So, where do we stand after nine games? What do we know about our team? There is a long way to go in the season, but since we are about to start ACC play, I thought it might be a good time to do a deep dive into our team so far:
The most important statistic: 6 wins, 3 losses.
Losses: Iowa (RPI-20), Marquette (58), Utah (67)
Wins: UGA (153), N Alabama (252), Northeastern (266), N Illinois (314), GSt (320), Clayton St. (--)
GT current RPI: 88
Some key team statistics and (rank):
Effective FG%: 46.1 (rank-300!)
Opp Effective FG % 46.0 (59)
3 point %: 28.9 (320)
Opp Three Point %: 28.3 (38)
Opp FT %: 60.6 (9!)--this is our all-important free throw defense, a key to part of our winning strategy.
Opp Off Rebounds/Gm: 11.5/gm (348!)
Blocks/game: 4.6 (49)
TO/play: 12.8% (12)
Projected Record: Assuming we play at this same level throughout the season, our projected record is 16-15.
Player stats:
Highest offensive rating: Javon Franklin--135.9
Highest defensive rating: Javon Franklin--91.8 (lower is better)
Highest Effective FG%: Rodney Howard--58.1%
Players with Positive Offensive Box +/- : 4 (Franklin, Smith, Kelly, and Coleman)
Players with Positive Defensive Box +/- : 6 (Franklin, Smith, Howard, Moore, Terry, Sturdivant)
Players with Positive Overall Box +/- : 3 (Franklin:10.4, Smith: 6.7, Miles Kelly: 1.0)
-By the way, this is one of my favorite stats to look at, because it takes a lot into account and spits out a player's positive or negative contribution, almost like a WAR (WINS ABOVE REPLACEMENT) stat. In 20-21, we had 6 guys with positive ratings and last year, we only had two and a half (Saba was positive, but didn't really play much).
Team MVP so far: Javon Franklin. He was a really important piece, and he plays bigger than he is. He has been effective on both offense and defense. You could also make an argument for Kelly, since he single-handedly won us two games in the clutch.
Team LVP so far: Kyle Sturdivant. I hesitated to include this, but his game has not been good so far this season. With the number of minutes he has gotten, he has produces a B+/- of negative 3.3. I know he can play better, and I am rooting for him to turn it around.
OK, that is all I got. Discuss amongst yourselves.
Sources:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/georgia-tech/2023.html
https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/rankings/rpi/
https://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/team/georgia-tech-yellow-jackets/