Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: Revisiting the NIT

by Ray Floriani

NEW YORK CITY - The last time out we looked at the Duke-UCONN final. Now a look back on the earlier games in the Pre-Season NIT . Three games , each with different and interesting statistical insight.

Semifinals:  UConn 81     LSU 55
The first matchup in the Pre-Season NIT ‘final four’ turned out a one sided rout. UConn dictated a relentless pace. The Huskies finished with 69 possessions. UConn had 37 possessions at the half and the final total was under 70 only because, with the outcome decided in the last seven minutes, they began using more clock.

	Eff.
UConn	117
LSU	82

Among the four factors UConn enjoyed a 46-32 edge in offensive rebounding percentage rate. Interestingly, both teams had excellent turnover rates:

	TO%
UConn	17
LSU	18

A statistic that jumped off the sheet was UConn’s 13 blocked shot. The Huskies came into the game blocking 15% of their opponents’ attempts. On this night they rejected 21% of LSU’s 63 attempts. That rate was a major factor behind the Tigers’ 38% eFG PCT. Gavin Edwards led the way with 4 blocks while Stanley Robinson added 3. Kemba Walker and Jerome Dyson of UConn shared scoring honors with 20 points each.

Duke 64     Arizona State 53
Arizona State did a good job dictating tempo in a 65 possession contest. In the end it was signature Duke defense that made the difference.

	Eff.
Duke	97
ASU	83

In a sign of things to come (in the championship) Duke enjoyed an offensive rebounding percentage edge of 35-28. Both teams were "over the limit" regarding turnover rates with Arizona State 23% and Duke checking in at 21%.

Ball movement, crisp cuts and open opportunities were reflected in the percentage of assisted field goals.

	Ast%
Duke	56
ASU	33

Kind of a surprise. Not on Duke’s end but for ASU. Under Herb Sendek the Sun Devils run a lot of variations of the Princeton offense so one would expect more passing, backdoor opportunities and a greater percentage of their field goals to be assisted. The fact there were few bodes well for the Duke D.

Jon Scheyer of Duke led all scorers with 16 points.

Consolation: Arizona State 71     LSU 52
A game that was simply a "tale of two halves". What the Dickens went on? Fresh off the UConn drubbing, LSU came out strong, enjoyed a nine point lead with five minutes remaining in the half and took a 7 point lead into intermission.

At the half:

	Score	Poss.	Eff.
LSU	34	26	131
ASU	27	26	104

The second half saw a meltdown of epic proportion for the Tigers. Once ASU took the lead the life seemed to be gone from LSU(5 second half field goals). They stood around at times on offense and failed to get good player and/or ball movement against the Sun Devil zone. The defense, virtually non- existent as ASU shot 15 of 22 (68%) the second half.

Second Half Totals :

	Score	Poss.	Eff.
LSU	18	31	58
ASU	44	30	147

As bad as LSU was, Arizona Sate was good. The game totals.

	Poss.	Eff.
LSU	57	91
ASU	57	125

ASU’s Derek Glasser led the way with 24 points. Not a bad trip to New York and start (5-1) for an Arizona state team that many worried could survive minus James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph. For LSU, they did play without point guard Bo Spencer who injured his ankle near the end of the UCONN game. Spencer though, is more a shoot first (2 of 14 from the floor VS UConn 2 assists 3 TO) type guard. Spencer’s absence hurt but doesn’t explain that twenty minute breakdown on offense, and more important, defense.

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: Breaking Down Duke vs UConn

by Ray Floriani

NEW YORK CITY - This one needs special mention. It was a game not really as close as the final score indicates. Yet it was one that UConn had to a three possession affair in the waning minutes. In a hard fought game where "made shots were not easy to come by," per coach Mike Krzyzewski, his Duke Blue Devils defeated UCONN 68-59 to capture the Pre-Season NIT. The four factors...

				FTA
	Poss.	Eff.	eFG%	FGA	OReb%	TO%
Duke	73	93	32	27	46	16
UConn	74	80	37	26	31	22

Among the four factors the figure that jumps off the page is offensive rebounding percentage. Duke owned the offensive bards, extended possessions and offset their 32% eFG mark. Duke enjoyed a 56-43 rebounding edge and a 25-14 edge on the offensive glass.

