If you are like me, you didn’t even know such a thing existed until a few weeks ago. I mean, we know about the KenPom ratings when it comes to measuring college basketball teams, but there’s also a formulaic equation for determining which player is the most valuable to his team.
Enter E.J. Liddell who has been leading the KenPom Player of the Year (kPOY) ratings (subscription required). At least until this recently. After a massive performance last week, Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe took over the top spot from Liddell who now sits at No. 2. It must be noted that the KenPom formula does not pretend to be predictive, but rather indicate which players are the most valuable.
“The kPOY is not meant to predict who will win the Naismith or Wooden awards,” Pomeroy himself has said. “This is a standalone honor designed to identify the most valuable player in the game, free of reputation, future potential, or amount of times the player appears on Big Monday.”
