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As the Cougar hoopsters prepare to embark on their second West Coast Conference road trip (to Loyola Marymount on Thursday night), Dave Rose's team remains statistically sound and on pace for another for another 25-win season.
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BYU's 12-4 slate is currently without any marquee wins, but that is one of the few voids for a squad ranking among the country's most potent and productive. Rose's teams historically stand as one of the top offensive units in college basketball, and this season is no different.
BYU's Ranking in National Statistical Categories (NCAA Stats as of 1/1/12; *indicates stats from kenpom.com)
| Category | Rank | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring Offense | 16th | 80.3 ppg |
| Scoring Margin | 17th | 16.2 ppg |
| FG% | 19th | 48.9% |
| 3PFG% | 37th | 38.8% |
| Assists | 5th | 18.6 apg |
| Assist/Turnover Ratio | 20th | 1.34 |
| Offensive Efficiency* | 20th | 112.3 rtg |
| Defensive Efficiency* | 32nd | 90.8 rtg |
| Tempo* | 12th | 72.7 poss/game |
| Effective FG%* | 12th | 55.7% |
| 2PFG%* | 30th | 53.0% |
| 3PFG%* | 14th | 40.6% |
| Turnover %* | 54th | 18.6 |
| Assists/FGM* | 15th | 64.1% |
(Note: stats from kenpom.com factor only games versus Division 1 competition)
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The West Coast Conference is ranked 11th by both Ken Pomeroy and Jeff Sagarin, and is currently 10th in Jerry Palm RPI.
The top three teams in the WCC, however, compare more than favorably to the top three teams in the other two top-tier western conferences--the Mountain West and Pac-12. By the following metrics, the WCC, while top-heavy, has the best- rated top third among the "Big Three" western leagues:
Top Three Teams in the WCC
| Team | Pomeroy Ranking | Sagarin Ranking | Palm RPI | Total Ranking Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzaga | 21 | 21 | 6 | 48 |
| St. Mary's | 15 | 16 | 25 | 56 |
| BYU | 18 | 33 | 63 | 114 |
Top Three Teams in the MWC
| Team | Pomeroy Ranking | Sagarin Ranking | Palm RPI | Total Ranking Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNLV | 20 | 12 | 10 | 42 |
| New Mexico | 23 | 31 | 44 | 98 |
| SDSU | 49 | 35 | 42 | 126 |
Top Three Teams in the Pac-12
| Team | Pomeroy Ranking | Sagarin Ranking | Palm RPI | Total Ranking Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 19 | 20 | 51 | 90 |
| Arizona | 42 | 56 | 55 | 153 |
| Stanford | 33 | 39 | 84 | 156 |
(Note: ratings as of 1/2/12)
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I have updated BYU's PAP rankings as of the Dec. 31 home game with San Diego, and Noah Hartsock has re-taken his spot atop the chart, bumping Nate Austin down to #2. Again, PAP stands for Points Available Percentage, and is a measure of the number of points a player has scored compared to the number of points available, expressed as a percentage. A player who attempts seven 2PFG, three 3PFG and 4 FT has a total point possibility of 27; if he scores 15 points, his PAP for that game is 55.6.
(Note: a player must be averaging at least 10.0 minutes per game to be ranked. Not ranked are Chris Collinsworth, Nick Martineau and Josh Sharp)
Points Available Percentages for BYU Players
| Rank | Player | Points | Possible Points | PAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noah Hartsock | 273 | 447 | 61.1 |
| 2 | Nate Austin | 67 | 120 | 55.8 |
| 3 | Brandon Davies | 206 | 386 | 53.4 |
| 4 | Matt Carlino | 90 | 176 | 51.1 |
| 5 | Charles Abouo | 191 | 379 | 50.4 |
| 6 | Stephen Rogers | 99 | 199 | 49.7 |
| 7 | Brock Zylstra | 140 | 299 | 46.8 |
| 8 | Craig Cusick | 44 | 94 | 46.8 |
| 9 | Anson Winder | 74 | 190 | 38.9 |
| 10 | Damarcus Harrison | 66 | 192 | 34.4 |
