[stu]

These stats include just our seven losses and our seven closest wins. The idea is to find the differences.

On the left-side columns:

L includes only games we lost
W includes only games we won
Cal includes only our players
Opp includes only opposing players
grd includes only guards
big includes only bigs (and opposing players listed as guard/forward, maybe a mistake)
tot includes guards and bigs

          2FG-2FGA 2FG% 3FG-3FGA 3FG%  FT-FTA  FT% REB  PF PTS  A  TO BL ST  MIN

L Cal grd  69 184  .375  21  77  .273  53  88 .602  96  74 254 62  81  7 34  877
L Opp grd  58 135  .430  26  76  .342  56  77 .727  84  61 250 68  50  6 32  747
W Cal grd  75 181  .414  22  76  .289  51  83 .614 129  58 267 80  76  9 50  861
W Opp grd  68 170  .400  23  83  .277  46  66 .697 102  72 251 56  74  7 24  876
L Cal big  80 192  .417   1   1 1.000  43  78 .551 193  53 206 13  39 14 15  573
L Opp big  85 195  .436   6  20  .300  57  77 .740 149  73 245 31  49 26 35  703
W Cal big  75 155  .484   0   0        42  68 .618 159  61 192  9  49 17  6  564
W Opp big  54 128  .422   6  17  .353  33  50 .660  88  56 159 17  33 15 27  549
L Cal tot 149 376  .396  22  78  .282  96 166 .578 289 127 460 75 120 21 49 1450
L Opp tot 143 330  .433  32  96  .333 113 154 .734 233 134 495 99  99 32 67 1450
W Cal tot 150 336  .446  22  76  .289  93 151 .616 288 119 459 89 125 26 56 1425
W Opp tot 122 298  .409  29 100  .290  79 116 .681 190 128 410 73 107 22 51 1425

Most categories show modestly better Cal numbers and modestly worse opposing numbers in Cal wins, as one might expect. However a few stand out to me:

Three-point goals (for and against) are nearly the same in wins and losses.
Fouls (for and against) are close in wins and losses.
We score about the same in wins and losses, but opponents score more in losses.
We rebound about the same in wins and losses, but opponents rebound better in losses.
Our free-throw shooting is much worse than our opponents', though in wins our opponents attempt fewer.

The last three make me wonder if the difference is defense.

[Schroeder71]

http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/imag...L/CONFLDRS.HTM

Cal has weak "help" defense with only one of their four bigs a certified shot blocker, Genn Brandon. Cal is 10th in the conference in blocked shots. Other than rebounding, virtually every other defensive stat has Cal 7th or 8th in the Pac 12.

Actually, I believe Cal was statistically better on "D" under Boyle. I would say that the offense is better this season, however. The rebounding continues to be the strength of the team.

Since Cal has lost six close games out of seven overall losses, I also think that poor free-throw shooting (last in the conference), below average ball handling skills & too many critical mental errors by players/coaches have combined to cost the Bears bigtime this season.

GO BEARS!