There was no Owl on the court yesterday that was able to push his teammates on and lead them through the tough times on the court. The closest we saw was Josh Parrish, who played with more energy than the rest of his teammates against SHSU. Senior big Kai Mitchell took the Owls (3) posts to school down low. Tommy McCarthy's 2 turnovers in one minute at the end of the half were ugly and added to the avalanche of bad play during the last 4 minutes in the first half. Trey Murphy's shooting has not been the same since his ankle injury, the Owls really need his shooting behind the arc to be successful in conference.

...but I am ever the optimist...looking for strong 2020 conference performances.....

The only thing more dismal than Rice football is Rice basketball. I have no confidence that we'll ever make the NCAA tournament again. None.

(12-31-2019 03:10 AM)Ourland Wrote:  The only thing more dismal than Rice football is Rice basketball. I have no confidence that we'll ever make the NCAA tournament again. None.

Big picture: I will take 8-4 with two solid wins and one bad loss (Lamar). We should be able to beat SHSU at home, but it’s not a bad loss and they are just outside top 100, not unlike UCSB (who we beat on the road).

We also need to step up our game a notch to reach our potential (pod 2 and a deep run in the conference tourney)

(12-31-2019 11:44 AM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(12-31-2019 03:10 AM)Ourland Wrote:  The only thing more dismal than Rice football is Rice basketball. I have no confidence that we'll ever make the NCAA tournament again. None.

Big picture: I will take 8-4 with two solid wins and one bad loss (Lamar). We should be able to beat SHSU at home, but it’s not a bad loss and they are just outside top 100, not unlike UCSB (who we beat on the road).

We also need to step up our game a notch to reach our potential (pod 2 and a deep run in the conference tourney)

Agreed. Most of us would have gladly taken 8-4 in our OOC slate. The biggest issue we have is one of consistency-- both as a team and individually. Don't understand how guys like Martin and Peterson can light it up one game, and the next be a total non-factor. I had hoped Murphy was finally healthy in the previous game, but his poor outing against SHS says otherwise.

(12-31-2019 11:44 AM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(12-31-2019 03:10 AM)Ourland Wrote:  The only thing more dismal than Rice football is Rice basketball. I have no confidence that we'll ever make the NCAA tournament again. None.

Big picture: I will take 8-4 with two solid wins and one bad loss (Lamar). We should be able to beat SHSU at home, but it’s not a bad loss and they are just outside top 100, not unlike UCSB (who we beat on the road).

We also need to step up our game a notch to reach our potential (pod 2 and a deep run in the conference tourney)

Agree with overall uninspiring state of athletic affairs, but basketball gives much more hope than football, and is fundamentally easier to turn around

With basketball we're talking about a team that's borderline top 50%, with football we're talking about a team that's borderline bottom 10

As long as our best players continue to use us as a springboard to bigger and better things, I don't see anything changing. I'm trying to determine right now who will be transferring out at the end of the season.

According to Pomeroy , Rice, at #195, is the 11th best (or 4th worst) in C-USA this season.

Some lineup data prior to conference play. Overall numbers: 0.97 PPP on offense, 0.95 PPP on defense. Good in green, bad in blue. Simplified: positive or negative change in PPP on offense and defense when a player is on the floor.

Ako -0.01 PPPO, +0.04 PPPD
Moore +0.07 PPPO, -0.07 PPPD*
Mullins 0.04 PPPO, +0.11 PPPD
Crisler -0.14 PPPO, -0.04 PPPD
Rob +0.05 PPPO, +0.11 PPPD
Josh -0.04 PPPO, +0.02 PPPD
Peterson +0.07 PPPO, -0.10 PPPD ***
Olivari -0.18 PPPO, -0.07 PPPD
Murphy +0.03 PPPO, +0.04 PPPD
Fiedler +0.04 PPPO, -0.11 PPPD**

Other fun notes:

> Peterson+Rob off court: 0.78 PPP offense
> Mullins+Rob off court: 0.72 PPP allowed
> Best 5 man combo (min 25 possessions): Moore, Mullins, Martin, Peterson, Murphy
> 1.06 PPPO, 0.50 PPPD
> Best 5 man combo (min 50 possessions): Adams, Mullins, Martin, Peterson, Fiedler
> 1.22 PPPO, 0.93 PPPD
> Worst 5 man combo (min 25 possessions): Adams, Mullins, Martin, Peterson, Murphy (i.e. the starting lineup for most of the beginning of the year)
> 0.84 PPPO, 1.13 PPPD

> Best 2 man combo: Fiedler and Adams
> 1.00 PPPO, 0.88 PPPD
> Worst 2 man combo: Moore and Olivari
> 0.75 PPPO, 1.00 PPPD
> Best 3 man combo: Moore, Martin, Murphy
> 1.21 PPPO, 0.95 PPPD
> Worst 3 man combo: Adams, Parrish, Martin
> 0.65 PPPO, 1.18 PPPD

(01-02-2020 08:27 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  According to Pomeroy , Rice, at #195, is the 11th best (or 4th worst) in C-USA this season.

So our conf is actually decent in MBB?

(01-02-2020 02:00 PM)Intellectual_Brutality Wrote:  

(01-02-2020 08:27 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  According to Pomeroy , Rice, at #195, is the 11th best (or 4th worst) in C-USA this season.

So our conf is actually decent in MBB?

According to the Massey Composite, C-USA is 13th out of 32.

(01-02-2020 03:04 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(01-02-2020 02:00 PM)Intellectual_Brutality Wrote:  

(01-02-2020 08:27 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  According to Pomeroy , Rice, at #195, is the 11th best (or 4th worst) in C-USA this season.

