How is OSU trending?

Photo Attribution: Emily Nielsen

Really good idea from a reader named Justin yesterday to show which direction OSU has been trending lately.

Is the offense getting better or worse? How about the defense? Shooting?

Let’s take a look at a few checkpoints throughout the season and see where we’re thriving as we head into the jowls of March.

Offensive efficiency

After Puerto Rico: 106.6
Going into conference: 106.2
Halfway through conference: 107.6
Now: 108.5

Again, offensive efficiency is just the number of points a team scores per 100 possessions against the average college basketball team. That means the numbers are normalized no matter if you’re playing Portland State or Kansas.

OSU’s offensive numbers have been improving steadily all season and have really jumped since conference play started. That’s a good thing as we head to March as OKC Dave taught you last week.

Also, two points might not seem like a lot. But that’s how many points OSU is from being 3-0 against Gonzaga and Kansas.

Defensive efficiency

After Puerto Rico: 89.4
Going into conference: 85.0
Halfway through conference: 86.4
Now: 86.4

Lower is better here and OSU was great after Puerto Rico. Now though? Elite. 

Only Louisville, Wisconsin, Florida, Georgetown, SFA, Kansas, and New Mexico are better right now.

Effective FG%

After Puerto Rico: 45.8%
Going into conference: 50.1%
Halfway through conference: 49%
Now: 49.3%

Effective FG% is just like regular FG% but it gives 50% more credit to made three-pointers.

I’m actually surprised this has stayed as high as it has given Phil Forte’s conference struggles.

Effective defensive FG%

After Puerto Rico: N/A (I didn’t measure this)
Going into conference: 42.0%
Halfway through conference: 44.9%
Now: 44%

That 44% is top 25 in the country right now. The reason our effective defensive FG % is worse than our defensive efficiency is because we give up a lot of three balls — 30% of our opponents points come from the three (98th best in the nation).