Breaking down the defense
kj on Apr 14th 2009
A couple months ago, KenPom added something called “defensive fingerprint” on each team page. Mr. Pomeroy’s explanation:
Defensive Fingerprint attempts to objectively identify the style of a team’s defense. Inputs into the system are the departure from the D-1 norm of the following defensive characteristics…
- assist percentage (triple weight, higher means a more likely zone team)
- [...]
Just how good was MSU’s rebounding this season?
kj on Apr 12th 2009
From a four factors perspective, rebounding was clearly the dominant strength of this year’s MSU basketball team. The team ranked 6th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage and 11th nationally in defensive rebounding percentage. In none of the other six offensive/defensive four factor components did MSU rank higher than 50th nationally.
It seems clear that, given the [...]
Avoiding the swat
kj on Apr 3rd 2009
The scariest piece of UConn’s statistical profile is the number of shots they block. The Huskies swatted away roughly one out of every six (17.2%) shots their opponents attempted from two-point range this season.
MSU, meanwhile, improved somewhat this season in avoiding getting their shots blocked, reducing their offensive block% from 9.8% to 8.4%. But it’s [...]
Coffee Talk: Enjoying the Ride
kj on Mar 30th 2009
It’s now been 30 hours since MSU punched its ticket to the Final Four. And the buzz still hasn’t worn off.
Just over 115 hours remain until the team takes the floor in Detroit against the Huskies. So we’ve got plenty of time to break down that match-up.
For now, let’s step back and savor the four-game [...]
Pop Quiz
kj on Mar 23rd 2009
Among the players in MSU’s regular ten-man rotation:
Which player ranks 3rd on the team in offensive rating?
Which player ranks 2nd (tie) in defensive rebounding percentage?
Which player ranks 4th in assist rate?
Which player ranks 3rd in block percentage?
Which player ranks 2nd in steal percentage?
Which player ranks 2nd in free throw rate?
Hint: The same player is the [...]
Coffee Talk: Who Plays on the Wing?
kj on Mar 19th 2009
Going into NCAA Tournament play, our starting lineup looks like it may finally be completely healthy. Kalin Lucas, Travis Walton, Raymar Morgan, Delvon Roe, and Goran Suton should all be able to play 25-30 minutes per game at near 100%. (Roe is perhaps the exception to this statement, but he’s certainly as ready to contribute [...]
Wednesday Night Musings
kj on Mar 11th 2009
Wednesday Night Links
Kalin Lucas is OK despite bruised hand
Please, no more injuries.
Conference Check: Final Reality Edition
We finished in a tie with Illinois for lowest defensive efficiency in the Big Ten (more on that below).
Conference Tournament Odds: Log5 Style
BP’s system gives us a 33.7% chance of winning the BTT title.
Big Ten Tournament history
Sadly, we rank only [...]