Four Factor Friday: Nov. 18, 2016
UNC is 3–0 and beating opponents by an average of 29 points.
- Effective field goal percentage
- Turnover percentage
- Offensive rebounding
- Free throw rate
Here’s how the Tar Heels are measuring up after 3 games in effective field goal percentage.
eFG%
Effective field goal percentage takes into account that a 3-point field goal is worth more than a 2-point field goal.
It’s calculated: eFG% = (.5 * 3FGM + FGM) / FGA * 100
OFFENSIVE eFG%
UNC’s offensive eFG% is 55.5% through 3 games. The Tar Heels have made 21 3-point shots and 100 total shots in 199 shot attempts.
eFG% = (.5 * 21 + 100) / 199 * 100 = 55.53%
Carolina has scored 142 of its 255 points (49.8%) in the paint, while a good chunk of the other 50% of points has come from behind the 3-point line.
Joel Berry II and Justin Jackson are big reasons why. The junior duo has combined to make 14 of the Tar Heels 21 3-point baskets.
Berry has posted a career-high twice already in 3 games, and as Adrian Atkinson points out, Berry is turning in an eye-opening 75.9 eFG% on his own.
Classmate Justin Jackson is shooting 43% from 3 and averaging 23.7 points per 40 minutes through 3 games. Jackson posted his own career-high, 27 points, in the season-opener at Tulane too.
Jackson has gotten off to somewhat of a faster start than the previous 2 seasons.
For example, it took Jackson 12 games to make 6 3-pointers in his freshman season. He made 4 the first game of his junior campaign, and already has 6 through 3 games this year.
DEFENSIVE eFG%
The same calculation can be used for Tar Heel opponents. Through 3 games, UNC’s defensive eFG% is 41.5%.
This is an impressive mark, albeit against not the stiffest of competition. Opponents have only scored 35% of their points in the paint against UNC in 3 games.
Tulane, Chattanooga, and Long Beach State combined to shoot 39% from the field and 30% from behind the 3-point line against Carolina.
It’s clear UNC has shown hints of really good defense early. Carolina forced 26 turnovers against Chattanooga, the most they’ve forced since 2008.
And as Bobby Hundley points out, the Heels held Chattanooga to only .73 points per possession, which is a mark that was only topped once a season ago.
#UNCBBall held Chattanooga to 0.73 PPP Sunday. Only once last year (ACCT vs. ND, 0.68) did the Carolina D top that performance.
— Bobby Hundley (@bhundley) November 15, 2016
UNC is back in action at 1 am EST at Hawai’i, before opening the Maui Invitational on Monday, Nov. 21 against Chaminade.