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OT: Pistol Pete’s record is safe — for now?

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NUCat320

Senior
Dec 4, 2005
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Needing 26 points to break Maravich’s NCAA scoring record, Detroit-Mercy’s Antoine Davis got 22 in a loss to Youngstown State.

UDM finishes their season 14-19. Antoine Davis has played his entire career for his dad, former IU coach Mike Davis. The Titans are 59-80 in their five years in The D.


In Pete’s senior season, without a shot clock or a three-point line, LSU scored 93 points per game. Amazingly, to me, that was only good for eighth in the nation.
 
GatoLouco

GatoLouco

Sophomore
Nov 13, 2019
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There's a chance they will play the CBI, so this might not be the end of the story.
 
jschufreider

jschufreider

Freshman
Aug 13, 2005
248
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Antoine has had a great career, but he’s had 4 seasons and a three point line to do what Maravich did in 3 seasons with only 2 pointers.

Apples to oranges comparison, IMHO.
 
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Secho99

Freshman
Dec 12, 2001
1,844
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jschufreider said:
Antoine has had a great career, but he’s had 4 seasons and a three point line to do what Maravich did in 3 seasons with only 2 pointers.

Apples to oranges comparison, IMHO.
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He’s played FIVE full seasons because of the Covid year, 144 games. Credit to him for being a consistently great scorer for 5 years, but yeah there’s no real comparison with Maravich.
 
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NUCat320

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Dec 4, 2005
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Man, looking at stats from that era, the game was just frenetic. Kentucky won the 1970 national championship and was third in the nation in scoring while attempting 79 field goals per game and 24 free throws. (Opponents shot 68.) That’s 182 potential points.

Gonzaga is this years highest-scoring team. They average 42 two-pointers, 20 three pointers, and 21 FTA per game. That’s 167 ‘potential’ points, 8% lower.

I do love sports-reference. Man, the game was different. Defense is for chumps. Let’s just chuck it.
 
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IdahoAlum

Freshman
May 29, 2001
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Totally different eras, that’s for sure. The late 1960s and early 1970s were the No-defense era. Check the leading scorers in the country in those days — all in the 30 point per game range.

I remember watching a Kentucky-LSU game in 1970 when Maravich scored 64 — and they lost because they gave up up 121 to Kentucky. I think Dan Issel had 53 for the Wildcats.

Yes there was no shot clock or three-pointer then, nor freshman eligibility. Think how many points Pistol would have added if he’d played as a freshman. But there were also virtually no black athletes in the SEC then either. Kentucky’s first black player, Tom Payne, didn’t debut until the 1970-71 season.
 
GatoLouco

GatoLouco

Sophomore
Nov 13, 2019
5,647
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Of course, it’s not apples to apples. Still remarkable you can get to those numbers.

I read that the best 20 games of the past three seasons, by any player, would still yield a lower ppg number than Maravich's average. Wow.

An interesting thing to me is that they both had less-than-stellar FG percentages. I think it was Pete 43%, Antoine 41%. But Antoine had a better 2 pt FG%. Pete was able to put up a ridiculous number of shots.

It’s never going to be apples to apples. Never. Not on this, not on anything compared across so many decades. A thing that really triggers me as the somewhat old man I am is the talk of how much better shooters are now.

Larry Bird took his first three-pointer in his rookie season in the NBA. Not a single attempt before, there was no line! Today kids practice the shot from when they’re in diapers. OK, hyperbole, point is there was no reason to practice the shot. Not apples to apples.
 
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NUCat320

Senior
Dec 4, 2005
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GatoLouco said:
Of course, it’s not apples to apples. Still remarkable you can get to those numbers.

I read that the best 20 games of the past three seasons, by any player, would still yield a lower ppg number than Maravich's average. Wow.

An interesting thing to me is that they both had less-than-stellar FG percentages. I think it was Pete 43%, Antoine 41%. But Antoine had a better 2 pt FG%. Pete was able to put up a ridiculous number of shots.

