HARVARDDADGRAD
Postdoc
Posts: 2692
Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
|
11-22-17 12:34 PM - Post#237335
In response to HARVARDDADGRAD
Harvard has now played 3 close games that were all one possession games with Harvard possessing the ball in the closing seconds. To me, the telling stat is that Harvard has shot 29.2% from three on the season. This is far from trivial as Harvard shot 29 three's against Holy Cross (8 makes) and 30 (9 makes) against Manhattan.
Returning players on this 2017-18 roster shot three's at at 37.3% rate last season. Freshmen Djuricic and Haskett are supposedly great and good from long range. Mathematically, average shooting on just three point shots could have provided Harvard with roughly 8 more points in each game.
Certainly, winning close games against teams ranked 227 and 257 in Kenpom is not impressive. However, both games were on the road and this is a very young team early in its season. Corey Johnson (a Junior) is the only upperclassman to see the court. Freshmen and Sophomores have played 90% of the minutes thus far, scoring 92% of points, grabbing 93% of the rebounds, and handing out 93% of the assists. Egi and McCarthy should be back, but I've gotta believe that Harvard plays close to the youngest lineup in all of college basketball - especially for non-'one and done' programs.
Would certainly feel better heading into the St. Mary's 4-0, but maybe the law of averages can start working in our favor - on national TV on Thanksgiving!
Go Crimson!
|