Of added significance
By intermission the Blue Devils already had their defensive stamp on the contest:

	Score	Poss.	Eff.
Duke	37	39	95
UConn	28	40	70

The second half , Duke shot 28% (8 of 29). In addition they had one field goal (a Jon Scheyer 15 foot jumper) the final 12 minutes. Teams chart possessions on the bench. UCONN coach Jim Calhoun noted there was one point in the second half Duke scored once in ten possessions, yet the Huskies could not take advantage and seize the opportunity. UConn did not hit a three pointer. They were 0 for 4 but that was not a huge concern in Calhoun’s estimation because they opted to penetrate and attack the rim. Duke was 6 of 18 from beyond the arc. Virtually overlooked was Duke’s excellent turnover rate against an opponent whose defensive press was a major concern. In a game where lane penetration was not for the faint of heart, four players fouled out, two from each team. Duke’s Jon Scheyer (tournament MVP) led all scorers with 19 points. Nolan Smith added 16 for Duke. Jerome Dyson paced UConn with 15. Lance Thomas (5) and Brian Zoubek (7) did appreciable damage with those totals un the offensive boards. The game featured two hall of fame coaches with a combined five national championships and over 1600 wins.

"We held them to 28% shooting and they scored eight field goals the second half and we lost. I can’t remember something like that happening to us." - Jim Calhoun

"We are pleased and feel privileged to win the Pre-Season NIT. Especially with the Carlesimo name engraved on the championship trophy." - Mike Krzyzewski

* Next up a run down of tendencies from the three prior games from the Pre-Season NIT.

La Salle Post Game -- Home for the Holidays

Extended Celebrations
A scant 30 minutes after the Wildcat football team vanquished the Cursaders of Holy Cross, 38-28, to move to the quarter final round of the FCS Division Championship, their roundball counterparts tipped off the second leg of their 2010 Big 5 slate. About 2 hours later they too officially vanquished their opponents, the Explorers of La Salle University, 81-63, to run their Big 5 record to 2-0, and their season record to 6-0. On a weekend when the campus student population was depleted, at home no doubt, giving thanks for family and blessings, the men's D1 teams were giving thanks for victories won and thinking no doubt, of games yet to play.

The intrepid bloggers who follow Villanova basketball have begun to post their game stories, largely of the "quick recap" variety. Mike over at VUhoops.com filed a 3 paragraph game summary that noted the win was the team's 30th consecutive at the Pavilion. Brian over at IBBW blog filed a set of Brief Post Game Notes which included some 3 point shooting stats, a kudo to Reynolds and Pena as the the Wildcats' high scorers (and a nod to Explorer forward Jerrell Williams who had a monster day on the boards for the city school), along with a note that Taylor King was benched in the 1st half for blowing a rebounding assignment. True this was not a good day for the Cats' front court, but King was benched when he picked up his 2nd foul of the 1st half. David over at Villanovan Sports Blog posted a game recap also. He noted the high scorers, the Explorer's significant rebounding margin and Villanova's significant turnover margin. The official website carries the usual AP wire story, quotes from the post game press conference and the box score. The breakdown by halves.

Opponent	La Salle
	1st	2nd	Game
Pace	38.4	37.3	75.7
	Offense				Defense
Rating	99.1	115.3	107.1		78.2	88.5	83.3
eFG%	42.9	50.0	46.7		54.5	25.7	36.4
TORate	26.1	10.7	18.5		49.5	21.5	35.7
OR%	44.4	30.0	36.8		56.3	58.1	57.4
FTA/FGA	60.7	43.8	51.7		63.6	62.2	62.7
FTM/FGA	50.0	34.4	41.7		27.3	37.8	33.9
ARate	54.5	78.6	68.0		50.0	44.4	47.6
Blk%	3.6	9.4	6.7		0.0	18.9	11.9
Stl%	13.1	5.5	9.4		28.5	18.5	23.5
PPWS	1.05	1.11	1.08		1.05	0.69	0.82
2FG%	60.0	47.6	52.8		63.2	26.7	40.8
3FG%	15.4	36.4	25.0		0.0	14.3	10.0
FT%	82.4	78.6	80.6		42.9	60.9	54.1
%2FG	47.4	46.5	46.9		80.0	48.5	63.5
%3FG	15.8	27.9	22.2		0.0	9.1	4.8
%FT	36.8	25.6	30.9		20.0	42.4	31.7