It’s never going to be apples to apples. Never. Not on this, not on anything compared across so many decades. A thing that really triggers me as the somewhat old man I am is the talk of how much better shooters are now.

Larry Bird took his first three-pointer in his rookie season in the NBA. Not a single attempt before, there was no line! Today kids practice the shot from when they’re in diapers. OK, hyperbole, point is there was no reason to practice the shot. Not apples to apples.
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Bird’s single-season peak was 3.3 3PA per game.

When he was at his ball-hogging peak five years ago, James Harden literally did that every quarter.

I do hope Davis gets the record, only because no career or single-season NCAA records will ever be broken again. Here’s to the five-year player.
 
jschufreider

jschufreider

Freshman
Aug 13, 2005
248
65
23
Secho99 said:
He’s played FIVE full seasons because of the Covid year, 144 games. Credit to him for being a consistently great scorer for 5 years, but yeah there’s no real comparison with Maravich.
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I stand corrected. Thanks, Secho.

really apples and bagels comparison.
 
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eastbaycat99

Sophomore
Mar 7, 2009
2,521
175
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IdahoAlum said:
Totally different eras, that’s for sure. The late 1960s and early 1970s were the No-defense era. Check the leading scorers in the country in those days — all in the 30 point per game range.

I remember watching a Kentucky-LSU game in 1970 when Maravich scored 64 — and they lost because they gave up up 121 to Kentucky. I think Dan Issel had 53 for the Wildcats.

Yes there was no shot clock or three-pointer then, nor freshman eligibility. Think how many points Pistol would have added if he’d played as a freshman. But there were also virtually no black athletes in the SEC then either. Kentucky’s first black player, Tom Payne, didn’t debut until the 1970-71 season.
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Part of the difference isn’t based on lack of defense in the pre-three era, but rather the absence of need to pass the ball and employ high screens to create good looks for 3-pointers. Before the 3 point line, most players on offense put the ball up on the first open shot opportunity in their range. With the 3 point shot, there is an advantage to giving up a 2 point shot for or a decent percentage 3 pointer set up by extra passes; in the old days offenses used more single screen sets, putting more offensive players in position to put up a quick shot.
 
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hdhntr1

All-Conference
Sep 5, 2006
37,465
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Secho99 said:
He’s played FIVE full seasons because of the Covid year, 144 games. Credit to him for being a consistently great scorer for 5 years, but yeah there’s no real comparison with Maravich.
Click to expand...
Were they only allowed to play 3 back then?
 
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phatcat_rivals223240

All-Conference
Nov 5, 2001
18,879
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GatoLouco said:
www.espn.com

Antoine Davis feels 'cheated' out of breaking NCAA scoring record

Detroit Mercy's Antoine Davis, who finished four points shy of breaking Pete Maravich's NCAA scoring record, told the AP he's "upset" about the Titans being denied an invitation to play in the CBI or inaugural College Hoops Postseason 8.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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I'd forgotten about the COVID extra year. Man, if you aren't gonna get it with a 5th full year, it might be unbreakable. Anybody good enough to threaten it will probably be in the NBA in one or 2 years.

I think Derek Adams punting records will last for a while. 5 full years plus an injury redshirt partial year, although the redshirt and COVID years end up as like one year total.
 
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NUCat320

Senior
Dec 4, 2005
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GatoLouco said:
www.espn.com

Antoine Davis feels 'cheated' out of breaking NCAA scoring record

Detroit Mercy's Antoine Davis, who finished four points shy of breaking Pete Maravich's NCAA scoring record, told the AP he's "upset" about the Titans being denied an invitation to play in the CBI or inaugural College Hoops Postseason 8.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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He should feel cheated that teams no longer play on a full sprint, which Pete’s teams did. Regardless, I hope he has a great career in China or Israel or Belgium or France, because I hope the best for everyone.

Also, I hope he does not get a role on his dad’s staffs, because then he’d be learning from a bad coach.
 
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