FINAL UPDATE: 2015 K-State Player Per 100 Ratings

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

The failure to adequately replace angel seems to be the most glaring void. We need The Flush to be good.

Jevon seems to be less disruptive on offense this year and a much worse defender. So despite his improvements shooting and taking care of the ball (which shocked me), I feel like his effectiveness is less.

[kso_FAN]

The failure to adequately replace angel seems to be the most glaring void. We need The Flush to be good.

Jevon seems to be less disruptive on offense this year and a much worse defender. So despite his improvements shooting and taking care of the ball (which shocked me), I feel like his effectiveness is less.

IMO Jevon has become a more effective player. He is turning it over more, but the fact that he's become a legit scoring threat offsets that. I really don't think Jevon (or Nigel or PG play overall) is a major big problem.

However, the lack of scoring in the paint is a concern, especially Gip dropping off significantly so far. We need another player scoring at 30 PP100 and we're not getting that right now. The best guy for that to come from IMO is Gip to have a legit inside/outside threat between he and Foster. Nino has been nice, but he's a swing guy and I don't consider him to be a post scorer.

My defensive fear is that part of the problem is that we're just too small. We have a combination of Jevon/Nigel/Marcus/Edwards on the floor a lot and none of those guys are taller than 6-4. The fact that those guys often take chances compounds our problems so we too often don't have guys in defensive position to contest shots, pressure the ball, or get hands in passing lanes. As a result its far too easy for teams to run offense against us and get easier and better shots. Granted, we still force TOs at a decent clip and disrupt because those guys are athletic, but when we don't force TOs opposing offenses are far too efficient. Its going to be a tall order for the coaching staff to correct that because a) one of the things that makes those guys effective defenders at this level is their aggressiveness and b) you can't coach those guys to play taller. Its going to take a lot of teaching to get those guys to play sound position defense to account for our lack of height on the perimeter, but yet still be aggressive. IMHO this is really the route that must be taken because with our personnel we simply don't have a ton of other options.

[michigancat]

My defensive fear is that part of the problem is that we're just too small. We have a combination of Jevon/Nigel/Marcus/Edwards on the floor a lot and none of those guys are taller than 6-4. The fact that those guys often take chances compounds our problems so we too often don't have guys in defensive position to contest shots, pressure the ball, or get hands in passing lanes. As a result its far too easy for teams to run offense against us and get easier and better shots. Granted, we still force TOs at a decent clip and disrupt because those guys are athletic, but when we don't force TOs opposing offenses are far too efficient. Its going to be a tall order for the coaching staff to correct that because a) one of the things that makes those guys effective defenders at this level is their aggressiveness and b) you can't coach those guys to play taller. Its going to take a lot of teaching to get those guys to play sound position defense to account for our lack of height on the perimeter, but yet still be aggressive. IMHO this is really the route that must be taken because with our personnel we simply don't have a ton of other options.

you could play Tre Harris. Like, some.

[kso_FAN]

you could play Tre Harris. Like, some.

Yeah, especially since he makes like all of his 3s.

[Mr Bread]

The failure to adequately replace angel seems to be the most glaring void. We need The Flush to be good.

Jevon seems to be less disruptive on offense this year and a much worse defender. So despite his improvements shooting and taking care of the ball (which shocked me), I feel like his effectiveness is less.

IMO Jevon has become a more effective player. He is turning it over more, but the fact that he's become a legit scoring threat offsets that. I really don't think Jevon (or Nigel or PG play overall) is a major big problem.

However, the lack of scoring in the paint is a concern, especially Gip dropping off significantly so far. We need another player scoring at 30 PP100 and we're not getting that right now. The best guy for that to come from IMO is Gip to have a legit inside/outside threat between he and Foster. Nino has been nice, but he's a swing guy and I don't consider him to be a post scorer.