You Can't Convert What You Don't Have
Dean Oliver and Ken Pomeroy have written about the "Four Factors" on numerous occasions. Both identify field goal efficiency (eFG%) as the determinant element in a team's profile. Hmmm, you are thinking, hardly a revelation, but when combined with the influence of the other three factors (turnover rate, offensive rebounding percentage and free throw efficiency, identified at TORate, OR% and FTA/FGA respectively in the table above), along with pace (the number of possessions the team gets during the game), can often sketch out a unique "profile", offensively and defensively, of any team in high school or college (or the NBA for that matter...) basketball. Consider the orange highlighted numbers above, all from La Salle's offense (and Villanova's defense). The Explorers went into the locker room at the half down by 8 despite a very respectable field goal conversion rate (eFG%) and domination underneath their basket. Why? The Explorers lost about half (49.5%) of their possessions. Had they lost a still terrible 24.7% of their possessions in the 1st half, all other numbers constant, they would have gone into the locker room with an 8 point lead. A 78.2 efficiency rating would have jumped to a 124.0 rating. The Explorers did cut down on turnovers significanctly in the 2nd half -- note the decline from 49.5 to 21.5 in the table. Their decline in field goal efficiency (54.5 down to 25.7) however, affirms the original point, efficient conversion of field goal attempts is the dominant factor. The Explorers did raise their rating, from 78.2 to 88.2, but they were unable to cut into, much less reverse, the Wildcat lead...defense counts too.

Notes & Observations
1. Mark the day & team, because this was Dominic Cheek's first double digit scoring day as a Wildcat. There will be many, many more as the freshman off guard scored 10 points on 3-6 (0-2, 3-4) and 4-5 shooting. The freshman also grabbed 2 offensive rebounds, had 1 assist along with 2 turnovers and a steal in 23 minutes. Congratulations Dominic!
2. Scottie Reynolds scored 14 points on 5-13 (2-8, 3-5) and 2-2 shooting. With his points today Scottie passed the 1,700 points mark. He passed Curt Sumpter (and Paul Arizin) to take the #12 spot on Villanova's All-time scorers list during the Tip Off Classic last week. Scottie has also accumulated 18 more assists though 6 games this season. He has at 392 career assists, 1 less than Whitey Rigsby, #14 on Villanova's All-time list. Expect Reynolds to pass Rigsby in the Drexel game on Wednesday. Scottie also has 8 more steals this season, giving him 164 total for his career. He passed Dante Cunningham today to take #11 on the list. Expect him to overtake Stewart Granger for #10 in the St. Joseph's game. While Kerry Kittles, Ed Pinckney and Randy Foye are ranked in Villanova's all-time top 10 for steals and points, no player is ranked in the top 10 on the assist, steal and points scored list. If Reynolds stays on pace, he should finish the season among the best 10 on all 3 lists.
3. With 14 points scored, Antonio Pena tied Scottie Reynolds for team-high points. In a season for firsts for Antonio, this is the first time he has scored the team-high in his career.
4. The Villanova front court rotation (Pena, King, Armwood, Sutton and Stokes) were outrebounded badly by their La Salle counterparts (Aric Murray, Jerrell Williams, Terrell Williams and Yves Mekongo) (10-13) 23 to (25-15) 40. Not a good day for the Wildcats.

Ref Notes
Familiar face (to the Nova Nation, if not much of the Big East) John Cahill worked Karl Hess and Mike Roberts on the game. This is a veteran crew whose members (as individuals) worked 14 Villanova games last season (10-4), though today was the first Villanova game for each of them in the 2010 season. The crew whistled the teams for 46 fouls total, giving the squads a collective 68 free throw attempts. That is not the highest total this season (that distinction belongs to the Oglesby/Pollard/Randall team that worked the Mason game), but Cahill & Co. came close. They are now #2 this season.

