ACC Shooting Trending Up

Based on team shooting accuracy, anyway, it appears the level of play in the ACC this season is objectively stronger top to bottom than it’s been of late.

Back in the early days, before the 3-pointer, you might think team field goal percentage were generally higher than they are now. You know, all that working the ball inside.

Well, history says otherwise.

In fact, in the ACC’s first decade it was not unusual to have one or several teams make under 40 percent from the floor. Twice the preponderance of ACC squads (6 of 8 in 1955 and 1959) shot that poorly. Since the mid-60s, however, teams have dropped that low only four times.

Then, in six of the past seven seasons, the worst-shooting ACC teams resumed flirting with the 40 percent mark, a level of field goal fecklessness that had all but vanished for more than four decades. Six of the worst 13 field goal percentages were posted by teams since 2011. As recently as 2016 Boston College hit .409 from the floor.

This year, however, there’s been a notable uptick. The season is only half over, but the worst is not so bad. Down at the bottom in team field goal shooting, Georgia Tech is at .421 even after an execrable .340 effort (17-50) in a home loss over the weekend against Louisville.