My defensive fear is that part of the problem is that we're just too small. We have a combination of Jevon/Nigel/Marcus/Edwards on the floor a lot and none of those guys are taller than 6-4. The fact that those guys often take chances compounds our problems so we too often don't have guys in defensive position to contest shots, pressure the ball, or get hands in passing lanes. As a result its far too easy for teams to run offense against us and get easier and better shots. Granted, we still force TOs at a decent clip and disrupt because those guys are athletic, but when we don't force TOs opposing offenses are far too efficient. Its going to be a tall order for the coaching staff to correct that because a) one of the things that makes those guys effective defenders at this level is their aggressiveness and b) you can't coach those guys to play taller. Its going to take a lot of teaching to get those guys to play sound position defense to account for our lack of height on the perimeter, but yet still be aggressive. IMHO this is really the route that must be taken because with our personnel we simply don't have a ton of other options.

How were they #18 per kenpom last season then?  Sprads was listed at 6-2.  Is it just the absence of Shane's height on defense?  I guess I don't understand the tall point you're making since they were good last year. 

I mean one of if not the best of oscar's Illinois squads defensively was the 2008-2009 team and they started three guards that ran 6-2, 6-2 and 6-3 along with 6-1 for the primary reserve.  None of those guys were particularly athletic either.  If he could get that team to do it, then he can improve this one. 

[kso_FAN]

How were they #18 per kenpom last season then?  Sprads was listed at 6-2.  Is it just the absence of Shane's height on defense?  I guess I don't understand the tall point you're making since they were good last year. 

I mean one of if not the best of oscar's Illinois squads defensively was the 2008-2009 team and they started three guards that ran 6-2, 6-2 and 6-3 along with 6-1 for the primary reserve.  None of those guys were particularly athletic either.  If he could get that team to do it, then he can improve this one. 

Fair counterpoint.

I don't think its just a stereotypical talking point to say Sprads knew the defensive system and got guys in the right spots more often than not. He also didn't take chances for steals often so he wasn't out of position where guys had to make up for him. I think losing just that can have a big impact on a defensive system, especially one like oscar/Lowry uses. Until those other guys that are much younger come around and figure out some of those things and when/where they can take chances and when/where they can't we will continue to struggle. To clarify my point, I don't think we can play quite as aggressive as our guys want to play with their size, especially when we take chances and get out of position. Granted, we aren't big inside either and opponents are scoring on 2s too.

Again, I said myself that I don't want to rely on "young team" as a BS excuse too long, but our perimeter players are really young and I think it shows up in how we defend right now.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

I blame the PGs inability to run the offense on our bigs getting few touches and in bad positions. Everyone is double and triple teaming gip knowing that were just going to kick it out to a guy that holds the ball on the perimeter. When Jevon was penetrating and dishing, that worked a lot better than throwing deflected passes from the perimeter or getting gip the ball in the corner.

We are completely stagnant on offense. And can't get the ball to the post in a place where it's feasible for them to score. Gips FTR and % should warrant an insane dedication to getting him the ball on every possession.

[michigancat]

I blame the PGs inability to run the offense on our bigs getting few touches and in bad positions. Everyone is double and triple teaming gip knowing that were just going to kick it out to a guy that holds the ball on the perimeter. When Jevon was penetrating and dishing, that worked a lot better than throwing deflected passes from the perimeter or getting gip the ball in the corner.

We are completely stagnant on offense. And can't get the ball to the post in a place where it's feasible for them to score. Gips FTR and % should warrant an insane dedication to getting him the ball on every possession.

oscar's inability to adjust the offense AT ALL to make teams pay for aggressive doubles on Gip is just so rough ridin' infuriating.

[Mixed-Nutz]

Pers are stupid to look at now, we don't function as an offense. It is a bigger issue. All our players should be less effective because the offense as a whole is less effective.

[Mixed-Nutz]

I blame the PGs inability to run the offense on our bigs getting few touches and in bad positions. Everyone is double and triple teaming gip knowing that were just going to kick it out to a guy that holds the ball on the perimeter. When Jevon was penetrating and dishing, that worked a lot better than throwing deflected passes from the perimeter or getting gip the ball in the corner.

