Withers: Zag offense even better than it looks

[sittingon50]

https://en.bloguru.com/GloryHounds/3...-than-it-looks

[kitzbuel]

GU leads the nation in points per game and field percentage; top 5 in assists and total points (while only playing 9 games so far); yet has no player in the top 10 of any of those categories.

So opponents don’t have that ‘one’ player they can focus on to shut down or control. Joel has really found his stride with Jalen being out. Guards slashing provide as much interior scoring as Timme posting up. As Bud says, three point shooting is going to equal out (we are already seeing that with Joel) which works to our favor. It will have to take a complete, sustained team effort to dent the Zag offense.

[jazzdelmar]

A Stipo reference, love it.

[MickMick]

GU leads the nation in points per game and field percentage; top 5 in assists and total points (while only playing 9 games so far); yet has no player in the top 10 of any of those categories.

So opponents don’t have that ‘one’ player they can focus on to shut down or control. Joel has really found his stride with Jalen being out. Guards slashing provide as much interior scoring as Timme posting up. As Bud says, three point shooting is going to equal out (we are already seeing that with Joel) which works to our favor. It will have to take a complete, sustained team effort to dent the Zag offense.

In other words, it is a shame that there isn't a stat for unselfishness, because if there was, this Zag team would be at a historic level. In fact, the tidbit you provided SHOULD be a referenced stat for relevance. Unselfishness = unstoppable. Maybe assist to field goal ratio should be something that should be historically compared (The percentage of field goals that came with an assist). Still, such a stat wouldn't reveal that no single Zag player is dominating the scoring sheet relative to total points scored. Perhaps the number of double figure scorers should be added into the algorithm. Heck, if ESPN can create some hidden formula for BPI that can elevate their favored teams for ridiculous comparisons, I propose that some Zag fan come up with our own formula that is more honest and transparent and revealing and informative.

The unselfishness is almost so extreme, that Mark Few has to coax gifted scorers like Ayayi to "hunt their shot". Mark Few has this vision of balanced scoring. He wants the scouting report to read that if you focus on one or two players, the other three are going to wax you. Because they can...... it's just that all of the players don't realize it yet.

[TexasZagFan]

In other words, it is a shame that there isn't a stat for unselfishness, because if there was, this Zag team would be at a historic level. In fact, the tidbit you provided SHOULD be a referenced stat for relevance. Unselfishness = unstoppable. Maybe assist to field goal ratio should be something that should be historically compared. the percentage of field goals that came with an assist. Still, such a stat wouldn't reveal that no single player is dominating the scoring sheet relative to total points scored.

The unselfishness is almost so extreme, that Mark Few has to coax gifted scorers like Ayayi to "hunt their shot". Mark Few has the vision. He wants the scouting report to read that if you focus on one or two players, the other three are going to wax you. Because they can...... it's just that all the players don't realize it yet.

How opposing coaches react when studying video of the Zags:

[Zagricultural]

We're even better than our metrics suggest simply because of giving the bench so much run in the cupcake games. Check out the 3p% from starters to bench against Dixie.

[cscz28]

We're even better than our metrics suggest simply because of giving the bench so much run in the cupcake games. Check out the 3p% from starters to bench against Dixie.

I was going to say something to that effect as well. The younger guys need as much experience as possible but with that will likely be less efficient offense at times.

[GonzaGAW]

- also in the 2018-19 and 2019-2020 seasons gonzaga lead the nation in scoring
- 2020-2021, yep gonzaga is leading the nation in scoring. you can bank on a 3rd year in a row.

- curious trivia: what mid major university led the nation in scoring for 5 years in a row? from 2005-06 thru 2010-11. but has never been to the dance in the zag era.

[MDABE80]

Defense has yet to come along. Few's always had a penchant for high flyin offense. And the ability to simply outscore and run by the defense is admirable. We have a bad shooting night we will regret not developing a strong defense...... we do have the talent to play defense.......Im wondering why it's not developed. SO important. I see Mick alluded to the Westhead years at LMU .....but those teams were eventually beaten not just because of the Gathers loss. They just didn't care about defense. I do hope it comes along.

[zagzilla]

Wait, what?

“Murray’s ranking got off to a boffo start against Division III Greenville University of Illinois, whom the Racers beat by the ludicrous score of 173-95, hitting 77 of 105 shots for a .733 percentage.“

Need to look up the box score on this one to see how it is possible to score 173 points in an NCAA MBB game.

(Edit) Murray St. put up 105 sots and only went 5-13 on 3PFGA’s. Their opponent attempted 107! Paul Westhead would have loved that game.

ZZ

[katman50]

Here is an interesting stat:
DYNAMIC DUO

Point guard Ayo Dosunmu and center Kofi Cockburn are the most prolific tandem in college basketball, combining to average 41.3 points per game. Dosunmu is the NCAA's fourth-leading scorer at 24.1 ppg, while Cockburn is 127th at 17.2 ppg. Here are the nation's top scoring duos to date this season:

1. 41.3 – Ayo Dosunmu (24.1) & Kofi Cockburn (17.2), Illinois
2. 40.9 – Cameron Thomas (24.1) & Trendon Watford (16.8), LSU
3. 40.4 – Cory Kispert (21.1) & Drew Timme (19.3), Gonzaga
4. 40.3 – DeVante Jones (23.4) & Deanthony Tipler (16.9), Coastal Carolina
5. 39.8 – Hayden Brown (21.2) & Kaiden Rice (18.6), The Citadel

[GonzaGAW]

- also in the 2018-19 and 2019-2020 seasons gonzaga lead the nation in scoring
- 2020-2021, yep gonzaga is leading the nation in scoring. you can bank on a 3rd year in a row.

- curious trivia: what mid major university led the nation in scoring for 5 years in a row? from 2005-06 thru 2010-11. but has never been to the dance in the zag era.

- no nibblers? vmi, virginia military institute

[MickMick]

Very enlightening video

[TexasZagFan]

- no nibblers? vmi, virginia military institute

My curiosity was piqued, I had to look it up. Good question!

[WallaWallaZag]

zags offense is great any way you look at it...i'd like to see the d improve as they've slowly slid from 12 to 19 on kenpom...trending in wrong direction...

yes, some of it has to do with garbage time but our bench should be able to play some defense too and it's not like baylor or any other of the top teams aren't blowing cupcakes out and playing their bench.

[DZ]

There are all kinds of reasons, the unselfness, all that.

But one amazing thing is that Ayayi is stone cold killer whenever he has the ball near the hoop. The guy never drops a pass no matter how tight or hard and simply never misses anywhere around the hoop no matter if he's looking the other direction, spinning, it simply doesn't matter, the ball goes in. I've never seen anything like it.