So our conf is actually decent in MBB?

According to the Massey Composite, C-USA is 13th out of 32.

That's actually not bad!

(01-02-2020 01:14 PM)elw4796 Wrote:  Some lineup data prior to conference play. Overall numbers: 0.97 PPP on offense, 0.95 PPP on defense. Good in green, bad in blue. Simplified: positive or negative change in PPP on offense and defense when a player is on the floor.

Ako -0.01 PPPO, +0.04 PPPD
Moore +0.07 PPPO, -0.07 PPPD*
Mullins 0.04 PPPO, +0.11 PPPD
Crisler -0.14 PPPO, -0.04 PPPD
Rob +0.05 PPPO, +0.11 PPPD
Josh -0.04 PPPO, +0.02 PPPD
Peterson +0.07 PPPO, -0.10 PPPD ***
Olivari -0.18 PPPO, -0.07 PPPD
Murphy +0.03 PPPO, +0.04 PPPD
Fiedler +0.04 PPPO, -0.11 PPPD**

Other fun notes:

> Peterson+Rob off court: 0.78 PPP offense
> Mullins+Rob off court: 0.72 PPP allowed
> Best 5 man combo (min 25 possessions): Moore, Mullins, Martin, Peterson, Murphy
> 1.06 PPPO, 0.50 PPPD
> Best 5 man combo (min 50 possessions): Adams, Mullins, Martin, Peterson, Fiedler
> 1.22 PPPO, 0.93 PPPD
> Worst 5 man combo (min 25 possessions): Adams, Mullins, Martin, Peterson, Murphy (i.e. the starting lineup for most of the beginning of the year)
> 0.84 PPPO, 1.13 PPPD

> Best 2 man combo: Fiedler and Adams
> 1.00 PPPO, 0.88 PPPD
> Worst 2 man combo: Moore and Olivari
> 0.75 PPPO, 1.00 PPPD
> Best 3 man combo: Moore, Martin, Murphy
> 1.21 PPPO, 0.95 PPPD
> Worst 3 man combo: Adams, Parrish, Martin
> 0.65 PPPO, 1.18 PPPD

IMO, our best player when he's shooting well is Murphy. Our 2nd best player is Martin. And our 3rd best player because of his improvement is Peterson. Adams hasn't really had a great senior season so far. I'm not sure the reasoning behind these stats, but Fiedler is not our best player statistically. He's a freshman big who has done fine at times, but at this point of the season, he's a starter for a few minutes each half until Martin replaces him. The 6-7 Sam player was going to school on Fiedler (Martin wasn't much better defensively but I think he's stronger at least and can put a body on the big guys on the other team).

(01-02-2020 05:17 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  

(01-02-2020 01:14 PM)elw4796 Wrote:  Some lineup data prior to conference play. Overall numbers: 0.97 PPP on offense, 0.95 PPP on defense. Good in green, bad in blue. Simplified: positive or negative change in PPP on offense and defense when a player is on the floor.

Ako -0.01 PPPO, +0.04 PPPD
Moore +0.07 PPPO, -0.07 PPPD*
Mullins 0.04 PPPO, +0.11 PPPD
Crisler -0.14 PPPO, -0.04 PPPD
Rob +0.05 PPPO, +0.11 PPPD
Josh -0.04 PPPO, +0.02 PPPD
Peterson +0.07 PPPO, -0.10 PPPD ***
Olivari -0.18 PPPO, -0.07 PPPD
Murphy +0.03 PPPO, +0.04 PPPD
Fiedler +0.04 PPPO, -0.11 PPPD**

Other fun notes:

> Peterson+Rob off court: 0.78 PPP offense
> Mullins+Rob off court: 0.72 PPP allowed
> Best 5 man combo (min 25 possessions): Moore, Mullins, Martin, Peterson, Murphy
> 1.06 PPPO, 0.50 PPPD
> Best 5 man combo (min 50 possessions): Adams, Mullins, Martin, Peterson, Fiedler
> 1.22 PPPO, 0.93 PPPD
> Worst 5 man combo (min 25 possessions): Adams, Mullins, Martin, Peterson, Murphy (i.e. the starting lineup for most of the beginning of the year)
> 0.84 PPPO, 1.13 PPPD

> Best 2 man combo: Fiedler and Adams
> 1.00 PPPO, 0.88 PPPD
> Worst 2 man combo: Moore and Olivari
> 0.75 PPPO, 1.00 PPPD
> Best 3 man combo: Moore, Martin, Murphy
> 1.21 PPPO, 0.95 PPPD
> Worst 3 man combo: Adams, Parrish, Martin
> 0.65 PPPO, 1.18 PPPD

IMO, our best player when he's shooting well is Murphy. Our 2nd best player is Martin. And our 3rd best player because of his improvement is Peterson. Adams hasn't really had a great senior season so far. I'm not sure the reasoning behind these stats, but Fiedler is not our best player statistically. He's a freshman big who has done fine at times, but at this point of the season, he's a starter for a few minutes each half until Martin replaces him. The 6-7 Sam player was going to school on Fiedler (Martin wasn't much better defensively but I think he's stronger at least and can put a body on the big guys on the other team).

A healthy Murphy is clearly our best player. His stats are deflated somewhat due to playing half his games still recovering from his ankle injury. I think Peterson is a close second, given his defense and passing ability. I just wish he'd look for his shot more. There are halves when he only takes 1 or 2 shots, and instead plays the facilitator. Martin can be great-- lights out from 3 and dominant on the boards, but then he disappears for full games. He is anything but consistent.