Big East Basketball: Analyzing Creighton, UConn and Villanova by the numbers

Turnover percentage

Villanova- The Wildcats 7.9 turnovers per game is the best in the nation, a stat that is even better when it comes to conference play as they average fewer than six turnovers per game. In every Big East game, they have played as of Jan.19.2021, the Wildcats have made more free-throws than committed turnovers. The player that should be credited the most for this nation’s best stat is senior point guard Collin Gillespie.

At over 33 minutes per game and with a usage rate of 21 percent, Gillispie averages 1.2 turnovers per 100 possessions, while their leading scorer Jeremiah Robinson-Earl averages less than a single turnover per game. Their lack of turnovers allows them to attempt the most field-goals in the Big East per game and that is a lot of potential points.

Defensively there has not been a Big East game that the Wildcats have played that has not had double-digit turnovers. The over fourteen forced turnovers by their opponents have resulted in an 18.8 percent turnover ratio and fewer scoring opportunities. The result is that the Wildcats allow the second least amount of field goal attempts.

Creighton- The Bluejays turn the ball over just 12.7 percent of the time, yet that is nearly twice as often as the WIldcats. Four of the Bluejays’ starters average at least three turnovers per 100 possessions. Since field goal attempts and free-throw attempts are part of the turnover ratio, when you end a possession with one of those two types of shots, you have not turned the ball over, and Creighton does put up the sixth-most shots in the Big East.

Defensively their 12.5 percent is yet again very close to their offensive rating. In six of their eight conference games, Creighton’s opponents have committed double-digit turnovers, one of their opponents who did not commit ten or more ended up defeating Creighton.

Connecticut- Among the three current Big East contenders the Huskies bring up the rear in turnover percentage at 13.6 percent. There double digit-turnover totals in every conference game is the main culprit in this stat. Injured starting point guard James Bouknight has averaged almost three turnovers per game, but he Huskies are averaging two additional turnovers over the last two games without him. This category could have been worse if the Huskies did not attempt the most free-throws in the Big East.

Their opponent’s turnover percentage is very impressive, but at 17.7 percent it still trails Villanova. It is not easy to get shots off versus the Huskies as they allow the second-fewest shot attempts in the conference. It has to be noted that the Huskies average over eight steals per game, which makes their opponent turnover percentage a product of great on-ball defense.

Team TOV percentage: ‘Nova beats Creighton / Creighton beats UCONN / ‘Nova beats UCONN

Opp. TOV percentage: UCONN beats Creighton / ‘Nova beats Creighton / ‘Nova beats UCONN