SEC style: Too physical, or not enough post skills?

[Biggus Piggus]

Ken Pomeroy statistics show the Southeastern Conference with some peculiar biases in style of play.

The league ranks No. 1 among all conferences in shotblocking. Other highest rankings: Free throw attempts as a % of field goal attempts (comparing the number of free throws taken with the number of shots from the floor); and offensive rebounding percentage.

The SEC ranks 31st among conferences for 2-point field goal shooting percentage and free throw shooting percentage. Also relatively low for effective field goal % (because of the 2's), offensive efficiency (same), frequency of steals, and turnover frequency.

Yes -- low steals, high turnovers. Implies that the SEC commits a lot of unforced turnovers -- which suggests highly physical style of play.

The conference's 2-point shooting percentage was just under 47%. Is this because of style, a lack of skill, lack of bigs, what?

Overall, low offensive efficiency might be the main factor holding back SEC men's basketball. Hard to imagine many SEC teams in the Dance if few teams can score well against good defense--or whatever style of defense is allowed.

[Uncommon]

I blame Missouri.

[Atlhogfan1]

Style, not enough skill, guard play.  Other than UK, no other SEC team is producing NBA quality guards consistently especially PGs.  That probably goes to that unforced turnover thing too.  We have had coaches like Fox, Anderson and Pearl whose teams play physical.  UK and SC whose best offense sometimes is offensive rebounding.  Then we added Howland and Barnes who also have the reputations of having physical defenses.  One of the few times Dean Smith went after another coach publicly was when Barnes was at Clemson for how he played.  Less talent and skill meant he thought his best shot was to get physical.  OM has been a program that has played this way as well. 

[jm]

It is mostly lack of skill. There is no passing game to speak of.  SEC offences basically give the ball to one guy and he drives to the basket for a wild shot hoping for a foul. Once in a while he may pass off, but more often he will throw it at the rim and hope for a foul or offensive rebound. There aren't many possessions where a team tries an inside out game, or a center passes it out and re-posts.
The officiating doesn't help either. They allow WWF wrestling inside but call touch fouls on the dribble drive. There is no incentive to play a traditional passing/work for position style.

[Biggus Piggus]

The officiating approach disdains steals but invites physical contact anywhere close to the basket. Unless someone is driving of course. Weird.

[hobhog]

The officiating approach disdains steals but invites physical contact anywhere close to the basket. Unless someone is driving of course. Weird.

The contact around the basket is insane......