The Debates: Best Player

The following is part two of three of a series of debates featuring Jonathan Safir, Ricky Winkeller, and Jordan Sperber. For part two, we will be examining the best player in the KenPom player era (2005-2012).

The Debates: Best Team

The following is part one of three of a series of debates featuring Jonathan Safir, Ricky Winkeller, and Jordan Sperber. For part one, we will be examining the best team in the KenPom era (2003-2012).

A Whirlwind of Recruiting

My first post on HoopVision was going to be an analysis on the impact of a top-15 recruiting class (according to Rivals.com) in both college basketball and football. In a year when Kentucky wins the national championship after its third consecutive #1 ranked recruiting class, the impact of the one-and-done rule seemed to have manifested itself into one of the best college basketball teams in the last two decades. In the analysis versus football, we should have seen that a top recruiting class in basketball has a bigger impact in the first year than it does in football, where players stay in school much longer.

However, the correlation between winning percentage and X number of years after a top-15 recruiting class was low. Very little change from year one down the road. So, we decided to keep the analysis to basketball only and look at what a top recruiting class does to a team.

A Video Charter’s Guide To The Final Four | Stat Geek Idol

The following is the third (Final Four) post I wrote for TeamRankings' Stat Geek Idol. For more information on the competition click here.

Last week, I attempted to quantify Wisconsin’s Swing Offense through the use of video charting. With the Final Four, I set out on a similar goal for Louisville, Ohio State, Kentucky, and Kansas.

To analyze each offense I watched each offensive possession from the Elite Eight of the Final Four teams in slow motion and charted categories such as: number of passes, shot location, defender proximity, number of dribbles the shooter takes, time of possession, number of players crashing the boards, and more. When it was all said and done, I was about 3% closer to becoming a video charting expert.

Video Charting The Swing Offense Of The Wisconsin Badgers | Stat Geek Idol

The following is the second (Sweet 16) post I wrote for TeamRankings' Stat Geek Idol. For more information on the competition click here.

The Wisconsin Badgers, led by Coach Bo Ryan, are a familiar topic of discussion for stat geeks.

The foundation of advanced statistics in basketball is tempo free. That is, numbers that are not influenced by the pace a team plays at. The Badgers are of course known for their slow pace. Without looking at Wisconsin on a per possession basis, you cannot compare them to teams that play faster.

To analyze Bo Ryan’s Swing Offense I watched each Wisconsin possession versus Vanderbilt in the Round of 32 in slow motion and charted categories such as: number of passes, shot location, defender proximity, number of dribbles the shooter takes, time of possession, and more.

Quantity Over Quality: Getting More Whacks At The Pinata | Stat Geek Idol

The following is a post I wrote for TeamRankings' Stat Geek Idol. For more information on the competition click here.

Earth shattering revelation: you have to make shots to win basketball games. This is an undeniable truth inherent in the great game Dr. Naismith created.

More controversial statement: you DON’T have to shoot well to win basketball games.

These two statements may seem inconsistent on the surface, but in fact are both true. Not every possession consists of one shot. Empty possessions are ones that end in a turnover before a shot is put up. On the contrary, other possessions consist of several shots via the offensive rebound.

Simply put, the quantity of shots you take is just as important as the quality.