We are completely stagnant on offense. And can't get the ball to the post in a place where it's feasible for them to score. Gips FTR and % should warrant an insane dedication to getting him the ball on every possession.

oscar's inability to adjust the offense AT ALL to make teams pay for aggressive doubles on Gip is just so rough ridin' infuriating.

Spacing is a joke, When our shooters don't rotate on double downs to get open looks drives me nuts.

[kso_FAN]

Nino is putting up solid numbers, especially scoring at nearly a 30 PP100 clip. Its a nice surprise and if we can get he and Gip going together along with a healthy Hurt I feel a lot better about this team.

I am a bit surprised at Gip's .650 minute%, it seems like he's played less. Hopefully his PP100 can continue to bump toward 30, but we need his rebounding to rise. He is very efficient shooting and getting to the foul line (while also leading in FT%).

The Jevon/Nigel debate continues and their numbers are pretty even. 2.6 1.7 Jevon is the better creator with more assists, but Nigel has the much better A:TO at 2.6 compared to 1.7. Nigel's a little better scorer and shooter as well as gaining steals at a much higher rate.

Edwards is slowly rising in his rates and seems to be playing much better lately. The Cats absolutely need him to be a better player in Big 12 games. Pretty much the exact same can be said about Wesley.

Then there are the Harris Frosh; one who can't shoot/score and one who can't get on the floor.

It was nice to get a win over a decent P5 school, but the Cats need to continue to get better. Hopefully oscar gets his annual holiday improvement going into Big 12 games.

[bballfan]

Nino playing well has been a nice addition. He's playing like a senior, which is what I was waiting for Southwell to do all last season.

[kso_FAN]

Per 100s mainly reflect offensive numbers and the main issue for this team is clear; turnovers. Right now 5 players are at over 4 TOs per 100, last year we only had 2 at the end of the season.

Jevon is playing nearly 2/3 of our minutes and is our primary ball handler and is at 6.0; last year he finished at 3.8.

Westicles is at an astounding 6.3, last year he finished at 3.3 at about the same min%.

Foster has risen to 5.0 after finishing at 4.7 last year.

To his credit, Nigel has actually improved, 3.2 this year to 3.7 last year. Plus his assists per 100 are up; 7.7 from 7.3, and he is creeping closer to matching Jevon's assist numbers. When I look at the numbers, its hard for me to make any case that Jevon should be getting more minutes this year than Nigel at this point in the season.

Also, the lack of any rim protector is still a big concern, but one isn't going to be found at this point. No one is at 2 or more blocks per 100. While we didn't have a real threat there last year, at least Shane and DJamer both were at 2.3 blocks per 100. Its no surprise that teams are shooting 51.1% on 2s this year; over 6% better than last year and the worst 2PT% defense K-State has seen in at least the last 30 years. 

[Mixed-Nutz]

Westicles and Nigel needs to be better scorers. Jevon needs to come of the bench I think it would make him a better player. He hasn't add a change of pace in his game yet.

Tre is an interesting player, remember watching his film and thinking he was the worst rebounder I have seen us recruit. On ball defense is important for him.

[kso_FAN]

Foster - Its good to see the Foster we all know and love back. He quickly raised his scoring rate back up above 30 and impressively is shooting at a 45% clip from 3. I still believe his ability to drive and get some 2s (his 2PT% went up slightly) and get the FT line (his FT rate also improved) helps him and this team in the ways teams defend us. Clearly his role is a scorer for this team, but it would be nice to see his rebounding numbers improve a little bit as well.

Gip - Gip continues to be our 2nd most efficient scorer as he battles foul trouble (granted, some bogus calls last night). His rebounding is also improving slowly, plus he's the best shot blocker on this team. IMO he's a leader and his energy and emotion help out as well. Hopefully he can get up abover 70% minutes played through the Big 12 season.

