Kolek planning to go pro
Average offensive possession length was 14.3 seconds in out of conference and is 16.0 in conference. That is 12% slower for the last six games. I think the dribble penetration (read: paint touches) and the cuts in the paint have been sharper since the Creighton loss, in addition to your points. While the pace is still fast, I think it's been much more purposeful. Thus, our three best offensive efficiency games by far. Kudos to the coaching staff.
Lewis still went for 13/5/3/3/1
The only thing I heard in the mic'd up from Shaka where it was even close to criticizing an individual player was when he let Kam know that his heat-check 3 was a bad shot. Shaka did it very gently, but he definitely got his point across.
Quality of opposition defense (lack thereof since UCONN) also has a lot to do with the "improvement" too. Many of our fans underestimated our offensive capabilities this season during the non-con. As I recall you'd alleged that this year's team was worse offensively than Year 1 of Wojo/Derrick Wilson.The shot quality Kolek creates for his teammates is incredible, no surprise here to see this team climbing the rankings for Offensive Efficiency due to his talent and the caliber of opposition defense declining.
I didn't "allege" it. I referenced Pomeroy as a statistical fact. At the time, MU was one of the four worst high major offenses through a third of the season (Creighton). I also stated "at that point" knowing MU could improve.Also, MU played plenty of crappy defenses (and good ones) through that time. Again, Pomeroy adjusts for that. To the topic, MU is playing much more efficiently on offense as we all have made points on. Including slowing it down, having Kolek shoot less and make less turnovers. Call it slowing it down or playing with a purpose. But it's working, thankfully. I am glad MU coincidentally had its three best games since.
Gotcha. I don't think "slowing it down" 1.7 seconds is the reason we have played better offensively. The ball movement has gotten much better, your point about getting into the paint more and more decisive cuts, and us ultimately making a lot of the open 3's now. We got a lot of good looks from 3 in the first 1/3rd of the season too, we just didn't make as many. Also, the caliber of opponent defense matters. These last three teams ranked 46, 168, 114 in Defensive Efficiency. In the six games prior we faced 29, 42, 18, 33, 30, and 54.
11. We almost scored in the 50's (in a half )