Below are the averages of our "big men" (loosely defined) for rebounds per game, rebounds per minute, and rebounds per 25 minutes -- the last so as to provide a useful point of comparison if a player were given roughly a starter-like full game of playing time with usual substitution patterns. The players:
Terrence Jennings -- 5.2 rebounds per game, .23 rebounds per minute, 5.75 rebounds per 25 minutes.
Gorgui Dieng -- 4.8 rebounds per game, .33 rebounds per minute, 8.25 rebounds per 25 minutes.
Stephan Van Treese -- 2.9 rebounds per game, .28 rebounds per minute, 7 rebounds per 25 minutes.
George Goode -- 1.1 rebounds per game, .15 rebounds per minute, 3.75 rebounds per 25 minutes.
Kyle Kuric -- 2.8 rebounds per game, .12 rebounds per minute, 3 rebounds per 25 minutes.
Chris Smith -- 3.9 rebounds per game, .19 rebounds per minute, 4.75 rebounds per 25 minutes.
Complete and current player statistics here.
Some quick observations, in lieu of any hard conclusions and skipping the usual warning about the misleading nature of statistics:
* There's no sleeping giant on this bench. Without question, Rock is our best rebounder, Dieng our second best. Without them, there's a significant dropoff in rebounding ability, shedding further light on how screwed we were when both went down with injuries last week.
* The numbers also underscore what we already know -- Terrence Jennings isn't getting it done on the boards. When you set playing time at 25 minutes, Gorgui Dieng is pulling down almost three rebounds more; even Van Treese is outrebounding him significantly. TJ -- 6 foot 10, highly recruited out of high school, until recently our starting center -- is at present our fourth most efficient rebounder? Hell, Chris Smith barely trails him in rebounds per minute. TJ, come on!
* Van Treese's averages are higher than I would have expected. Until Buckles comes back, it might be time to step up his minutes significantly (he averages 10 minutes per game).
* In light of Jennings' rebounding woes, this blog and others have been clamoring for George Goode to receive more significant playing time. If granted, he would have to step up his level of performance. To this point, he's averaged the least amount of Louisville's legitimate big men. However, he's also seen the least amount of PT.
* At 6 foot 4, can we realistically expect Kyle Kuric to pull down many more rebounds? I'd like to see him step it up especially on the offensive glass, but there are limits at that height for players not named (or not as rotund as) Charles Barkley. Then again...
* Chris Smith, all of 6 foot 2, is a rebounding dynamo. Maybe we should start him at the 4.
* Where are we going to get more rebounding while Rock's injury heals?
You've answered your own question. SVT can and will be our rebounding answer. I say we use him in a "tall" lineup set with Jennings and use Dieng in the "small" lineup set when Kuric or another guard is playing the 4.
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Maybe if Jennings grabs someone by the leg at the beginning of the game, instead of at the end. Then when he hurts all the other players he might get some boards.
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