Santa Clara Men's Basketball - We Need to Pull Rank

 

                                                                                                                      

If the Broncos are to salvage this season, we will need to pull some serious rank and if we don't, our season may end up being "rank."  

By pull rank, I mean we need to stop underperforming and significantly overperform our current team ranking and beat opponents ranked well ahead of us.  It's a tall order.  Our best hope is to play lights out in the WCC league regular season - think 2nd, and get the bye into the semifinals and then pull the ultimate rank and beat Gonzaga in the league tourney final.

NCAA analytics sites with rankings have their place, but can be inflated and biased due to placing higher values on power conference teams.  For example, our wins versus TCU and McNeese this season had them ranked inside the top 75.  No way they're that good.  Witness Stanford with a high ranking, who to whom we gave the game away, and then they go and lose to # 212 Cal Poly?  

The same principle applies to strength of schedule (SOS).  At 4-5 we have a SOS of # 47 in the country.  St. Mary's SOS is # 194 and USF # 289.  The key is they are winning games against teams they should beat.  We're not. 

It's all about how you're playing.  How consistent and good is your offense and defense.  Here's the data regarding the teams we must beat to get 2nd in the WCC. 

Rankings:

Gonzaga:      Offensive rate: 3   Defense: 14    Turnovers: 8   Three point Defense: 6

St. Mary's:    Offensive rate: 36   Defense: 91   Turnovers: 104   Three Point Defense: 151

USF:             Offensive rate:  64   Defense: 30   Turnovers: 250   Three point Defense: 111

Santa Clara: Offensive rate: 107  Defense: 108   Turnovers: 144   Three point Defense: 194

To give one relative perspective, Gonzaga is the # 4 ranked team in the NCAA, but they are the # 1 ranked combined overall offensive and defensive team   They score, don't turn it over, and defend well; all things that we struggle with.  Statistically, we are lagging in most all categories from last season albeit on a smaller sample size of nine games.  More notably our assists and free throw rates are down from last season as Bronco fans see the ball not moving, lots of dribbling, and what seems to be a three point from anyone, anywhere, at any time preference regardless of the shooter's three point shooting percentages.  

Starting tonight's game versus Fresno State, we hope to see this most experienced roster turn things around and get on track; not just trying the same things and expecting different results.  Start a four game win steak moving into league play and then "pull rank" on the WCC leaders and contend rather than lag back in 4th again.  

And that's something as fans and season ticket holders we can all pull for!