By Paul Gotham

****In honor of Sweet 16 week, some bonus Name That Team Posts for all to consider. It is your chance to release your inner James Joyce stream of consciousness. Try this without any researching.

This team will make its third Regional Semi-finals appearance in the last six years and ninth in school history.  The school has not advanced beyond this round since 1953 when they lost in the national semi-finals. That was part of a ten-year period under three different coaches where the school reached the Elite Eight on four occasions. This year’s version scores almost 80 a game. Of the remaining teams, only two other schools score more per contest. Two players score in double digits. They combine for almost 37 points per game. This team also allows 70 per game which ranks somewhere around 200th in the nation. With a rebound margin of 4.3 this team ranks 7th among the Sweet 16.  CBS ranks their strength of schedule at 60 and their RPI at 41.

Name that team.

By Paul Gotham

****All right gang, let’s see who can do this WITHOUT research. Let these numbers sink in for a bit. Take the time to show us your thought process as we try to figure out this one.

This team will make its 16th Sweet Sixteen appearance later this week.  In the last 20 years though, this team has only won one game in The Dance. This school has three Final Four appearances in its history – all occurring before 1960. In the 70s, this school made three Elite Eight and two Sweet 16 appearances. The 09-10 version of this team knows a thing or two about charity. They have made 1,055 trips to the free throw line. Their opponent in the Regional semis has taken just 821 free throws. Getting to the line requires taking the ball to the basket. This team is also not bashful from behind the three-point arc. They have taken 669 three-balls this year. Their opponents have shot 572.  Over the weekend, this team hit 18 of 45 from behind the arc.  For the year, they have hit just under 36 percent from long range.  They also have a rebound margin of +5.2.

Name that team.

By Paul Gotham

****All right gang, try and do this WITHOUT research. Let these numbers sink in for a little bit. Feel free to discuss the possibilities here in the thread. It is not so important as to WHO gets the correct answer as much as it is that we arrive at the answer.

78.6 percent. That is the first thing you need to know about this team. That number represents their team free-throw percentage. They lead the country. Not only do they lead in percentage, but among the top 20 teams for free throw percentage, only three have taken more free throws. Teams who play them better get ready to defend. No one else in the tournament scores more points per game than them – 83. They hit 41.9 percent from behind the three-point arc – third in the country. This is their fourth consecutive trip to The Dance and sixth in the last nine years, but they have not won a tournament game since 1993. They advanced to the Elite Eight in 1981 and the Sweet 16 in 1971.  Although their strength of schedule is ranked 116 (CBS), their RPI comes in at 23 (CBS). They are 2-2 against teams in the top 25 and 2-3 against teams from 26-50.

Name that team.

By Paul Gotham

****All right gang, try and do this WITHOUT research. Let these numbers sink in for a little bit. Feel free to discuss the possibilities here in the thread. It is not so important as to WHO gets the correct answer as much as it is that we arrive at the answer.

This team can be pigeon-holed under the sleeper category, but do not overlook them. Oh sure, with eight losses (six of them in their conference) it is easy to brush this team aside. But look a little deeper. They stand alone with a field-goal-percentage defense of 37.2. Everybody else is looking up at that statistic. They block over six shots per game (top ten in the country). How about rebound margin and steals per game? Glad you asked. They are in the top 35 of both categories. Offense, you ask? Okay, so they probably won’t win the national title, but they are the type of team that could cause problems in the first couple of rounds. They are 2-2 against ranked opponents. CBS has their strength of schedule ranked 46th. From 1988-1993 they made five NCAA Tournament appearances including the Elite Eight in ’93. In 1972, this school played for the national championship, but they have not won an NCAA Tournament game since 1998.

Name that team.

By Paul Gotham

****All right gang, try and do this WITHOUT research. Let these numbers sink in for a little bit. Feel free to discuss the possibilities here in the thread. It is not so important as to WHO gets the correct answer as much as it is that we arrive at the answer.

A team often takes on the personality of its coach. After three years, this team is starting to look like its leader. They enjoy shooting threes.  They take over 20 a game. They have the attempts. Now, they need to sink those shots like their coach. They are in the top 40 in the nation for 3pt. percentage and 3-balls made. When thinking of their coach’s career, a fan would figure this guy was in the top twenty if not the top ten when it came to making three pointers. They will also need to improve at line the free throw. They are ranked in the bottom half of the nation in the stat. Their coach was so robotic with his free throws that the student section would cheer along with his habits. There is room for improvement, but this team is winning games. They are 6-0 versus ranked opponents. They value possession of the ball as they rank in the top 30 of turnovers and assist to turnover ratio. Their strength of schedule is near 50 but their RPI is top ten. They are 6-12 in twelve all-time appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

Name that team.

