When Iowa played Iowa State last weekend, many fans in Carver-Hawkeye Arena became upset when they realized Gabe Olaseni had been on the floor for only six minutes in the first half.
Granted, Iowa had a good amount of success against the Cyclones before the break, and head coach Fran McCaffery has shown a tendency to shorten his rotation in big games this season.
But still, as has become a theme over the past few seasons, some of those Hawkeye fans called for more time for Olaseni. Through 11 games this season, Adam Woodbury has played 235 minutes, and Olaseni has racked up 191.
One of the most basic metrics is points per game, and the two are fairly similar, with Woodbury averaging 8.8 per game to Olaseni’s 8.45. They’re also similar in turnovers and fouls committed, and Olaseni has the advantage in field-goal percentage at 59.3 to Woodbury’s 52.9.
Their use percentages, which estimate the number of plays each one is involved in when they’re on the floor, are fairly similar, too. According to College Basketball Reference, Olaseni is used in 21.5 percent of plays, while his teammate is in 20.4 percent.
One more thing to preface this with before diving into disparity is the fact Woodbury has played 47 more minutes than Olaseni in Iowa’s “big” games (read: Texas, Syracuse, North Carolina, and Iowa State) this season.
Defensive rating — Olaseni 79.7, Woodbury 85.4
As the DI detailed in the Dec. 11, 2013 edition of “The Box Score”, Olaseni has a leg up in this statistic, which estimates the points the player allows per 100 possessions.
Olaseni’s offensive rating is 123.9, and Woodbury’s sits at 101.3
That defensive rating is partially because of Olaseni’s ability to stop shots from getting to the rim.
Blocks — Olaseni 28, Woodbury 4
Unless he or someone else tops it, Olaseni’s monstrous block on Abdel Nader in the first half of the Iowa State game is going to go down as the block of the year for the Hawkeyes.
With the high number of shots the London native has swatted this year, it’s not too far out of the question for that scenario to happen. His 28 rejections rank second in the Big Ten behind Purdue’s A.J. Hammons.
Woodbury, on the other hand, has obviously struggled in this category.
In Iowa’s biggest four games
As mentioned above, Iowa has played four big games this season. The Hawkeyes are 1-3 in those contests, with the only win coming on the road at North Carolina. Whether it was by McCaffery’s design or not, that was the most balanced game in terms of minutes each has played this season. Woodbury got 23 minutes to Olaseni’s 17.
In these contests, Woodbury, the starter, has out-performed his counterpart. He’s totaled 103 minutes, 39 points (16-of-29 from the floor), 25 rebounds, 1 block, 7 turnovers, and 12 fouls.
Olaseni, on the other hand, has played for 54 minutes, scored 14 points on 4-of-12 shooting, pulled down 13 rebounds, blocked 8 shots, turned the ball over once, and recorded 13 fouls.
A game-by-game breakdown for each player (Woodbury’s stats listed first, followed by Olaseni’s):
• Texas: 29 minutes, 10 points (4-of-7 from the floor), 7 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls. 13 minutes, 0 points (0-of-3), 2 rebounds, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers, 4 fouls.
• Syracuse: 28 minutes, 12 points (5-of-8), 5 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls. 11 minutes, 2 points (0-of-2), 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 fouls.
• North Carolina: 24 minutes, 11 points (5-of-7), 7 rebounds, 1 turnover, 4 fouls. 16 minutes, 7 points (2-of-4), 5 rebounds, 1 block, and 4 fouls.
• Iowa State: 22 minutes, 6 points (2-of-7), 6 rebounds, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls. 14 minutes, 5 points (2-of-3), 2 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 turnover, and 3 fouls.
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