New Kenpom Stat Shows This Season Is On The Players, Not Shaka

[Heisenberg]

KenPom just unveiled a new stat, the average distance of a 2-point shot.

MU is the second closest in the country at 3.8 feet from the basket. Yet their 2p% ranks 271st nationally.

Contrast this to St. Louis. They are first in the country at 3.7 feet, but their 2p% ranks 9th.

You cannot view this attachment.

[Billy Hoyle]

so? SLU takes transfers and has a bunch of NIL money. No RVG in Billiken Land.

[cheebs09]

I think that's one of the more frustrating parts of this season. We are getting the looks we want, but just don't have the players to convert.

[Heisenberg]

I found this new KenPom Stat of two-point distance fascinating. It says a lot about this season.

Conclusion: Shaka is doing the right thing (drawing up plays to get close-in shots), and the players are choking (missing close-in open shots). They are all top 100 players with years of college experience. It is on the players to make these shots, not on the coach to devote practice time to hitting four-footers. That is what you do in 7th grade practice.
----
Here is a scatter graph of two-point shooting and two-point distance. The thick black line is the regression (a third-degree polynomial if you're interested).

What jumps out is that Marquette is an outlier versus the other 364 D1 teams.

All games through January 1


You cannot view this attachment.

The regression suggests that a "typical" D1 averaging 3.7 foot shots from the basket should have a two-point shooting percentage of 59.3%. Marquette has a 48.3% percentage, or 11% below what should be expected.

The following chart plots the difference between a team's two-point shooting percentage and the regression's estimate of what a "typical" D1 team would shoot. Marquette is at the bottom of all 365 D1 teams.

You cannot view this attachment.

All the coach can do is draw up a play to get a good shot. I suggest Shaka is doing that. It is on high D1 players to hit four-foot shots, even if contested. They are not, and Marquette is arguably the most disappointing team in college basketball. If Marquette were shooting 59% from the two-point range, rather than 48%, they would have a much better record.

So, while I understand most fans blame the coach for everything and will stand on their heads to torture reason into concluding that everything is the coach's fault. In this case, it is the players. They have to hit their makable shots ... and they are not.

[Silkk the Shaka]

I think you could also argue that they can't finish because their fundamentals are trash which is on coaching/development. Footwork, getting square, focus through contact, etc. that comes with maturity through coaching IMO

[Pakuni]

Shaka should be pissed at the guy who recruited and developed all these players who can't make layups.

[panda]

The question should be why are we getting so many good open looks. Are we very easy to defend because of our low talent level? Are we easy to scheme against because our offense only takes shots at the rim and behind the arc?

[K1 Lover]

This is like saying that if a 6 y/o child crashes a car into a tree, it's not the fault of the parent who strapped their child's seatbelt and told them to drive — it's the kid's fault for not being a good driver.

[NCMUFan]

Just confirms the theory sh!t rolls downhill.

[Big Papi]

We do miss easy open shots but the eye test says we take a lot of bad, forced up, highly contested shots at close range.

A lot of this is on Shaka and his inability to recruit, implement and teach a low post option.

But hey let's continue having our height disadvantaged guards attack the rim against taller defenders or have Parham and Gold throw up crazy shots at the rim and blame them.

[Elonsmusk]

It's laughable some think it's ALL the coaches fault for the poor at the basket shooting.  Chase Ross has flat out missed some pretty basic layups that an average high school basketball player would convert at a 95+% clip.  Royce has also missed a lot of easy at the basket shots.  Caedin especially has missed a lot of easy ones, but it's possible he truly doesn't have the coordination of D1 basketball players.

[Jockey]

Even breakaway dunks befuddle our players. Nobody on the team except maybe for Owen's plays above the rim.

[Jockey]

I think you could also argue that they can't finish because their fundamentals are trash which is on coaching/development. Footwork, getting square, focus through contact, etc. that comes with maturity through coaching IMO

When Hamilton is your best post-up player, you're in big, big, big, super-big  trouble.

[K1 Lover]

It's laughable some think it's ALL the coaches fault for the poor at the basket shooting.  Chase Ross has flat out missed some pretty basic layups that an average high school basketball player would convert at a 95+% clip.  Royce has also missed a lot of easy at the basket shots.  Caedin especially has missed a lot of easy ones, but it's possible he truly doesn't have the coordination of D1 basketball players.

I don't think anyone is saying that at all. Are you suggesting people are claiming that Shaka is making shots for players? No one's denying that our team unequivocally sucks at shooting.

Read the title of the thread. You can fault the players for being bad at the game, but when it comes to the season overall, it's no one but the coach's fault.

[Heisenberg]

This is like saying that if a 6 y/o child crashes a car into a tree, it's not the fault of the parent who strapped their child's seatbelt and told them to drive — it's the kid's fault for not being a good driver.

Better is the 20+ -year with a good driving record.

These are not hapless children.

[K1 Lover]

Better is the 20+ -year with a good driving record.

These are not hapless children.

20+ year-olds with good driving records don't crash every time they hit the road.

[Heisenberg]

Shaka should be pissed at the guy who recruited and developed all these players who can't make layups.

I think you could also argue that they can't finish because their fundamentals are trash which is on coaching/development. Footwork, getting square, focus through contact, etc. that comes with maturity through coaching IMO

As I said, everything is the coach's fault.

[Pakuni]

As I said, everything is the coach's fault.

Who assembled the gang that couldn't shoot straight?

[panda]

The question should be why are we getting so many good open looks. Are we very easy to defend because of our low talent level? Are we easy to scheme against because our offense only takes shots at the rim and behind the arc?

Hey panda first time long time - is it also possible our team is so bereft of any talent that it's remarkably easy for teams to stop one of our only players with a pulse? I'll hang up and listen thanks !

[Vander Blue Man Group]

This is like saying that if a 6 y/o child crashes a car into a tree, it's not the fault of the parent who strapped their child's seatbelt and told them to drive — it's the kid's fault for not being a good driver.

No, it's not like that at all.

This is the responsibility of both the players and Shaka & staff.