Roster Notes
1. Freshman Mouphtaou Yarou continues to be evaluated by the coaching & medical staff. He, according to multiple sources, participated in some warmup drills with the team, but dressed in street clothes and sat on the bench for the game. Medical tests, due early next week, should provide guidance to the doctors to determine if he can rejoin the team.
2. According to the Villanovan Sports Blog, senior walk-on guard Jason Colenda has left the team to concentrate on finishing his degree work this year. Best of luck to Jason.
3. Junior bfc Antonio Pena, the starter for all 5 of Villanova's games this season, was benched for an undisclosed violation of team rules. Pena subbed in for Taylor King at the 17 minute mark of the 1st half and scored 14 points, snagged 8 rebounds while recording a block and 3 steals in 33 minutes of play.

Roster Moves -- Discipline?

I came across this piece from Gary Parrish over at CBSSports.com. Ebanks has not played in any of West Virginia's games this season, the subject, according to Parrish, of a disciplinary move by head coach Bob Huggins. The staff (ie Huggins) will not disclose the reason for Ebank's benching nor the length of time his punishment will run. According to Parrish, Ebanks' punishment will end...when the coach feels he is needed. The Mountaineers are playing in the 76 Classic, an early season invitational tournament held in Anaheim, CA. The field includes West Virginia, Long Beach State, Clemson, Texas A&M, Butler, UCLA, Minnesota and Portland. With Clemson, Butler, UCLA and Long Beach State (complements of the 'Eers) having lost in the 1st round, Ebanks was brought in to play 30 minutes in WVU's 2nd round game versus Texas A&M. Ebanks scored 12 points and dished 4 assists as West Virginia won 73-66.

Puerto Rico Tip Off -- What We Learned

PR Packing List...Sneakers? Check. Unis? Check. Basketballs? Check. Defense? Check. Offense? Offense?
I managed to catch the final of the Puerto Rico Tip Off on Sunday, the third time this season I have been able to catch a Villanova game. The competition, Mississippi, a more talented and athletic squad than the first two I saw (FDU and Penn), gave the Wildcats a more competitive game. I wanted to see the 'Cats play without Mouphtaou in the paint. I had broken down the box scores from the first two rounds and, absent Yarou, the numbers were not what I expected. The Villanova team that went to Philadelphia International was an offensive juggernaut, able to score outside and inside with ease. The defense was terrific, coming along well, but the squad's calling card was an offensive assault that threatened to score from (literally) anywhere on the court. The staff has an array of scorers who can pass it inside to the low post where any one of three players can finish, quick guards who can scrape by a high post screen and take it down the lane themselves, or a couple of artillery spotters whose range runs from the locker room door in. If Scottie's motor was still warming up, there were nine other players in the rotation who seemed not at all shy about taking the shot, and more often than not, able to finish the play.

According to KenPom & Oliver...
I compiled a "four factors" look at the field, as they performed in Puerto Rico. The data is sorted by won-loss record and then by efficiency difference (Defensive Rating subtracted from Offensive Rating).

		Offense					Defense					Eff.
	Pace	Rtg.	eFG%	TO%	OR%	FTR	Rtg.	eFG%	TO%	OR%	FTR	Diff.
Villanova	75.7	96.5	43.2	23.1	39.8	54.7	88.5	45.1	24.0	24.3	48.8	8.0
Geo Tech	69.7	102.1	53.6	26.4	43.4	53.1	91.7	44.2	21.6	29.3	31.6	10.4
Mississippi	78.7	103.6	54.2	23.9	32.8	39.9	95.2	44.7	22.9	39.4	40.9	8.4
Kansas St.	71.7	110.0	51.0	19.9	40.4	72.0	107.5	53.1	21.4	31.0	52.7	2.5
Geo Mason	70.7	93.8	44.3	21.2	29.3	48.1	96.6	44.3	23.5	41.5	66.1	-2.8
Dayton	70.3	96.0	50.7	25.7	31.3	37.1	100.5	49.6	26.2	43.6	59.4	-4.5
Boston U.	72.7	95.1	39.7	19.1	29.4	58.2	106.5	52.3	18.3	31.1	55.9	-11.4
Indiana	75.3	90.2	43.1	21.5	31.9	42.5	100.8	46.5	22.9	38.2	50.2	-10.6
Average	73.1	98.4	47.5	22.6	34.8	50.7	98.4	47.5	22.6	34.8	50.7
Std Dev	3.0	6.0	5.2	2.5	5.2	10.6	6.2	3.4	2.1	6.4	10.0

For those curious about the stats used, check Ken Pomeroy's explanation. Since no team played even ½ of the field, and given early hour of the season, I am reluctant to use the weekend results to draw broad conclusions about what will happen in March (or February, or January, or...), but as a closed system & a twelve game sample played over a long weekend, I did find a few of the numbers and outcomes interesting.

