Reply To: Lehigh Starting 5 '13-'14 season

Forum Forum Lehigh Sports Lehigh Men’s Basketball Lehigh Starting 5 '13-'14 season Reply To: Lehigh Starting 5 '13-'14 season

#9984

lehigh90
Participant

I think over the last 15-20 seasons that NCAA basketball has become basically a 3 point shooting game.  (For that reason, I would like to see the 3 point line pushed back to NBA or near NBA distance)   Generally, as we saw last year with Lehigh, whoever shoots it best from 3, usually wins.  The key to the success of a team is how do you get those 3 point shots.  I can’t recall the coach exactly, but it is one of the big name guys in the NCAA this year, who charts, as his number one statistic, “paint touches”.  Not points scored in the paint, but how many “paint touches” did a team get per game.  The reason he charts “paint touches”, is because the statistics bear out, at least in his program, and apparently, most others, that “paint touch” possessions result in a FG percentage of about 58%, while non “paint touch” possessions yield about 31%.  The reasons, when you actually think about it, are obvious.  “Paint touches” lead to easy layups, dunks, finger rolls, hooks and short jumpers for post players, but they also lead to open shooters when the ball is kicked out from the paint to the perimeter.  With teams collapsing in the post, a lot of those outside shots become uncontested.  So, applying this to Lehigh, it is obvious that next year’s team looks pretty deep with shooters from distance.  MM, CS, SC, AD to a lesser extent, and incoming JC and AP, all look to be good perimeter shooters next season.  The key is going to be can we get those “paint touches” to score easy baskets and kick to shooters.  That is why I think TK is going to be the key to this team’s success.  I think, going into the season, he is going to be our only real post threat player.  At his size, he should be able to establish position in the post against, generally smaller, PL posts.  JG and CB don’t really have this skill, yet, and we are not sure about SW or JC posting.  I think back to this season and how often Lehigh found success with HG posting, even though he is only 6″7″.  You can get 3 point shots by passing the ball around the perimeter, but the far more effective way is from inside out, from post to shooter.  So, I am going to be closely following this next year.  May try to chart some games to see how it bears out.