There’s now a little separation for the top two in the race for the kPOY. Sullinger and Fredette are 1 and 2 for the second consecutive week but there’s some space between them and 3rd place. This week, for each player, I’d like to highlight the number of his made shots that have been assisted by a teammate. It can provide some insight on how a player scores. The fewer shots that are assisted, the more the player is scoring off the dribble (or on put-backs).
Read on for more details. Keep in mind that each school’s scorer has a different standard for an assist, and a different standard for the difference between a short 2 and a long 2 (especially at Purdue).
All values are listed as assisted baskets/made field goals.
(Standings through Sunday’s games. Assist data through Monday’s games.)
1. Jared Sullinger, Ohio St. (Rating of .516, last week: 1st)
Shots assisted: short 2’s…59/94 (.628), long 2’s…25/43 (.581), 3’s…2/2.
The Buckeyes often have three players on the floor with an assist rate of at least 20, and many of those dimes are going Sullinger’s way. This doesn’t make Sullinger any less of a man. Yes, he gets help from his teammates, but he uses that help very well.
2. Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young (.515, LW: 2nd)
Shots assisted: short 2’s…18/57 (.316), long 2’s…6/69 (.087), 3’s…33/72 (.458).
Point guards tend to have fewer assisted baskets because they have the ball in their hands a lot. Fredette’s mid-range game is almost entirely off the dribble, and his long-range involves an unusually high number of shots off the dribble as well.
3. Jordan Hamilton, Texas (.471, LW: 7th)
Shots assisted: short 2’s…12/40 (.300), long 2’s…16/53 (.302), 3’s…51/56 (.911).
Texas’s emergence as a hoops super-power has propelled America’s best point-forward up the kPOY standings. Hamilton is catch-and-shoot beyond the arc but much more dynamic inside it.
4. Terrence Jones, Kentucky (.468, LW: 3rd)
Shots assisted: short 2’s…22/68 (.324), long 2’s…10/38 (.263), 3’s…14/16 (.875).
Jones’ is a less than stellar offensive rebounder so many of those unassisted short 2’s are simply off the dribble. In a more disciplined version of the Calipari DDM, Jones is UK’s most versatile scorer.
5. Kemba Walker, Connecticut (.464, LW: 4th)
Shots assisted: short 2’s…13/57 (.228), long 2’s…20/64 (.312), 3’s…26/40 (.650).
Walker plays off the ball a fair amount, and these numbers are consistent with a hybrid guard.
6. Jon Leuer, Wisconsin (.462, LW: 5th)
Shots assisted: short 2’s…17/32 (.531), long 2’s…30/65 (.462), 3’s…38/41 (.927).
Leuer’s got some ball-handling ability and that comes out here. Even in an offense where dribbles are rare, Leuer has the freedom to create shots off it. Fun fact: Only Leuer and Jordan Taylor have made unassisted three-pointers for Wisconsin this season.
7. Nolan Smith, Duke (.457, LW: 8th)
Shots assisted: short 2’s…21/75 (.280), long 2’s… 4/44 (.091) 3’s…21/31 (.677).
Smith’s in Fredette territory inside the arc, but works off the pass more outside it.
8. JaJuan Johnson, Purdue (.449, LW: 6th)
Shots assisted: short 2’s…10/19 (.526), long 2’s…98/138 (.710), 3’s…10/10.
The official scorer at Purdue apparently has a complete inability to score a shot as a lay-up. That’s obvious if you compare the ratio of Johnson’s long 2’s to short 2’s to other players on this list. Regardless, in the top ten, nobody scores off the dribble less often.
9. Kawhi Leonard, San Diego St. (.403, LW: NR)
Shots assisted: short 2’s…19/44 (.432), long 2’s…13/57 (.228), 3’s…9/13 (.692).
Leonard’s the unusual combo of an above-average offensive rebounder and a scorer that relies on the dribble. Now if he’d just remove the three-point shot from his arsenal, he could move up this list. He made 21% of three-point attempts last season and he’s made 25% this season.
10. Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin (.385, LW: NR)
Shots assisted: short 2’s…10/34 (.294), long 2’s…5/37 (.135), 3’s…18/39 (.462).
I thought Taylor’s microscopic turnover rate was more about the system he plays in than his ability to handle the ball. In my mind, he was the Colt Brennan of college hoops. However, this data shows that he does put the ball on the floor and yet he’s on pace to be the first guy in my database to assist on at least a quarter of his team’s baskets with a turnover rate of less than 10% (normally reserved for spot-up shooters). And his shooting stats! Jordan Taylor, a player only tempo-free disciples could love.