Appearances Can Be Deceiving
Looking over the brackets when they were first announced, I thought Villanova's seed and draw looked a lot like the fuzzy end of a lollipop. George Mason is from the CAA, but the Patriots seemed to be a more difficult first round draw than Boston University, or even Indiana. Facing either Georgia Tech or Dayton in the 2nd round (win or lose) seemed to offer no reward for an upset in the other pairing. The opposite bracket teams however ended up with a better cumulative record (5-4 vs 4-5), Villanova's sweep, and Indiana's skid aside. The brackets split their 3rd round, crossover games(Villanova & Georgia Tech won, Dayton & Mason lost). Through the first two games of the season and a somewhat similar set of circumstances in 2008 (back court then instead of front court), it seemed Villanova had a scoring machine with certain defensive question marks. For those watching the games and breaking down the box scores though, the conclusion for this weekend is quite the opposite. Villanova took this tournament on the back of it's defense.

Virtually all four areas of Villanova's defense showed up last weekend. The Wildcats put up some very good shot defense numbers (eFG% under defense above) -- 3rd among the 8 teams and below the average for the tournament. Villanova forced turnovers (ranked 2nd in the field) while controlling the defensive boards. Their defensive rebounding was best in the field, and well above the average of the field. They did a credible job keeping their opponenets off of the free throw line, posting below the average numbers for free throw attempts per field goal attempts even as they were ranked 3rd in the field in that category. If the Wildcats did not win their George Mason game until their last possession, the Patriots had their worst rebounding day -- on both ends of the floor -- in 2010. Dayton may have been down 2 with less than 2 minutes to go, but the Flyers posted their worst shot conversion efficiency numbers of the tournament. And their rebounding, at both ends of the floor, was the also a team worst for the tournament -- by a large (7 - 10 points) margin. For Mississippi the story was much the same. The Rebs posted their worst turnover, shot conversion and offensive rebounding percentages of the tournament, indeed of the season.

Observations & Gross Generalizations
1. Georgia Tech's numbers coming out of the tournament are impressive, until you realize they posted 2/3s of those totals against George Mason and Boston University. The gaudiest of their numbers came compliments of a 22 point blowout of a Boston University team that was severely shot-challenged in that game. The Terrier's eFG% was 39.5, even as their offensive rebounding rate (OR%) was 21.8%, a very low rate indeed. Against the only experienced front court team they faced in the tournament, the Jackets' offensive only yielded 0.87 points per possession, despite strong offensive rebounding.
2. For newly minted head coach Pat Chambers and his Boston University squad, the tournament, despite the 1-2 finish, had some positive points. The Terriers dropped their opener to Kansas State by a respectable 10 points and beat high-major Indiana before being blown out (85-67) by Georgia Tech in the 5th place game. The Terriers are one of 3 teams expected to fight it out for the American East Conference bid to the NCAAs, and this tournament experience can only help.
3. Dayton has a lot of work to do, despite the lofty preseason reviews. The Flyers were a top 30 offensive rebounding and a top 75 defensive rebounding team last season, but were ineffective on the defensive boards in all three Puerto Rico games, and limited offensively in 2 of their 3 games. Dayton's defensive efficiency declined game-by-game through each round of the tournament, a troubling sign for Coach Gregory.
4. Indiana has a long way to go, despite strides by Coach Tom Crean in the off season. Crean is Indiana's 3rd head coach since Bob Knight's departure in 2000, each coaching turnover brings turmoil and distractions to the legendary program. While the Hoosiers were competitive their 2nd and 3rd round losses to Boston University (by 4 points) and George Mason (by 3 points), their 1st round blowout at the hands of Mississippi (18 points) suggests Coach Crean may have to recruit yet another outstanding class before the Hoosiers will have enough talent to turn the corner. This is supposed to be an up season for the Big Ten, so improvements may be unrecognized when the team record remains unchanged or only modestly changed from 2009.
5. The pace for the Villanova-Mississippi, at 85 possessions, was ridiculously high, exhibition-season high. Villanova has been playing games in the low-mid 70s, while the Rebels have been mid 70s into the low 80s. The game then, was played at Mississippi's pace. The Wildcats posted their best defensive "four factors" numbers of the tournament in that last game, especially heartening given Yarou's non-participation and uncertain medical status going forward. Despite having an incomplete rotation, and dealing with last minutes personnel changes, the squad responded well through the three games.

