LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Atlantic Coast Conference keeps track of 21 men's basketball team statistics at the league's official website.
The numbers range from traditional stats like scoring average and shooting percentage to more off-beat numbers like offensive and defensive rebounding percentage.
Duke leads the ACC with its 9-0 conference record. Clemson moved into second place Saturday, improving to 9-1 by defeating Virginia Tech. With Saturday off, Louisville slipped into third place at 8-1, that loss coming to Duke on Dec. 8.
But back to the 21 statistical categories. Duke, as expected, is the ACC leader in 11.
The Blue Devils average the most made three-point shots at nearly 10.4 per game. They're the best defensive rebounding team. They have the best turnover/assist ratio as well as the best three-point defense.
Guess how many categories are topped by coach Pat Kelsey's sizzling Louisville squad?
Maybe ... two?
Assists? The Cards typically have a high average number of assists. And perhaps turnover margin? They have forced more turnovers than they created in six of their last seven games.
Wrong.
And wrong.
The answer is zero.
The Cards are 0-21. They do not lead the ACC in any team statistical categories.
Duke tops 11. SMU leads five. Florida State tops two. North Carolina State, Clemson and Pittsburgh headline one.
Heck, Louisville ranks in the bottom half of the ACC in a half-dozen categories, including overall field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
But as the Cards prepare for what appears to be the most challenging home game remaining on the schedule when Wake Forest (15-5, 7-2) visits the KFC Yum! Center at 7 p.m. Tuesday, I uncovered one number where Louisville is miles ahead of the next ACC team: three-point field goals attempted.
The Cards have launched 622.
Duke ranks second in that category at 533.
Then Clemson at 496.
Is it a coincidence those are the three teams atop the ACC standings? We can discuss that later.
And while thrashing around in the numbers, I found another pair of statistics worth noting while trying to understand how the Cardinals have won eight of their nine ACC games.
In ACC action, Louisville is 97 for 260 from distance, a formidable 37.3%.
In their 11 non-ACC games, the Cardinals were considerably less accurate or dangerous. They made 100 of 362 shots — a troublesome 27.6%.
Their shooting percentage has climbed nearly 10 points.
Their number of threes made per game has improved from 9.1 in non-league games to 10.8 in ACC action. Kelsey's team has been outscored from distance in one of its nine ACC games — Virginia made eight of 21 in a 14-point loss at the KFC Yum! Center on Jan. 18 while the Cards shot six for 23.
Among teams from the five power conferences — ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big East and Big 10 — Kelsey has leaned into the three-point shot more than any other program.
The Cards rank first among the power league teams in percentage of field goal attempts taken from distance at 51.2%.
Among all teams, only North Dakota State, North Florida, William & Mary and Indiana State have taken a higher percentage.
Among power conference teams the second high percentage is 49.8% by Creighton. Third place drops to Duke at 47.9%.
The Cards average 31.1 shots from distance per game. That ranks sixth nationally, first among power conference teams, just ahead of Illinois.
Kentucky averages 27.4 threes per game. Rick Pitino and St. John's are at 19.9. For Indiana the number is 19.4.
Here is the thing about the Cards: As I mentioned several paragraphs earlier, Louisville's three-point shooting has moved solidly above the 33.3% break even line in ACC action.
Chucky Hepburn is 9 for 21 (42.9%) in his last three games. J'Vonne Hadley is 9 for 16 (56.3%) in his last five games. Freshman Khani Rooths has made all three attempts the last two games.
And Reyne Smith has been other worldly. In Louisville's seven ACC games in January, Smith is 34 for 73, a mere 46.6% from distance.
Three-point shooting has helped separate Louisville as the Cards chase Duke and Clemson atop the ACC.
Louisville Basketball Coverage:
- BOZICH | My weekly AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll ballot
- BOZICH | ACC men's basketball mid-season awards packed with Cards, Blue Devils
- BOZICH | 5 numbers to celebrate in Louisville's 9-game winning streak
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