Hurt - Hurt's scoring rate moved up this week and he continues to be the best rebounder on the team. He's got to move up to above 40% minutes, even if that removes some minutes from Nino. It also is likely he's just now getting healthy after battling some injuries, but there is no doubt Hurt playing well will be a huge difference in this team getting to double digit Big 12 wins.

Jevon - Last night's Jevon is closer to what I hope that we can get night in and night our from our PG. He handled the ball well down the stretch and was able to get to the paint a few times for lay-ups. He's shown he can shoot a little from 3, so it would be nice to see an attempt or two from 3 each game to keep defenses honest. I also appreciate a PG with a high FT rate, but part of that is due to the fact he doesn't shoot much. If we get play like last night from Thomas, the 60-40 split (or 65-35) between him and Nigel makes some sense, especially with how Nigel played.

Westicles - We've slowly started to see the Wes we expected, but he's still got to score more and cut down turnovers significantly. He does some nice things with assists and rebounding and seems to be getting some confidence back.

Nino - Nino went through his own little dry spell, but had a decent week in his solid SR season. His scoring rate is dropping, but I'm not sure pushing 30 was realistic for the season. Also, he continues to be solid on the boards and this team's continued use of solid team rebounding makes boarding a strength on both sides.

[wetwillie]

_fan would Tre Harris continue to be our best shooter given more minutes?

[kso_FAN]

_fan would Tre Harris continue to be our best shooter given more minutes?

Probably not.

[kso_FAN]

First, sorry to all of the Tre Harris fans, but as he's approaching 20% minutes he is now removed from my list. Maybe he'll return at some point, but not now. Of course, one game means very minor changes, but this stuff is still fun to look at. (at least it is for me)

[kso_FAN]

Not a lot of changes because its just one more game, but notable is Nino's jump in scoring rate after his big game yesterday. I also got rid of fouls and added A:TO and yikes; only 3 guys on the plus side and those guys are barely there.

[kso_FAN]

Big 12 only numbers through 5 games (with a column comparing to overall season numbers). There are quite a few interesting differences.

[kso_FAN]

Updated Big 12 only numbers. IMHO rough ranking order.

Foster - Still scoring at a very high rate, but needs to avoid foul trouble. We need him on the floor 70% of the time minimum. A drop in shooting to 38% from 3, but he's proven to be a >40% shooter, so that will even out over the Big 12 season. I also like that he's getting to the FT line more, TOs are down, decent assist rate, and he's dboarding. I'm not concerned with oboarding because I don't think he's asked to oboard and probably mostly is a defensive transition guy.

Nino - Solid scoring, boarding, and on steals. Right now he's our 2nd best player by a slight margin over Gip IMHO. If he maintains this pace he could be on all league lists at the end of the season.

Gip - We need his scoring rate to be above 25 per and he's got to improve on the boards. Also, TOs at 4.7 per is too high. Either Gip or Nino must play consistent enough along with Marcus to be all league players if this team is to recover from December and make the tournament.

Edwards - Edwards keeps getting closer to the player I expected him to be; explosive, good on the boards, solid assists, low TOs, and a decent scorer. Plus our current leader in blocks.

Westicles - 2nd in assist rate, decent TO rate and steals. I think he does a lot of good, but I would like to see his boarding and scoring rates improve. Part of the lower rates is the fact that Westicles has played more minutes in Big 12 play than anyone else on the team. Very solid player, but not the rates that all league caliber players have.

Hurt - He needs to be better on defense, but he's been effective in the limited minutes he's played in both in scoring and on the boards.

Jevon - He gets plenty of well deserved criticism and his turnover rate is abysmal. Plus he needs to be a better scorer to help balance the offense. However, he's got a solid assist rate and he's shown he can make plays, but he makes terrible decisions far too often. If he can ever figure out the TO issues and be a bit more proactive as a scorer then IMO he can be a decent player. Perhaps his size just limits his abilities at this level.