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: NJIT Notches #2

by Ray Floriani

NEWARK, NJ – That’s two in the books and it’s not even December. NJIT earned its second win of the season with a thrilling 56-51 decision over Wagner at the Fleischer Athletic Center.

A 72 Possession Contest:

	Off.
	Eff.
Wagner	71
NJIT	78

The four factors...

	eFG%	FTA/FGA	OReb%	TO%
Wagner	33	16	32	24
NJIT	37	27	29	24

The factors are very close with a noticeable difference being free throw production and eFG in NJIT’s favor. Highlander coach Jim Engles stressed in pre-game to contest the perimeter, even if it meant sacrificing something in the paint. Wagner’s Michael Orock (22 pts 14 rebounds) was effective inside but the Seahawks of the NEC could manage only 3 of 22 (14%) from beyond the arc.

The turnover rate was high for NJIT but not a difference as Wagner had similar problems in that category. Actually the turnovers, a consistently sore spot for the Highlanders last year, have been cut down. Through the first 3 games the NJIT TO rate was 16%. The 17 turnovers committed by NJIT on this night were not a huge concern for Engles. Simply it was a hard fought game where, "nothing came easy for anyone..." per Wagner coach Mike Deane.

The talent upgrade is very evident at NJIT. Last year’s point guard, 6-4 sophomore Isaiah Wilkerson is at his more ‘natural’ four spot. He paced NJIT with 17 points 13 boards.

"This was the type game we had a number of times late last season and couldn’t finish…Now we can go out on the court in a game like this and know we have a chance." – NJIT coach Jim Engles.

"We have to get better offensively. We are a young team and even our seniors are young experience wise and in terms of knowing their roles." - Wagner coach Mike Deane

Mississippi Post Game: Jay Wright's Flying Circus

Once Upon a Time in San Juan...
On a night when the Wildcat offense (again) did not get going until late, the defense showed up and smothered the Rebels enough to put the Wildcats back in the game. Recaps are available elsewhere, but for those interested in the numbers, there is no better place to look than the Wildcat's home. For those who prefer quick hits, try Mike Sheridan's game notes; they are a great way to get key information and statistics without wading through the paragraphs. The Wildcats were locked up in a nip & tuck stuggle (+- 5 points) with the Rebels until the 14:13 mark of the 2nd half. The 'Cats began to break it open, slowly (and that's about the only place in this analysis I can use that word...), opening their lead out to double digits (on a j by Corey Stokes) at about the 7 minute mark. The 'Cats managed to maintain the margin for another 9 possesions (per team), when a pair of 3s by Chris warren and 2 free throws by Reggie Buckner brought the Rebs to within 9 points, 63-72. The Rebels however, had about 94 seconds in which to work, and fouling Villanova, a team that is converting at a 70.5% clip right now, is not a winning strategy. Villanova pulled away again, pushing the margin out to 12 as time expired.

The breakdown by halves...

