*** Official #2 Houston vs IOWA STATE Game(Day) Thread ***

[Cloned4Life]

What are the numbers from last year taking away the bad teams?

You are discounting stats rung up this year based on bad teams played but including them for the other years.

Well, that’s the great thing about an anonymous fan site - I don’t need to dig up anything. I can just randomly share an opinion about the team I love

And it’s really not even critical to my opinion here. Against high major teams, thus far THIS season, the squad simply is not shooting from deep at a high % and its scoring overall certainly isn’t elite. Thus, I personally am not seeing evidence that we are in fact a significantly better offensive/shooting team. In my view, I don’t take a ton of comfort in the fact that our numbers look good against epically bad competition (far worse competition than our previous 2 squads have faced in the non-con).

And anecdotally last year - when we started off 6-2 in conference play last year - much of the conversation around that group was centered around how good our offense was looking, how much efficient it was, etc.

Can this years team match/exceed that? Yep! Very early in the season yet. But in my view watching from my basement on YouTube TV DVR - I’m a bit nervous about our offense and shooting. .

 

[t-noah]

If Gilbert can not be out of control 25% of the time on offense, he is going to be an absolute stud. What he did on the defensive side of the ball was amazing and was a big reason for our win.

He understandably struggles on offense against teams that can take away his drives into the paint but he is deadly against teams that can't. If he can defend like that, he's a plus player either way. Really just needs to add a few percentage points to his deep shooting and teams won't be able to sag back to prevent the drive.

Keshon is extremely valuable already. He will become an absolute killer when he improves his mid and long range shooting. I do worry about his health. He gets absolutely hacked sometimes when he goes to the hoop. Love his defense!

Stay healthy Keshon!

 

[NoCreativity]

And anecdotally last year - when we started off 6-2 in conference play last year - much of the conversation around that group was centered around how good our offense was looking, how much efficient it was, etc.

Weren't Grill and Gabe shooting really well early and then fell off a cliff by early February though?

 

[Yellow Snow]

Who are these guys? I thought they were pretty entertaining.

 

[t-noah]

Who are these guys? I thought they were pretty entertaining.

Agree. But, here a pod, there a pod, everywhere a pod, pod.

 

[CyberJJJ]

What was it when the score was 14-0?
(Serious question. )

No one will mistake this team for the Loyola Marymount teams, but I think the offensive improvement will mean no losses in which only scoring in the 40s. In fact, I bet 57 will be the low point game for the rest of the season. With the possible exception of at Houston.

Careful, we haven’t had many road Big 12 games yet.

 

[CyberJJJ]

Shocking how as soon as everyone is allowed to pay their players, KU suddenly isn't so dominant anymore. What could be the explanation for this??

What did Hunter D cost them?

 

[clonedude]

So they'll probably have 5 losses? You realize that kind of record in the Big 12 is easily #1 seed?

Houston with back to back losses. Still think they are a 1 seed?

I said they were overrated being ranked #2 and hadn’t beaten anyone. They still haven’t beaten anyone.

 

[bosco]

Houston with back to back losses. Still think they are a 1 seed?

I said they were overrated being ranked #2 and hadn’t beaten anyone. They still haven’t beaten anyone.

Maybe we broke Houston? I think the B12 as a whole is overrated. Benefit of reputation, past success, and weak scheduling.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Maybe we broke Houston? I think the B12 as a whole is overrated. Benefit of reputation, past success, and weak scheduling.

Ridiculous and not supported by any metrics

 

[NoCreativity]

Houston with back to back losses. Still think they are a 1 seed?

I said they were overrated being ranked #2 and hadn’t beaten anyone. They still haven’t beaten anyone.

I didn't say they would be a 1, I said probably close but a #2 seed.

They are 4-2 in Q1 games, so saying they haven't best anyone is ridiculous.

Did you watch TCU against Kansas and Oklahoma earlier this week? They are really good so it's not surprising at all they beat Houston at home.

 

[CloniesForLife]

Maybe we broke Houston? I think the B12 as a whole is overrated. Benefit of reputation, past success, and weak scheduling.

Have you watched any college bball outside the Big12? I think the top end of the big12 is a little down but it is still by far the best conference. And the top end of the rest of the sport is down. There isn't a couple dominant teams this year

 

[madguy30]

Maybe we broke Houston? I think the B12 as a whole is overrated. Benefit of reputation, past success, and weak scheduling.

