Iowa’s +/- in 2013 Big Ten play after 3 games (premium)

By Brendan Stiles

HawkeyeDrive.com

Plus-minus (+/-) is a statistic used by basketball coaches in evaluating individual players and how their team performs when that player’s in a game. In recent years, +/- has become commonplace in NBA box scores, but not something that’s typically mentioned much regarding college basketball. Personally, I find it interesting because while it isn’t a know-all, be-all statistic and wasn’t intended to be such a thing, it can provide some context.

Using data gathered by the web site statsheet.com, I have put together a list of Iowa’s plus-minuses during Big Ten play thus far. This will be a series of posts after every three of Iowa’s conference games, so the next set of plus-minuses will be after six games, then after nine games and so on. The reason why the data below is looking specifically at Big Ten games is because these are the teams Iowa’s playing on a regular basis and having to measure itself with.

Something to keep in mind with this first three-game set of data: Iowa lost all three games and all three of its opponents were ranked at the times of these defeats. As a result, there’s only one Hawkeye player right now — junior forward Zach McCabe — who currently has a plus.

(In other words, if Iowa wins its next three games or even wins two of its next three, the numbers you see with individual players now (barring injuries, suspensions, etc.) will probably look different after Iowa’s game at Ohio State, which is when the next set of data will be published.)

There are three sets of numbers next to each name. The number surrounded by parentheses is the +/-. The first set of numbers is the point differential when that particular player is playing. Next to the +/- is the number of minutes played during the Big Ten season.

Underneath each player’s name will be data from the three most recent games, which will then be broken up with data from each individual game. In this case, the “Last 3 games” are also the first three, so it will obviously be the same as the season total.

The games featured in this first set are Iowa’s three losses to No. 5 Indiana on Dec. 31, No. 2 Michigan on Jan. 6 and No. 22 Michigan State on Jan. 10. Freshman guard Pat Ingram did not see any minutes against Indiana and junior guard Devyn Marble missed Iowa’s most recent game against Michigan State due to an ankle injury, so their numbers are only based off two games instead of three.

IOWA’s BIG TEN (+/-) AFTER 3 GAMES:

Aaron White: 137-175; (-38); 87:54

Last 3 games: 137-175; (-38); 87:54

– vs. Indiana: 54-65; (-11); 33:23

– at Michigan: 36-57; (-21); 20:26

– vs. Michigan State: 47-53; (-6); 34:05

Mike Gesell: 136-140; (-4); 85:17

Last 3 games: 136-140; (-4); 85:17

– vs. Indiana: 58-63; (-5); 34:55

– at Michigan: 31-35; (-4); 20:27

– vs. Michigan State: 47-42; (+5); 29:55

Anthony Clemmons: 117-148; (-31); 72:07

Last 3 games: 117-148; (-31); 72:07

– vs. Indiana: 41-46; (-5); 23:28

– at Michigan: 49-61; (-12); 26:55

– vs. Michigan State: 27-41; (-14); 21:44

Devyn Marble: 101-139; (-38); 60:23

Last 3 games: 101-139; (-38); 60:23

– vs. Indiana: 49-64; (-15); 31:31

– at Michigan: 52-75; (-23); 28:52

– vs. Michigan State: DNP

Eric May: 75-87; (-12); 52:17

Last 3 games: 75-87; (-12); 52:17

– vs. Indiana: 10-2; (+8); 6:07

– at Michigan: 20-36; (-16); 14:29

– vs. Michigan State: 45-49; (-4); 31:41

Josh Oglesby: 82-107; (-25); 52:00

Last 3 games: 82-107; (-25); 52:00

– vs. Indiana: 31-27; (+4); 20:19

– at Michigan: 34-60; (-26); 20:15

– vs. Michigan State: 17-20; (-3); 11:26

Adam Woodbury: 77-97; (-20); 49:27

– Last 3 games: 77-97; (-20); 49:27

– vs. Indiana: 21-33; (-12); 18:25

– at Michigan: 41-47; (-6); 19:07

– vs. Michigan State: 15-17; (-2); 11:55

Zach McCabe: 91-89; (+2); 47:02

Last 3 games: 91-89; (+2); 47:02

– vs. Indiana: 33-23; (+10); 11:54

– at Michigan: 16-27; (-11); 11:33

– vs. Michigan State: 42-39; (+3); 23:35

Melsahn Basabe: 64-65; (-1); 41:17

Last 3 games: 64-65; (-1); 41:17

– vs. Indiana: 17-12; (+5); 9:28

– at Michigan: 19-30; (-11); 13:35

– vs. Michigan State: 28-23; (+5); 18:14

Gabe Olaseni: 40-45; (-5); 25:21

Last 3 games: 40-45; (-5); 25:21

– vs. Indiana: 11-10; (+1); 4:28

– at Michigan: 22-29; (-7); 15:19

– vs. Michigan State: 7-6; (+1); 5:34

Pat Ingram: 33-34; (-1); 19:35

Last 3 games: 33-34; (-1); 19:35

– vs. Indiana: DNP

– at Michigan: 13-14; (-1); 7:59

– vs. Michigan State: 20-20; (0); 11:36

*The next post in this series will come following the Hawkeyes’ next three games against Northwestern, Wisconsin and No. 15 Ohio State with data from those three contests. For more on the (+/-) statistic, current Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts wrote this article about it from his days as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks.