Welcome back, hoops fans, to another episode of Dive Cuts (Episode 26 of Season 3 of this crap— Sam’s words, not mine) with Sam Snelling and Matthew J Harris! And we are excited! There’s a very special guest lined up for today’s episode that does not need much of an introduction if you are a fan of College Basketball. It is Ken Pomeroy, creator of KenPom, which we know you all know and love.
They dive into the method behind KenPom and what goes into it including recruits, transfers, additions, subtractions, and everything in between. Let’s get to know the system a little bit better, shall we?
Sam and Matt also touch on Mizzou’s rather active week last week to finish the pod.
Enough reading, let’s dive in.
Episode Breakdown:
:40 - 4:31: Just briefly before the interview starts, this IS Cocktail Cuts, so just a quick note on what’s on tap for this episode. Our hosts are in a great mood because...
4:32 - 9:05: New Friend of the Podcast, Ken Pomeroy, joins the show! A LOT to dive into. First up: Starting in the mid 2000s, College basketball has incorporated a lot of rule changes. Have the rule changes actually impacted the pace of play and style of basketball we see in today’s game? What changes would you make? Was last year a bit of an outlier in terms of scoring, etc?
8:47 - 20:47: How much does the KenPom model take into account the recruiting rankings and individual rankings in relation to team rankings for preseason projections? Also, with the transfer market gaining a lot of traction, how is that assessed?
20:48 - 26:42: With more access to advanced data, such as Synergy, which Matt is a huge fan of and uses in all of his analytical pieces, how is that viewed through the lens of KenPom? What can the loss of an impact player (before, during, or after the season) do to the expectations of a team heading into the following season? (Example: Jeremiah Tilmon)
26:43 - 32:47: Where does the SEC sit at the power conference level? What accounted for this in KP’s rankings? Are there really 10 Big 11 teams better than the best SEC team? How should we use rankings when we evaluate coaching and evaluate the program as a whole?
32:48 - 36:00: A hot topic when it comes to late game situations.... Sam has a question in which he hopes the data will go along with his beliefs. Do you FOUL or DEFEND when you are up 3? What does the data say, Ken? Is that the same as your own belief?
36:01 - 37:27: Thank you to Ken Pomeroy for coming on the podcast. Be sure to check out everything he is up to (Read The Athletic!!!) and support him if you do not already!
37:28 - 55:08: Big thanks to Ken Pom! Fun Fact- Missouri fans have the second most subscribers to KP in the SEC (20th in country), trailing only Kentucky! We are masochists if nothing else, y’all. Moving on! Last week, Mizzou Basketball was ACTIVE in sending out offers. Who did they offer and who is the most intriguing? Mizzou fans have been wanting to see a class that you could build a foundation on and they are getting closer to that!
55:09 - END: Final thoughts! Matt wrote a piece on pace of play, and it’s very long, but VERY worth it. Sam is going bourbon hunting, AND we will see you for the next episode of Dive Cuts in two weeks!
To subscribe to Rock M Radio on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, click HERE!
If you prefer to stream your podcasts, click HERE or check it out below.
Rock M Nation is also on Spotify as well! Click HERE if you like your podcasts on Spotify!
Android User? Find us HERE!
You can follow the members of Today’s show on Twitter @SamTSnelling & @MattJHarris85. You can also find Ken Pomeroy on Twitter @Kenpomeroy & kenpom.com
Have a question for one of our podcasts? Leave a 5 star review with your question and that show just might answer it in an upcoming episode!
Do you like Rock M Radio? Drop us a Review and be sure to subscribe to Rock M Radio on your preferred podcasting platform. And be sure to follow @RockMNation on Twitter.