Team to be disclosed later this evening. This should give everyone plenty of time to discuss.

All right gang, try and do this WITHOUT research. Let these numbers sink in for a little bit. Feel free to discuss the possibilities here in the thread. It is not so important as to WHO gets the correct answer as much as it is that we arrive at the answer.

At first glance, this week’s team causes some confusion. They rank somewhere around 200 in the nation for scoring offense. At the same time their scoring margin is in the top 35. Hmmm…you read that right. At least 200 in the nation in scoring, but top 30 in scoring margin.

How does this team do it?

They value possession of the ball. They rank in the top ten of turnovers and assist to turnover ratio. Before you get confused, ranking in the top ten of turnovers is a positive thing. Not many teams have fewer turnovers per game than them. Fewer turnovers means fewer easy baskets for opponents which means opposing teams score less. Thus, the high scoring margin.

This team is 5-2 against ranked opponents. That is part of the reason why they are ranked top 20 of most RPI services. Their strength of schedule is also ranked in the top 20.

But if they want to get back to the Final Four they will need to prove they can win on the road.  Only one of their seven losses is at home.

This team has a national championship appearance on their resume, but it has been a decade since they were in the Final Four. Under their current coach, they are 11-8 in NCAA Tournament play.

Name that team.

By Paul Gotham

This team is looking to improve on their all-time record in the NCAA Tournament of six wins and seven losses. They have not earned a berth since 2004, but they are ranked in the top 25. They value the ball, limiting their turnovers to 11.8 per game (Houston leads the nation with 9 turnovers per game). This ball control limits the number of easy baskets scored by opponents. Maybe that is why they are holding those opponents to 38 percent from the field, including 28.7 percent from behind the arc. These numbers keep opposing offenses to 60 points a game while this team scores 67 a contest. Their strength of schedule is ranked 55th, but they are 2-0 against ranked teams. They have won two of three against the SEC and beaten the only Big12 team they have played.  That is why they rank in the top 30 of the RPI.

Name that team.

By Paul Gotham

This team made three Elite Eight appearances in the 90s and won 12 NCAA Tournament games in the decade, but they have not won a game in The Dance since 2001. By winning their conference tournament, they have qualified for the field of 65 the last two years. The recipe is different from the 90s, but the result is the same. In the 90s, this team played a stifling match-up. Now, they play straight up man to man. They are ranked in the top ten of three important categories. This team holds opponents to 57 points a game and limits opposing shooters to a three-point percentage of 28.5. You won’t see their opponents getting many open-floor lay ups because they know how to take care of the ball, only turning it over 10.8 times per game. Their strength of schedule is ranked 38th and their RPI is in the top 20.

Name that team.

By Paul Gotham

Continuing a new series here on Pickin’ Splinters. This feature is designed to help readers get familiar with teams around the country. After considering all the facts, make your guess as to the team being described. Please try and not look up the answer.

This team gets forgotten in their conference. With other schools from its league hovering near the top of the rankings, it is easy to overlook them. Nonetheless, they are hanging around in the top 25. Their recipe is time tested: rebounding and defense. Ranked in the top five of the nation in field goal percentage defense (36.6), rebound margin (8.8), and blocked shots (7.5). this team has won almost four times as many as they have lost despite playing a strength of schedule ranked 34th. Their defense feeds they offense as they hit 49 percent from the field (13th in the nation). They hit 39.7 percent from behind the three point arc. But their three-point defense is their achilles heel as they allow 33.3 percent from long range (144th in the country).

Name that team.

By Paul Gotham

Continuing a new series here on Pickin’ Splinters. This feature is designed to help readers get familiar with teams around the country. After considering all the facts, make your guess as to the team being described. Please try and not look up the answer.

Defense and rebounding are two trademarks of this team. Blocking shots is a way of life at this school. Like last year, this squad leads the nation in block shots per game – 8.9.  They are actually one block per game ahead of last year’s average. This team is also 10th in field goal percentage defense at 37.5 percent. Last year they finished at 37.7 – top ten in the country. Sure, they have already lost more games than last year, but they are still ranked in the AP, ESPN and RPI, and their strength of schedule is ranked number one. They know a thing or two about participating in a marathon. Thirteen former players from this program have roster spots in the N.B.A.

Name that team.