Tigers Take from the Cheap Seats

Reality is still setting in

As I finish my statistical review of the Tigers loss to Rice, the story told is not a pretty one.  The Memphis Tigers continue to slip into their new role as a mediocre team in a mediocre conference.  It’s a painful reality that will be hard to face but needs to be addressed and hopefully overcome.  After all, this team is still too talent to go down in flames never to rise from the ashes again.  So, here’s hoping for the old team to show up on Saturday against Wichita State.  As usual, if you hear a crazy man scream from the cheap seats, it will likely be me. GTG!!

Memphis lost because of all the following:

• TOs
• Terrible 3-pt shooting
• Poor 3-pt defense
• Poor ball movement
• Rebounding issues (giving up offensive boards)
• Not enough sharing the rock
• Just plain team funk (yeah, it’s a thing)

The rest of the data doesn’t look much better.  Probably the most telling data is how bad Memphis looks in all efficiency ratings even when compared to the very average AAC.

The most disturbing data point is that out of the 50 least efficient players in the AAC, seven Tigers are on the base list. This should be almost statistically impossible for a not long ago top 10 team.  Yet it is these inefficiencies that continue to cause the Tigers downward spiral.

The second most disturbing data point is that David Jones continues to struggle, not to score, but to be efficient on the court  and within the flow of the team.  This has led him to fall from the 28^th most efficient player to 38^th.  With his continue fall and Dandridge’s improvements, Dandridge now leads the team as the 20^th most efficient player in the AAC.  Yet without other players stepping up to improve their efficiencies within the team flow, Dandridge’s improvement will mean almost nothing for the team’s NCAA prospects.

Fortunately, Jones’ scoring still makes him one of the top in total and total adjusted efficiencies (1^st and 8^th respectively in the AAC).  But it’s the base efficiency is still my biggest concern.  Unfortunately, he is also not the only Tiger to have this particular mismatch in efficiency data.  While we have only three Tigers in the top 50 in base efficiency in the AAC, we have six in the top 50 in adjusted efficiency.

In the end, this data points to one thing and one thing only.  The Tigers play sloppy basketball with no true focus and attempt to win despite that problem with “hero” ball and forcing the action.  Hopefully at some point the team will realize that is all fool’s gold and that they will all be greater when in fact they choose strength together to make each other and the team stronger.  So again, here’s to hoping.

Here’s my data change list

Team stats

• Memphis is still in 9^th place in the AAC in assists per basket made.  Yep, it’s hero ball or no ball in Tiger land. 
• Tigers are 9^th in offensive base efficiency in the AAC
• Tigers are 8^th in defensive base efficiency in the AAC
• This leads to the Tigers being 7^th in base efficiency differential in the AAC
• But the Tigers are still 3^rd in offensive scoring efficiency in the AAC
• Yet 10^th in defensive scoring efficiency in the AAC (ouch)
• This leads to the Tigers being tied for 5^th in scoring efficiency differential

Individual stats

• In base efficiency
  • Dandridge leads the Tigers in the AAC standings (in 20^th place)
  • Jones is 38th (down from 28^th)
  • Jourdain is 45^th
• In total efficiency
  • Jones leads the Tigers in the AAC standings (1^st place)
  • Dandridge is 19^th (up from 24^th)
  • Tomlin is 28^th
  • Brown is 31^st
  • Quinerly is 40^th
• In total adjusted efficiency
  • Jones leads the Tigers in the AAC standings (8^th place)
  • Dandridge is 10^th
  • Tomlin is 20^th
  • Brown is 26^th
  • Jourdain is 26^th
  • Quinerly is 42^nd
• In Least Base Efficiency
  • Ashton Hardaway is the 3^rd least efficient player in the AAC
  • Jayden Hardaway is 17^th least
  • Pierre is 37^th
  • Walton 41^st
  • Young 42^nd
  • Brown 43^rd
  • Tomlin 44^th
• In Least Total Efficiency
  • Jayden Hardaway is the 6^th least efficient player in the AAC
  • Ashton Hardaway is 9^th
  • Pierre is 12^th
  • Young is 18^th
  • Walton is 40^th
• In Least Total Adjusted Efficiency
  • Pierre is the 3^rd least efficient player in the AAC
  • Ashton Hardaway is 5^th
  • Jayden Hardaway is 10^th
  • Young is 34^th
  • Walton is 35^th