Two Point Field Goals Translate to Success

There are a number of ways to score points in the game of basketball. You can score the standard two-point basket from anywhere within the three point line. You can shoot the ball from beyond the three point line to get three points. Or you can score from the free throw line after a foul, earning one point per made basket, with anywhere from one to three opportunities to score at a time.

You all know these rules very well by now, I’m sure. However, sometimes we can get too caught up in the way college basketball teams make up their point totals between free throw and three point shots. While these are great ways to score points, they might not be the most effective. Do teams who score more of their points on two-point field goals have a better chance at winning? Take a look at the ACC. We have two very solid programs, Duke and North Carolina, both of whom entered the NCAA Tournament with high seeds after completing highly successful regular seasons.

While Duke got a very high percentage of their offence from three pointers (an ACC high of 37.7 %, ranking them 77th in the nation), North Carolina did not rely on them nearly as much. In fact, they scored only 18.8% of their points on three pointers (337th in the nation). Instead, North Carolina relied on the two-point field goal, where a whopping 59.9% of their points came from (5th in the nation). Duke used two point field goals to score 46.4% of their points over the course of the year (ranking them 293 overall). Was it any coincidence that North Carolina has, over the past three seasons, consistently gone farther in the NCAA Tournament?

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Permalink - Posted in General on August 28, 2008 - Post a comment