A closer look at shooting accuracy

I'm back plugging away at the stats behind the scenes, but I thought I'd make a short post to demonstrate that I've not been hit by a bus.

Using the play-by-play data, one can break out 2FG shots into multiple types:

• Dunks
• Layups (actually, layups and tip-ins, which I treat as one category)
• Jumpers

I've broken out Georgetown shooting percentages for all of the games from the last 2 seasons where there is a working play-by-play (see the plus/minus page for which games are missing).

2007-8 Season

Player               Dunks   Layups   2pt J's   3pters    FTs
Wallace, Jonathan    0 /0     24/38    19/37    52/130   42/50               
%                             0.632    0.514    0.400    0.840             

Summers, DaJuan      20/20    33/60    10/37    41/123   62/87               
%                             0.550    0.270    0.333    0.713             

Sapp, Jessie         0 /0     28/49    9 /33    45/116   41/53         
%                             0.571    0.273    0.388    0.774             

Ewing, Patrick       15/15    24/41    7 /16    9 /35    44/66           
%                             0.585    0.438    0.257    0.667             

Hibbert, Roy         15/15    82/136   46/88    2 /2     87/127          
%                             0.603    0.523    1.000    0.685             

Freeman, Austin      4 /4     43/63    14/35    32/81    26/31
%                             0.683    0.400    0.395    0.839

Macklin, Vernon      11/11    17/29    8 /20    0 /1     4 /30          
%                             0.586    0.400    0.000    0.133             

Wright, Chris        0 /0     15/26    1 /8     6 /16    11/17       
%                             0.577    0.125    0.375    0.647             

Rivers, Jeremiah     1 /1     6 /16    6 /22    11/29    16/26           
%                             0.375    0.273    0.379    0.615             

Crawford, Tyler      0 /0     5 /8     1 /3     3 /20    4 /6
%                             0.625    0.333    0.150    0.667

2006-7 Season

Player               Dunks   Layups   2pt J's   3pters    FTs
Green, Jeff          22/22    60/87    49/119   32/84    82/107           
%                             0.690    0.412    0.381    0.766             

Wallace, Jonathan    0 /0     34/54    20/52    61/130   57/62               
%                             0.630    0.385    0.469    0.919             

Summers, DaJuan      12/12    27/62    18/45    35/106   75/96               
%                             0.435    0.400    0.330    0.781             

Sapp, Jessie         3 /3     47/70    18/53    37/119   39/64          
%                             0.671    0.340    0.311    0.609             

Ewing, Patrick       9 /9     12/25    11/24    13/27    21/39           
%                             0.480    0.458    0.481    0.538             

Hibbert, Roy         44/44    78/119   36/68    0 /0     91/132          
%                             0.655    0.529             0.689           

Macklin, Vernon      6 /6     25/32    4 /7     0 /0     10/22        
%                             0.781    0.571             0.455               

Rivers, Jeremiah     0 /0     6 /11    6 /13    4 /16    3 /6         
%                             0.545    0.462    0.250    0.500             

Crawford, Tyler      0 /0     6 /7     0 /4     14/38    2 /4       
%                             0.857    0.000    0.368    0.500             

Egerson, Marc        0 /0     18/26    4 /13    7 /27    26/35        
%                             0.692    0.308    0.259    0.743

Some quick thought - I'll try to flush this out tomorrow:

• The conventional wisdom is that players tend to shoot 2-pt jumpers at about the same percentage as 3-pt jumpers, and therefore should maximize the latter in lieu of the former. While most player stat lines don't have enough shots in both categories to give meaningful comparisons, three players from 2006-7 may have enough of each shot (Green, Wallace, Sapp). Green and Sapp look to have roughly the same shooting percentage, while Wallace actually shot better from behind the arc.

• Wallace, Sapp and Summers all reduced the ratio of 2pt/3pt jumpers from 2006-7 to 2007-8, which is the statistically correct thing to do.

• Speaking of Summers, his improvement from last season to this season is often cited as the key to Hoya success. If he could improve his shooting percentages on layups and 2-pt jumpers to what Green shot in 2006-7, he would make that leap.

• I have no record of a missed dunk in 2 seasons. I'm beginning to wonder if missed dunks is even an option with the play-by-play system. Anyone remember a missed dunk?

• Strangest game that I've noticed so far: G'town 64, St. John's 52 (Feb 27, 2008). Georgetown players took 45 shots from the floor, but no 2-pt. jumpers.