 12p 7r 1b Total 25p 20r 3b =48
Arkansas Christmas 0p 3r 2b Keita 3p 6r 1b Coleman 3p 5r 0b Total 6p 14r 3b =23
E Michigan Christmas 6p 6r 3b Keita 6p 5r 1b Coleman 14p 5r 0b Total 26p 16r 4b =46
Long Beach St. Christmas 11p 5r 2b Keita 5p 4r 2b Coleman 4p 9r 3b Total 20p 18r 7b =45
Monmouth Christmas 11p 3r 4b Keita 4p 10r 2b Coleman 11p 14r 1b Total 26p 27r 7b =60
Canisius Christmas 10p 2r 3b Keita 2p 6r 3b Coleman 7p 6r 0b Total 19p 14r 6b =39
Detroit Christmas 7p 8r 1b Keita 4p 1r 2b Coleman 4p 4r 1b Total 15p 13r 4b =32
Temple Christmas 4p 6r 1b Keita 12p 8r 1b Coleman 0p 1r 0b Total 16p 15r 2b =33
Alcorn State Christmas 4p 7r 0b Keita 2p 3r 0b Coleman 6p 6r 0b Total 12p 16r 0b =28
C. Connecticut Christmas 9p 10r 4b Keita 4p 2r 0b Coleman 13p 9r 2b Total 26p 21r 6b =53

Totals Christmas 93p 73r 30b Keita 64p 64r 16 Coleman 86p 81r 9b Total 243p 218r 55b =516
Averages Christmas 7p 6r 2b Keita 5p 5r 1b Coleman 7p 6r 1b Total 19p 17r 4b =40

Comments: I don’t think we fully realized it at the time but our centers were certainly productive against our early season schedule. A lot of that was the caliber of completion and the fact that they sometimes played in tandem with each other. But still, if they maintained this level of production, there would be few complaints. It was also a balanced contribution: Christmas contributed the most in four games, Keita in three and Coleman in five. But then the going got tougher.

Conference
Rutgers Christmas 4p 4r 2b Keita 4p 4r 1b Coleman 3p 3r 0b Total 11p 11r 3b =25
South Florida Christmas 2p 3r 1b Keita 0p 1r 2b Coleman 0p 0r 0b Total 2p 4r 3b =9
Providence Christmas 15p 8r 3b Keita 0p 0r 0b Coleman 0p 0r 0b Total 15p 8r 3b =26
Villanova Christmas 4p 5r 2b Keita 1p 1r 0b Coleman 6p 2r 0b Total 11p 8r 2b =21
Louisville Christmas 2p 6r 0b Keita 4p 5r 0b Coleman 3p 1r 0b Total 9p 12r 0b =21
Cincinnati Christmas 2p 2r 1b Keita 0p 3r 2b Coleman 0p 0r 0b Total 2p 5r 3b =10
Villanova Christmas 9p 10r 1b Keita 0p 0r 2b Coleman 0p 0r 0b Total 9p 10r 3b =22
Pittsburgh Christmas 0p 3r 3b Keita 3p 3r 0b Coleman (injured) Total 3p 6r 3b =12
Notre Dame Christmas 12p 5r 4b Keita 1p 0r 0b Coleman (Injured) Total 13p 5r 4b =22
St. John’s Christmas 2p 1r 1b Keita 8p 4r 2b Coleman (injured) Total 10p 5r 3b =18
Connecticut Christmas 2p 6r 3b Keita 0p 4r 2b Coleman (injured) Total 2p 10r 5b =17
Seton Hall Christmas 3p 2r 1b Keita 0p 3r 1b Coleman (injured) Total 3p 5r 2b =10
Providence Christmas 6p 2r 3b Keita 0p 2r 1b Coleman (injured) Total 6p 4r 4b =14
Georgetown Christmas 2p 8r 1b Keita 0p 3r 1b Coleman (injured) Total 2p 11r 2b =15

Totals Christmas 65p 65r 265b Keita 21p 33r 14b Coleman 7p 7r 3b Total 98p 104r 40b =239
Averages Christmas 5p 5r 2b Keita 1.5p 2r 1b Coleman 0.5p 0.5r 1.5b Total 7p 7r 3b =17
(per games Coleman actually played in his averages were 2p 1r 0b)

Comments: There have been six games where the centers produced at least 20 points+rebounds+blocks. But there have been eight they haven’t, including the last 5. To have a significant post season run, we are going to need to find the hole in the donut. Christmas has contributed the most 12 times in conference play, Keita 4 times and the now injured Coleman none.

Overall
Totals: Christmas 158p 138r 56b Keita 85p 97r 30b Coleman 98p 87r 9b Total 341p 322r 95b =755
Averages: Christmas 6p 5r 2b Keita 3p 4r 1b Coleman 4p 3r 0b Total 13p 12r 4b =28
(Coleman in the games he actually played averaged 5p 4r 0b)

Comments: Thanks to the early games, our centers are still above the water line for the season but in the games that really count, they’ve come up a bit short.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Excellent spreadsheet per usual.

 

[EastCoast2]

Soooooo is it safe to say Christmas will be back for his jr season?

 

[arbitragegls]

Good analysis...so we are going to be loaded in the front court next year...doesnt look like any of the three centers will be leaving...and we have a wealth of big men coming in...there is going to be a significant battle for court time next year!

 

[SWC75]

Good analysis...so we are going to be loaded in the front court next year...doesnt look like any of the three centers will be leaving...and we have a wealth of big men coming in...there is going to be a significant battle for court time next year!

But the only guy I see having the potential to be a true inside scorer is Coleman. I hope he develops strongly.

 

[AccuRater]

Great post. I had not recalled how productive our centers were early on, especially against Temple.

 

[rosconey]

if rak and bmk improve as much next year as they did this past year- we are still in major league trouble-

the way they have regressed is disturbing - bigs with experience was supposed to be a given this season-

just think how good this team could be with a legit big-

 

[SWC75]

if rak and bmk improve as much next year as they did this past year- we are still in major league trouble-

the way they have regressed is disturbing - bigs with experience was supposed to be a given this season-

just think how good this team could be with a legit big-

I think Coleman blows by these guys next year.

 

[rosconey]

I think Coleman blows by these guys next year.

he has the softest hands and widest ass - add in some more time to learn the zone and who knows