Let's have a look at a few statistically important categories for any team, college or pro. As you will see, one player jumps off the stat sheet.
THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE: The threshold is 30%. If you're not hitting 30%, you're hurting the team. In this category we are doing fine; everybody is over 30% except for Josh Bannan. He's shooting a dismal two for 19. I'd say, Josh, stop shooting three's! Meantime, Cameron Parker is hitting 50% (but on only 14 attempts) while the star here is Josh Vazquez, hitting 17 of 35 for 48.5%. That is a terrific stat. I hope he always has the green light.
ASSISTS: Parker is living up to his reputation, leading the team with 44 assists. But at the same time he's committed 28 turnovers, leaving an assist to turnover ratio of 1.57 to one. This is not good. You want your point guard to be at thee or better; and the leaders among NCAA point guards are up there at six. So while Parker is a clever passer, he too often leaps into the air before knowing where the pass is going. Elsewhere, Robbie Beasely is excellent at 3.5, though on only seven assists, while Brandon Whitney, with 22 assists but 21 turnovers, is not putting up good numbers. The team's best? You guessed it: Josh Vazquez, right at three, with 21 assists and only seven turnovers. One other note: Bannan and Steadman are struggling in this category, each with 24 turnovers, more than any of our point guards. On that many turnovers, Steadman has handed out only three assists, and Bannan 12. Not good.
FREE-THROW PERCENTAGE: Gold starts all around. We are now 12th in the country by percentage at 78.9% (The Bobcats rank high here too, at 26th in the country.) The worst of the regulars is Steadman at just over 68%, which is not super-horrible. The best? Ah, once again, Josh Vazquez, shooting a Steph Curry-like 93%. A bow here to Bannan as well, shooting at 83%--very good. The worst on the team? I say Mack Anderson, though he's really not had enough attempts to qualify. Still, five of nine puts you in Clunkerville, where that population shoots 50%.
VALEDICTORIAN: Josh Vazquez. Little wonder the Arizona announcers were so complimentary of his game. The stats prove it.
HONOR SOCIETY: Kyle Owens, our leading scorer and rebounder and excellent free-throw shooter at 79%. Josh Bannan, second leading rebounder and excellent free-throw shooter. Eddie Egun, shooting over 40% from three and a thousand percent from the free throw line (though both on limited attempts) and rebounding well (two per eleven minutes) from the guard line.
THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE: The threshold is 30%. If you're not hitting 30%, you're hurting the team. In this category we are doing fine; everybody is over 30% except for Josh Bannan. He's shooting a dismal two for 19. I'd say, Josh, stop shooting three's! Meantime, Cameron Parker is hitting 50% (but on only 14 attempts) while the star here is Josh Vazquez, hitting 17 of 35 for 48.5%. That is a terrific stat. I hope he always has the green light.
ASSISTS: Parker is living up to his reputation, leading the team with 44 assists. But at the same time he's committed 28 turnovers, leaving an assist to turnover ratio of 1.57 to one. This is not good. You want your point guard to be at thee or better; and the leaders among NCAA point guards are up there at six. So while Parker is a clever passer, he too often leaps into the air before knowing where the pass is going. Elsewhere, Robbie Beasely is excellent at 3.5, though on only seven assists, while Brandon Whitney, with 22 assists but 21 turnovers, is not putting up good numbers. The team's best? You guessed it: Josh Vazquez, right at three, with 21 assists and only seven turnovers. One other note: Bannan and Steadman are struggling in this category, each with 24 turnovers, more than any of our point guards. On that many turnovers, Steadman has handed out only three assists, and Bannan 12. Not good.
FREE-THROW PERCENTAGE: Gold starts all around. We are now 12th in the country by percentage at 78.9% (The Bobcats rank high here too, at 26th in the country.) The worst of the regulars is Steadman at just over 68%, which is not super-horrible. The best? Ah, once again, Josh Vazquez, shooting a Steph Curry-like 93%. A bow here to Bannan as well, shooting at 83%--very good. The worst on the team? I say Mack Anderson, though he's really not had enough attempts to qualify. Still, five of nine puts you in Clunkerville, where that population shoots 50%.
VALEDICTORIAN: Josh Vazquez. Little wonder the Arizona announcers were so complimentary of his game. The stats prove it.
HONOR SOCIETY: Kyle Owens, our leading scorer and rebounder and excellent free-throw shooter at 79%. Josh Bannan, second leading rebounder and excellent free-throw shooter. Eddie Egun, shooting over 40% from three and a thousand percent from the free throw line (though both on limited attempts) and rebounding well (two per eleven minutes) from the guard line.