For the record, last night’s Maryland/Hampton game had an estimated 96 possessions. That would have ranked as the third-most hectic game for all of last season. The 54 free throws shot by Maryland would have been second-most in a game (55 by Penn vs. Navy, 12/2/05).

As many of you have noticed, things have been behind schedule around here. I mentioned it a few times last season, but the old-style Pomeroy Ratings are going away this season in favor of a system based on basketball things. Due to this, there won’t be any preseason ratings. We’ll just watch it evolve together […]

So, yeah, here it is. The Big 12 preview in all its glory. I can’t guarantee it’s the best preview out there, but it is different from anything you’ve read this season. Much thanks to the Big Ten Wonk for providing the conference-only stats you’ll find in there. Be sure to check out his Big […]

It probably goes without saying, but I’m on hiatus until my Big 12 preview is complete. And I know I said it would be October, but don’t expect it until Halloween. I hope it will be worth your wait…

It’s time for the annual look at luck. In order to keep things fresh, I’m throwing my old buddy Pythagoras to the curb and leaning on a new pal, Karl Friedrich Gauss, to show us the way to the luckiest and unluckiest teams in the game last season. You see, past versions of this post […]

I think it’s safe to say that normally, when a team loses just one starter and returns its entire bench corps, we can expect that team to improve the following season. Especially when the departing player wasn’t drafted and wasn’t picked on the top two all-conference teams in his conference. (OK, technically, he was second […]

Let’s just say it wasn’t the most scientific survey ever conducted. It was basically a contest to see who could build the best vote-casting robot. While it was flattering to see the lengths people would go to in order to push their conference to victory, I do realize that about 30 fans cast these votes. […]

I’d like to do a comprehensive conference preview, with the usual objective stats-based analysis. However, I have no preference as to which conference I’ll preview. So please, help me decide among the available choices (OK, I do have a few preferences). Big Ten excluded because others can do it better. Voting ends Friday, July 28th […]

Using the principles discussed in the previous post, it may be possible to uncover some trends in player performance for the 2007 season. First, using the methods shown previously, there are five players that show up as bad 3-point shooters and good free throw shooters based on their 2006 stats. One thing to note is […]

In no other sport is there such a controlled experiment as the free throw. While statistical analysis of basketball can be more challenging than other sports in numerous ways, at least we have this. And it’s about time we took advantage of it. Specifically, there is a weak connection between 3-point shooting and free throw […]