Opponent	Mississippi
	1st	2nd	Game
Pace	39.8	43.6	83.4
	Offense				Defense
Rating	67.8	119.3	94.7		57.8	101.0	80.3
eFG%	36.4	53.1	44.6		33.3	51.4	43.7
TORate	35.2	18.4	26.4		32.6	22.9	27.6
OR%	34.8	50.0	41.5		26.1	26.1	26.1
FTA/FGA	12.1	71.9	41.5		37.0	30.6	33.3
FTM/FGA	9.1	56.3	32.3		18.5	19.4	19.0
ARate	27.3	31.3	29.6		37.5	43.8	41.7
Blk%	9.1	9.4	9.2		3.7	13.9	9.5
Stl%	17.1	4.8	10.9		7.7	6.6	7.1
PPWS	0.77	1.21	1.02		0.72	1.07	0.92
2FG%	39.1	53.8	46.9		33.3	45.8	40.5
3FG%	20.0	33.3	25.0		22.2	41.7	33.3
FT%	75.0	78.3	77.8		50.0	63.6	57.1
%2FG	66.7	53.8	58.2		52.2	50.0	50.7
%3FG	22.2	11.5	15.2		26.1	34.1	31.3
%FT	11.1	34.6	26.6		21.7	15.9	17.9

The 2nd half offensive explosion was fueled by each of Oliver's four factors (see green highlighted stats under Offense above). The 'Cats converted their 2 point attempts at a much higher rate, marginally improved their 3 point conversion rate, took care of the ball (reduced their turnover rate), took full possession of the boards (both ends, but I am talking about offensive boards right now) and did a much better job getting to the charity stripe (end-game fouling fluffed those numbers a bit). The offensive efficiency that was lacking for the first two games on the island showed up, just a little late. Reynolds and Stokes accounted for 100% of the 3FGMs while taking 56.3% of the 3FGAs. Collectively they converted their 3FGAs at a 44.4% rate. Stokes in particular, had a very good night, logging a 1.65 PPWS (82.5 True Shot) to go with his 66.7% eFG%.

The defensive efficiency slipped, half-over-half, but note the 1st half defensive efficiency, 57.8 is ridiculously low (see orange highlight above), there is no reason to expect that the 'Cats could limit the Rebs to a half a point per possession for an entire game, and the only number that slipped into the mediocre range was field goal defense (eFG% under defense, note the red highlight).

Notes & Observations
1. Antonio Pena logged his 3rd double-double of the 5 game-old season as he scored (a personal best of the season) 17 points while securing 16 (6-10-16) rebounds. His 6 offensive rebounds are especially impressive, as he posted a ?% offensive rebounding rate for the game. Pena missed a double-double in Villanova's opener against Fairleigh Dickinson by a single point. He is averaging a double-double (12.2 ppg, 11.0 rpg) so far.
2. Villanova defense is well ahead of Villanova offense this season, something of a surprise frankly. The 'Cats have held their opponents to < 1.0 points per possession (ppp) in every game this season. They have held opponents to < 0.90 ppp in 3 of their 5 games so far. I will post more on the tournament shortly, with additional numbers.
3. In the absence of Mouphtaou Yarou, Maurice Sutton has stepped in to start 2 games and play 55.8% of the minutes at the #5. Sutton's line includes 11 points on 4-8, 3-5 shooting. He has grabbed 17 (7-10-17) rebounds while dishing 1 assist and committing 7 turnovers with 4 blocked shots.
4. 3 point shooting in the Mississippi game aside, Taylor King put together a very impressive effort. Despite going 0-4 from beyond the arc, King scored 9 points on 3-9 (0-4, 3-5) and 3-4 shooting. For the 2nd consecutive game King missed his 1st collegiate double-double by 1 -- in this game it was a point; in the Dayton game it was a rebound. King also dished 1 assist, committed 2 turnovers and had 2 steals in 29 minutes of play. For the tournament King secured 24 rebounds while scoring 31 points in the 3 games.
5. For the 3rd consecutive year Villanova has played in the championship game of their early season invitational, and for the 2nd consecutive season they have won that game. Congratulations Wildcats!

Ref Notes
Terry Moore, Gerry Pollard and Kelly Self ran the game, the 2nd Villanova tournament game for Pollard who also refereed the George Mason whistle-fest. The game was well within the standard deviation for fouls called, on both Villanova and their opponent. Self is a new face to the Nova Nation. He has refereed for 14+ seasons, mostly in the CUSA and Big 12 conferences. From the stats over at StatSheet.com, Self appears to be more a "let 'em play" type zebra. Gerry Pollard is also a new face to Wildcat fans. Pollard refs out of the Missouri Valley and Big 12 conferences.