Comparisons: HS/AAU & More

#2 posting 8.20.2006
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COMPARISONS
Today we will look at numbers from the seasons just concluded, compare & contrast, and then offer up suggestions to make next summer better.

First off let us look at the numbers
Level of play, points per game, possessions per game, pp100, floor %
Minnesota HS 54.77, 66.1, 82.91, .404
Iowa HS 48.66, 58.36, 83.36, .407
JUCO 66.3, 79.9, 82.98, .395
AAU 49.13, 60.6, 81.04, .391
Lynx 74.15, 77.29, 95.93, .459

You would hope the pros would have a higher pp100 and floor % and they do, but this is from a team that was 10-24. Defensively the Lynx gave up 103.76 and a floor % of .485. So you can see the difference between being on top and the bottom in the WNBA is narrow.

In general HS ball had better pp100 and floor % than AAU. Why? practice, practice, practice. I also think that on these AAU teams all these wonderful scorers are loaded on a team and the pedigrees are impressive, but the role players are few and far between, or they are slow in developing.

The Iowa information is only state tournament information when I was there, and it should be remembered that MN played 36 minutes last year, not 32. So if we break it down in points per minute it looks like this
Minnesota 1.5214
Iowa 1.5206
Pretty close. Add in possessions per minute
Minnesota 1.8361
Iowa 1.8238
and MN is playing a slightly faster paced game.
If we break down the MN and AAU numbers down by class
A 54.19, 67, 80.82, .393
AA 56.94, 68.1, 83.58, .403
AAA 52.98, 65.8, 80.55, .396
AAAA 55.15, 65.1, 84.72, .412
It is evident that the higher the class, the better the teams. More pp100, better floor %, and less possessions all point in that direction.
The same can be said for age classifications in AAU
16+ 49.51, 59.9, 82.62, .395
15 47.95, 62.21, 77.07, .387
14 47.11, 65.44, 71.99, .358
Again the older players better be more skilled than their younger sisters. Right down the line again--better pp100, better floor %, less possessions. This is probably due to better ball handling and passing decisions.
But still the HS teams are higher than the AAU on average. Is it true for the better teams?

TEAM COMPARISONS
We look at a couple of teams from each season. In HS I have chosen Hopkins, and Bloomington Kennedy, the two finalists in the AAAA tournament in Minnesota. Hopkins won the title, and they did it on defense. I am also tossing in the GBB Recruit summer team of the year (North Tartan) and offensive team of the year (SD Elite). Here are the numbers with the defensive pp100, and defensive floor % second.
Hopkins 97.69, .493, 78.41, .364
Kennedy 102.92, .487, 85.29, .400
North Tartan 97.77, .468, 64.24, .313
SD Elite 108.01, .471, 78.06, .363
As you can see pretty similar numbers throughout. The North Tartan defense was suffocating (just ask New Mexico Heat Elite). Hopkins put up the best floor % numbers on offense. I think the reason they don't have a better pp100 was probably due to the missed free throws--they didn't max out their points on the possession.

PLAYER COMPARISONS
First off congratulations to Seimone Augustus of the Lynx for being named WNBA rookie of the year. I don't even see how it could be debated. If Cappie Pondexter and Augustus were switched, Phoenix would have made the playoffs.
Anyway here are the numbers for Augustus 113.76 pp100, .549. No other Lynx made it past 100 ppg or .500 playing full time. Chandi Jones did make 154.55, and .636 in a limited injury plagued year.
Now let us look at the numbers for the HS and AAU players
Jillian Schurle, Hopkins had the best HS numbers last year 132.7, .660
Jill Young, SD Elite summer player of the year named by GBB Recruit was 135.9, and .538. It must be the year of the Jill. Young's numbers on the floor % were a bit lower due to the 3s attempted.

So the players numbers in HS and AAU are comparable, but their is one big difference: HS players might not go up against strong players night in and night out. Which leads us to the differences

I understand why recruiters like AAU
1. They can plant their rear end down and watch many different kids
2. The speed of the game is faster than in HS
3. Bigger bodies, in general.
4. They also don't have to travel down ice slicked highways to a country crossroad. They can watch in sandals.
but I think HS is more like college than AAU
1. you have conference play where you know your opponents, their tendancies, their tricks. In AAU you are flying blind at times.
2. You are only playing one game a day. Four games in a day in AAU in sauna like conditions is probably not the best indicator if they can play. Can you imagine the NCAA DI tournament held on a weekend?
3. You are practicing every day or more. In AAU you are lucky to get your squad together at one time with all the spring distractions. That is why AAU numbers are down in pp100 and floor %--lack of practice time together. I do not credit defense for the lower numbers, but lack of familiarity with their teammates.

HOW TO IMPROVE SUMMER
Tournaments
1. have air conditioned gyms if possible
2. schedule the finals of all ages/classes so the fans can see them.
3. have rosters/programs available. Actually this was pretty good for the month of July.
4. don't sic the dogs on the poor reporter trying to get information. I have to say I was treated well by most tournaments, but two need to improve their people skills.

Teams
1. get a website with all the information available on your team. This is 2006, not 1966.
2. get uniforms with nice contrasting colors. One team had uniforms that were impossible to read because the colors were too close. White on a dark color. or Black on a light, very light color will work.
3. get uniforms with your name on the back. That way we won't have to keep referring to the program. It shows a classy organization.
4. scheduling tournaments. If x is good it doesn't mean 10x is ten times as good. Perhaps two tournaments in July should do the trick. Some one will see them. Some teams and players were just dragging by the end.
5. get practice time and players that can be there. I am not in favor of forcing kids to pick one sport and I am not in favor of raiding the spring HS sports.

Structure
1. Have a real national tournament. I am tired of reading about this or that tournament when the best players and teams aren't even there. Every state should be at a national tournament. Make that tournament the last weekend in July. And only send one team from each state. Then the state tournaments will be ferocious, and you will get an undisputed national champ.
2. Get rid of the age divisions and go with graduating class. Why should they be split up now? All the players will graduate and go off to college in the same year anyway. Age divisions are a relic from another age and dinosaurs refuse to do what is common sense because they have a vested interest in continuing down this dead end street.
3. push the start of AAU tryouts off the day after the State tournament. I was told of a school that had to delay their welcome home celebration due to the AAU tryouts. That is just plain wrong. Plus kids should be able to inhale and exhale for a moment to savor the season.

Players
1. look like you are having fun, and not like you are going to the mines.

Thanks to all the readers that make this site the first and last source of girls basketball news. Keep up the good work. Keep me fed.

Next up: tomorrow afternoon with the general news of the day.