Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Wiggins Piling Up the Numbers

Demajeo Wiggins is piling up the numbers this year, his senior year.  His stats are significant on a national level.  For example, here are his national rankings:

Double-doubles:  #1
Rebounds per game:  #1
Total Rebounds:  #2
Defensive rebounds per game:  #3
Offensive rebounds per game:  #6
Defensive rebound rate: #8 (from kenpom, number of rebounds based on available rebounds).

His 19 rebounds in the last game is tied for #7 in the country this year.

He started the year with 704 rebounds.  With 129 this year, he is at 823, moving from #10 to #6.  For you old-timers, he passed Rex Leach, Anthony Stacey, Al Dixon and Ron Hammye. 

Here are the standings right now:

1. Nate Thurmond (61-63) 1295
2. Cornelius Cash (73-75) 1068
3. Len Matela (98-02) 890
4. Colin Irish (80-84) 871
5. Jim Connally (69-71) 851
6.  Demajeo Wiggins 823

There are at least 22 games left on the schedule.  He's a lock to make it to #3 career, assuming he's healthy.  If he continues at the 12.9 rate, he would finish with 1,106 rebounds and be #2 on the list, passing Cornelius Cash.  Obviously, the odds get better with more postseason games, but MAC play probably softens that average as well.  He'd only need 8 a game to get to 1,000, putting him over 1,000 in scoring and rebounds,

One note, just for context.  Total rebounds is a stat that is biased toward current players, who play 4 years and more games.  When Cash played at BG, freshmen weren't eligible.  Even with his big numbers this year, Wiggins is not in the top 10 for rebounding average--he stands at 7.9 and #10 is at 8.  Cash averaged over 13 rebounds a game in his BG career.

Anyway, Wiggins is off to a big year, the biggest year we've seen statistically for quite some time.  Enjoy watching.

No comments :