Another look at the numbers

As San Jose State swings back into WAC play this week -- 2 home games followed by two road games and then the league tourney in Reno -- let's re-visit some more of those lies, damn lies and statistics whether it be Benjamin Disraeli, Mark Twain or whoever actually coined the phrase.

We cannot recall a time when the Spartans were ever positioned #2 in team scoring in the WAC but keep in mind that last season's final average was just two points less a game -- 67.6 -- and tied for seventh place with Idaho. So team scoring is obviously down this season.

SCORING OFFENSE
# Team G W-L Pts Avg/G

1.New Mexico State.... 13 8-5 943 72.5
2.San Jose State...... 12 4-8 836 69.7
3.Boise State......... 12 7-5 831 69.2
4.Nevada.............. 12 8-4 827 68.9
5.Utah State.......... 13 12-1 881 67.8
6.Fresno State........ 12 2-10 787 65.6
7.Idaho............... 12 6-6 767 63.9
8.Hawaii.............. 13 5-8 779 59.9
9.Louisiana Tech...... 13 4-9 756 58.2

+++++

It's a bit of a conundrum in that SJSU was in fifth place last season in scoring defense at 74.6 points a game. In this go-around, the points per game given up has actually dropped but San Jose State is caboosing it.

SCORING DEFENSE
# Team G Pts Avg/G

1.Utah State.......... 13 768 59.1
2.Louisiana Tech...... 13 776 59.7
3.Hawaii.............. 13 812 62.5
4.Idaho............... 12 776 64.7
5.Nevada.............. 12 790 65.8
6.Boise State......... 12 810 67.5
7.Fresno State........ 12 852 71.0
8.New Mexico State.... 13 945 72.7
9.San Jose State...... 12 878 73.2

+++++

In what is accepted as the most important defensive category -- field goal percentage defense -- the Spartans are again bringing up the rear in 2008-2009. Last season, SJSU finished sixth at .466%

FIELD GOAL PCT DEFENSE
# Team G FG FGA Pct

1.Utah State.......... 13 274 672 .408
2.Nevada.............. 12 274 661 .415
3.Hawaii.............. 13 272 631 .431
4.Boise State......... 12 290 672 .432
5.New Mexico State.... 13 339 782 .434
6.Louisiana Tech...... 13 282 646 .437
7.Idaho............... 12 268 609 .440
8.Fresno State........ 12 318 694 .458
9.San Jose State...... 12 324 677 .479

The contending team that has made the most improvement in this category is Utah State, going from .442% last season to .408% now. Hawaii and Idaho have also improved dramatically as has Louisiana Tech but none are in the race for the league title.

+++++

3-POINT FIELD GOAL PCT DEFENSE
# Team G FG FGA Pct

1.New Mexico State.... 13 81 266 .305
2.Boise State......... 12 53 171 .310
3.Fresno State........ 12 57 182 .313
4.Utah State.......... 13 66 203 .325
5.Louisiana Tech...... 13 75 221 .339
6.Idaho............... 12 72 210 .343
7.Hawaii.............. 13 61 163 .374
8.Nevada.............. 12 60 157 .382
9.San Jose State...... 12 90 224 .402

SJSU is also giving up too high a percentage in three-pointers. Quirkily, New Mexico State has allowed just nine less three-pointers but leads the conference in percentage defense because WAC opponents for some reason have taken the most three-pointers of all against the Aggies.

+++++

San Jose State remains a solid king of the hill in two rebounding categories:

REBOUNDING MARGIN
# Team G TEAM Avg OPP Avg Margin

1.San Jose State...... 12 431 35.9 359 29.9 +6.0
2.Utah State.......... 13 432 33.2 369 28.4 +4.8
3.Nevada.............. 12 455 37.9 407 33.9 +4.0
4.Hawaii.............. 13 428 32.9 400 30.8 +2.2
5.Louisiana Tech...... 13 419 32.2 406 31.2 +1.0
6.Boise State......... 12 399 33.2 426 35.5 -2.2
7.New Mexico State.... 13 460 35.4 490 37.7 -2.3
8.Fresno State........ 12 382 31.8 465 38.8 -6.9
9.Idaho............... 12 340 28.3 424 35.3 -7.0


OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS
# Team G No. Avg/G

1.San Jose State...... 12 166 13.83
2.Nevada.............. 12 159 13.25
3.Hawaii.............. 13 170 13.08
4.Louisiana Tech...... 13 148 11.38
5.New Mexico State.... 13 142 10.92
6.Utah State.......... 13 140 10.77
7.Fresno State........ 12 123 10.25
8.Boise State......... 12 110 9.17
9.Idaho............... 12 106 8.83

+++++

Turnover margin has been a bugaboo and its pairing with defending a double whammy.

TURNOVER MARGIN
# Team G TEAM Avg OPP Avg Margin

1.Idaho............... 12 127 10.6 173 14.4 +3.83
2.New Mexico State.... 13 173 13.3 185 14.2 +0.92
3.Fresno State........ 12 172 14.3 178 14.8 +0.50
4.Boise State......... 12 154 12.8 157 13.1 +0.25
5.Hawaii.............. 13 192 14.8 187 14.4 -0.38
6.Utah State.......... 13 162 12.5 154 11.8 -0.62
7.Nevada.............. 12 159 13.3 149 12.4 -0.83
8.Louisiana Tech...... 13 180 13.8 163 12.5 -1.31
9.San Jose State...... 12 169 14.1 142 11.8 -2.25