CONCERNED FANS FOR
BASKETBALL
TUBBY SMITH HAS UK BASKETBALL
AT THE BOTTOM OF SEC IN OFFENSIVE REBOUNDING
Yesterday, Tom Leach asked Tubby about the offensive rebounding deficits that this team has been piling up. To date, the opposing teams have grabbed on average 3.8 more offensive rebounds per game than UK .
Tubby responded to this set up question with an explanation that since our opponents were shooting so poorly, they had more misses to go after, and it would only be natural for them to get more offensive rebounds than UK since UK is missing fewer shots. He then said that UK was getting about 34% of its own misses.
As most of you know, I have been writing before and after each game about the offensive rebounding differential, and its significance in games against top flight competition. Here are the data I have reported.
Against top 50 teams [4 games], UK has averaged -6.2 offensive rebounds per game, and against opponents, not top 50, UK has averaged -2.3 offensive rebounds per game.
To date, UK has grabbed 30.0% of its own misses as an offensive rebounds, while they have allowed their opponents to grab 31.8% of their misses. The NCAA D1 average is 32.7% so far this season.
Tubby's statement that UK has been getting 34% of its own misses is simply wrong.
This analysis, especially with Tubby electing to enter the public discourse on this important subject, raises the question of how does UK stack up with other SEC teams in this statistical category. The following table shows the data for all 12 SEC teams.
SEC Offensive Rebounding % 2006-07
| Team | Team Off |
Opp Off |
Differential |
Reb % |
Reb % |
Off Reb% |
|
| East Division | |||
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
|
| Florida | 38.5% |
27.1% |
11.3% |
| Georgia | 42.1% |
32.9% |
9.3% |
| Tennessee | 37.5% |
32.6% |
4.9% |
| Kentucky | 32.8% |
33.7% |
-0.9% |
| USC | 34.3% |
35.3% |
-1.0% |
| Vanderbilt | 28.5% |
30.4% |
-1.9% |
| East Average | 35.6% |
32.0% |
3.6% |
| West Division | |||
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
|
| Alabama | 40.2% |
30.3% |
9.8% |
| LSU | 36.9% |
27.2% |
9.8% |
| Miss. St. | 35.8% |
30.1% |
5.7% |
| Arkansas | 37.5% |
32.2% |
5.3% |
| Mississippi | 38.4% |
34.0% |
4.4% |
| Auburn | 35.7% |
33.1% |
2.6% |
| West Average | 37.4% |
31.1% |
6.3% |
| SEC Average | 36.5% |
31.6% |
4.9% |
| SEC Best | 42.1% |
27.1% |
|
| SEC Poorest | 28.5% |
35.3% |
So, UK has been giving up a differential [percentage basis] -0.9%, and only three SEC teams are in the negative, USC -1.0% and Vanderbilt -1.9% are the only others in the red.
The SEC average differential is +4.9%, and the maximum differential belongs to Florida at 11.3%, followed by Alabama and LSU at 9.8%, Georgia at 9.3%, Mississippi State at 5.7% Arkansas at 5.3%, and Tennessee at 4.9% [the conference average].
These 7 teams are also the ones getting the national accolades.
Of the 12 SEC teams:
1. 10 are getting a higher percentage than UK of its misses, and only Vandy is getting less.
2. 9 are holding their opponents to a lower percentage of their misses than UK [NOT USC or Mississippi],
3. Using the 34% standard that Tubby cited, 10 of the 12 SEC teams are getting a higher percentage, but not UK and not Vandy.
4. Using the NCAA D1 average 32.7% as a criteria, 11 of the 12 are doing better, not Vandy, and UK is next at 32.8%, and on the defensive end, 7 of the 12 are doing better, but NOT UK, Georgia, USC, Mississippi or Auburn.
5. 4 of the 12 sec teams are better at both ends of the court than the SEC average [ Florida , Alabama , LSU, and Mississippi State ].
6. 3 of the 12 SEC teams are worse at both end of the court than the SEC average [ Kentucky , USC, and Auburn ].
Facts are that UK is pulling up the bottom in the conference in offensive rebounding, at the offensive end of the floor, ranking 11th, and UK is middling at the defensive end of the court, ranking 6th.
I don't think there is any coincidence in the relationship between strong overall play and a high positive offensive rebounding differential.
Not only is Tubby wrong about UK getting 34% of its own misses, but when he answered Tom Leach's question, he wanted the listeners to believe that there is no problem with offensive rebounding, and all is well.
I don't know if Tubby knows otherwise, and intentionally misled the public on this or whether Tubby really does not know, and was only using data that others provided him for this specific purpose.
This is an important aspect of the game of basketball, and it should be fair game for engaging sports reporters to pursue.
How about it Alan Cutler, Jerry Tipton, Mark Story, Larry Vaught, Tom Leach, Doug Eads, or Larry Glover?
Submitted by Richard Cheeks
Copyright 2006
SugarHill Communications of Kentucky
All Rights Reserved