The Hokies are off to a 6-1 start in men’s basketball, and they rank among the nation’s best teams offensively through their first seven games.  Tech is No. 2 nationally in points per game, at 98.7.  A quick look at some advanced stats shows us why the Hokies are averaging that many points.  Today’s article will cover some of those topics, and it will also show that Tech is on pace to be quite a bit better defensively this season.

Remember, there are 351 Division I college basketball teams involved in the rankings.

Effective Field Goal Percentage: No. 1

Effective Field Goal Percentage is a metric used in basketball that is similar to Field Goal Percentage, but adds an additional parameter. This parameter adjusts for the fact that 3-point field goals are worth 50 percent more points more than 2-point field goals.  Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller might have only been a career 47.1 percent shooter, but because he made so many three pointers, his Effective Field Goal Percentage was 54.4 percent for his career.

In this metric, the Hokies are ranked No. 1 in the country. No. 1, out of 351 teams.  Think about that for a second.  Virginia Tech is getting a lot of high percentage shots around the basket, and the team is filled with players who can knock down the open three-pointer.  Tech’s ball movement has been so good that lots of players are getting those open looks from the outside.

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