Nigel - Yes, I still put Jevon above him slightly. I think we have a back up QB effect going on here. Yes, Nigel is a slightly better scorer, but he doesn't have the potential to create like Jevon IMO (see assist rate) and nearly as bad at TOs. Nigel is better at forcing steals, but I'm not sure he's a much better defender either besides that stat. Both are short and longer guards find it far too easy to shoot over them.

Malek - I really like his potential and he's been solid on the boards and doesn't turn it over. However, he's backing up Nino and Nino plays a lot and plays well, so his impact on this team is a bit less. At only 25% minutes its hard to rate him higher, but I like his future at K-State.

[kso_FAN]

Updated per 100s for the season. Foster had a bad week from 3. Nino and Edwards continue to improve their scoring numbers. The PG spot continues to be a major work in progress.

[kso_FAN]

Big 12 only update after a couple more games.

Nino - Losing Nino yesterday was huge. He's nearly even on his scoring rate with Marcus and he's our best rebounder. This team needs Nino in a huge way and if he's out for an extended period an already disappointing season is going to end badly.

Marcus - Foster's shooting has dropped dramatically as he's only shot 4-22 from 3 in his last 3 games (18%). The nice thing is he's compensated a bit by getting the the FT line and hitting 2s at a high rate (and maintained his scoring rate), but Marcus has to hit 3s for this team to be successful. It could be argued that had Marcus shot his normal % (40+ from 3) against ISU and WVU the Cats might have won at least one of those games if not both.

Gip - The 3rd leg of our top 3 players has had a somewhat rough start to Big 12 play. He's shooting % is high, but with a scoring rate of 20 per 100 after being near 30 per last Big 12 season has hurt. His FT rate is also down from his season average. Gip has to be scoring more for this team to win, and I realize that is made even more difficult this season with only 1 real perimeter threat on offense.

Wes - Wes is spending plenty of time handling the ball and at times playing stretches as the point. His assist rate is nice, but he's got to be a more proactive scorer and rebounder.

Jevon - Jevon has risen above Nigel in the PG battle, especially after Nigel's multiple meltdowns against WVU's pressure. Nigel is a slightly better scorer right now and gets some steals, but Jevon is doing everything else at a higher rate.

Edwards - We got a glimpse of the transfer we expected for a while, then he completely couldn't handle WVU's pressure. Of all our guys, Edwards struggled the worst, especially after he failed to finish several chances in the first half. Hopefully it was just a bad match-up and a learning experience for him, because we need him to play better.

Hurt - Hurt struggled just as bad as Edwards, highlighted by his attempt to throw a loose ball off of a WVU player at midcourt. I was hoping that we'd see more of the Hurt that we saw vs OU, but we haven't seen much since.

Nigel - Nigel seems to have worked through his injuries, but his TO issues yesterday highlight the up and down season he's had. His back to back steals could have been a turning point in that game, but the WVU pressure forced him to throw the ball at the backboard the 2nd time and the Cats came away empty. His confidence issues were shown when he passed up a wide open 3 early in the game.

Malek - I really like the fight Harris showed yesterday, but in Nino's absence he has to be a scorer and he struggled finishing against the WVU bigs yesterday when we really needed points. I think he has a bright future, but he's not ready to be a major scoring factor yet in this league.

[sys]

i haven't seen the last three games.  but based on just the stats, if foster is still defending the way he was back when i saw a few games in a row, it's got to be hard for michigancat to still insist that he's been a better player than williams.

on thomas, he has to either score a little, or not turn it over.  you could stomach a a high assist/low turnover non-scoring point.  or a high assist, scoring point that turns it over all the time.  it's the combination of not scoring and always turning it over that is so hard.  not having a shooter at the three doesn't do him any favors either.

[michigancat]

Marcus is still better, just had a down shooting week. Defense is still hilariously bad, though