What is this based on in comparison to other conferences?

 

[madguy30]

Houston with back to back losses. Still think they are a 1 seed?

I said they were overrated being ranked #2 and hadn’t beaten anyone. They still haven’t beaten anyone.

If going by quad 1 wins (they're 4-2) they'd be at least a 2 seed right now.

 

[bosco]

Have you watched any college bball outside the Big12? I think the top end of the big12 is a little down but it is still by far the best conference. And the top end of the rest of the sport is down. There isn't a couple dominant teams this year

What is this based on in comparison to other conferences?

Performance of B12 teams vs other conferences aren't that impressive. Houston isn't as good as we think. Definitely not a top 5 team. Kansas isn't as good either given their loss to UCF.

Valid that the top teams aren't elite but the conference has a bunch of good to above average teams. B12 is good but the idea that they are way above other conferences is going to play out eventually. The conference has good metrics because of pre season rankings and there are some pretenders. Baylor and BYU being some of them.

 

[madguy30]

Performance of B12 teams vs other conferences aren't that impressive. Houston isn't as good as we think. Definitely not a top 5 team. Kansas isn't as good either given their loss to UCF.

Valid that the top teams aren't elite but the conference has a bunch of good to above average teams. B12 is good but the idea that they are way above other conferences is going to play out eventually. The conference has good metrics because of pre season rankings and there are some pretenders. Baylor and BYU being some of them.

So a bunch of teams with really good records is a problem now?

Would you call Houston top 8 material? At 4-2 vs. Quad 1 wins?

Can you cite a better conference? What is that based on?

 

[Cloned4Life]

Performance of B12 teams vs other conferences aren't that impressive. Houston isn't as good as we think. Definitely not a top 5 team. Kansas isn't as good either given their loss to UCF.

Valid that the top teams aren't elite but the conference has a bunch of good to above average teams. B12 is good but the idea that they are way above other conferences is going to play out eventually. The conference has good metrics because of pre season rankings and there are some pretenders. Baylor and BYU being some of them.

Respectfully disagree. Relative to college basketball as a whole this year, Big 12 is just as “far ahead” - top to bottom - as they have been in previous years. Houston absolutely will be in the battle for a 1 - 2 seed in the tourney.

Big 10 continues to be extremely overrated, and continues to benefit greatly from “simply being ranked well early in the season”. Purdue for example does not at all look like the ‘best’ team in college basketball, and for 3+ years has proven that they are not as good as the media wants them to be.

In general, CBB is mediocre this season compared to some years in the past, with no teams near as ‘complete’ as UConn last year.

 

[NoCreativity]

Kansas isn't as good either given their loss to UCF

Kansas has already beaten teams like Kentucky, Tennessee, Uconn, and TCU. To say they aren't very good becuase they lost on the road to the team with the #7 ranked defense is ridiculous.

It's almost like conference road games are hard.

 

[madguy30]

Respectfully disagree. Relative to college basketball as a whole this year, Big 12 is just as “far ahead” - top to bottom - as they have been in previous years. Houston absolutely will be in the battle for a 1 - 2 seed in the tourney.

Big 10 continues to be extremely overrated, and continues to benefit greatly from “simply being ranked well early in the season”. Purdue for example does not at all look like the ‘best’ team in college basketball, and for 3+ years has proven that they are not as good as the media wants them to be.

In general, CBB is mediocre this season compared to some years in the past, with no teams near as ‘complete’ as UConn last year.

And UConn went through some lulls last year where they really weren't very good.

 

[Cloned4Life]

The season isn't over yet but here are the Kenpom offensive efficiency numbers:

2022-2023: #114
2023-2024: #51

Thanks for sharing! I had not paid much attention to Kenpom metrics.

A quick update on shooting, from SportsReference.

2024 Thus Far 3pt Percentage: 35% (121st nationally)
2024 Thus Far 3pt Percentage (Against "High Major" Teams): 28% (38 - 135)
2024 Thus Far Offensive Efficiency KenPom: 62nd

2023 3pt Percentage 33% (183rd nationally)
2023 Offensive Efficiency KenPom: 114th

2022 3pt Percentage: 32% (283rd nationally)