Greatness Dominates College Basketball in Ways Spreadsheets Can't Measure

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When it comes to evaluating how good this college basketball season truly has been, it's important not to rely on analytical data alone.

This college basketball season has given fans a masterclass in high-level basketball that features a loaded freshman class, 4-5 year veterans and balance across the sport like never before.

This year's freshman class has been the outlier compared to recent seasons for rosters built on impact transfers and fifth to sixth year players. College basketball has been at its best when one-and-done players and undergraduate student-athletes are shaping their professional futures, respectively.

Every single night there's big time games between top 25 opponents going down to the wire.

Teams like Arkansas are on the rise seed-wise, but some bracketologists want to penalize them due to so-called "analytical" data that doesn't support them being on the No. 4 seed-line.

Then, there are teams like undefeated Miami (OH), media darling Saint Louis, West Coast juggernauts such as St. Mary's, Santa Clara, and New Mexico of the Mountain West athat remain re on the bubble because of a skewed system.

Just like the strength of schedule favors SEC and Big Ten teams for the College Football Playoffs, basketball mid-majors are penalized for playing who it schedules. There are plenty of factors that go into seeding, but putting teams on the bubble for winning suppresses what the NCAA basketball tournament is meant to be.

Bracketologists all seem to be in favor of gatekeeping the tournament to keep Miami (OH) and other quality mid-majors out as some lack Quad-1 wins among other criteria to be in over a .500 power conference team.

Various pundits who aren’t impressed by an undefeated regular season never played sports in their lives and don’t actually know ball as they suggest.

No longer does the eye test matter. Numbers do and it's diminishing the importance of winning.

It's all about who registers highest in formulas. Throw out the endless spreadsheets and watch college basketball to truly appreciate the product on the floor.

That goes for evaluating each standout freshmen that plays any given night.

Young athletes such as Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings, Keaton Flagler, Cam Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Caleb Wilson, Mikel Brown, Koa Peat, Brayden Burries, Nate Ament and many others have shown an immediate impact on the hardwood this season. These budding stars can influence the outcome of games each night, coaches have to gameplan for them, and are a big reason for the rise in TV ratings.

There is a lot of data, a lot of stats, and a lot of advanced metrics being sold this season about how this freshman class compares historically. What the numbers do not fully capture is the practical side of the impact. What you see on TV or in-person matters.

How a player responds to pressure matters. How a freshman shifts momentum matters. How an 18-year-old impacts the game matters.

That is why context and the eye test remain essential because analytical data can only put a number next to production.

The eye test can show how often a possession ends with a shot, assist, turnover, rebound or defensive play. It does not show how a player reads a defense before the ball is ever inbounded. It does not show how a corner defender unsettles a shooter without leaving his feet.

Data does not show how a ball-screen handler shrinks a defender with subtle body control. Those are the nuances that define game flow and is vitally important to evaluating a tournament team.

Appreciate Greatness

Think about Arkansas' star point guard who regularly elevates the Razorbacks status from bubble team to a certified darkhorse contender for a national championship.

From the first time Acuff put on an Arkansas uniform he played with confidence as he not only scores the ball, but shows a grown man's feel for the game.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff looks for an opening to drive in a game against the Louisville Cardinals at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Arkansas Communications

What has become clear this season is how much his decision-making matters under real pressure. He understands when to attack, when to pass, when to reset an offense without forcing things, which aren't going to show up in the box score.

Again, the eye test matters and as long as Acuff is healthy, he'll continue to be in the running for not only the highest scoring player in the SEC, but the best player in the entire league without question.

Whether it's Flemings clutch shot making late in games for Houston, Flagler's development as a go-to option for Illinois, Cam Boozer's domination in the post at Duke, or Dybantsa's all-around skillset and durability at BYU there's a case for each freshman to be voted on as their league's best player, respectively.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Meleek Thomas (1) drives against Missouri Tigers guard Jayden Stone (17) during the first half at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Why the Eye Test Matters

Analytical metrics are valuable, especially when it comes to scouting an opponent. Efficiency ratings, effective field goal percentages, turnover ratios, rebounding rates and lineup analytics have a place in evaluating impact.

But the eye test adds context that no single metric can quantify. When a freshman guard sizes up a late shot clock and calmly manipulates two defenders before finding a shooter in rhythm, that tells you something that a raw assist total does not.

When a forward reads a defense before a cut moves, that tells you something about processing speed that a usage statistic cannot. When a player consistently wins 50/50 plays or alters defensive schemes without defending the ball, that tells you something about spatial awareness that a defensive rating might mask.

You have to watch the clips. You have to follow possessions live because some of the best contributions are about timing and anticipation rather than volume.

Watching games matters because it gives someone a feel for what certain teams bring to the table that data can't rely on.

When we talk a lot about March it's all about the madness of postseason basketball, draft evaluations can wait a minute. Strength of schedule, NET ratings data shouldn't matter. But putting a borderline .500 Power Four team in the tournament field over an overqualified mid-major does because metrics cause more harm than good for the sport.

The analytics system certainly won't go away as it influences bracket previews weekly and cable networks can frame games down the stretch.

The NET and other metrics tell someone what happened in quantum physics, but it does not always show who is playing their best basketball in late February. It does not always capture which freshman has grown into a closing role over the last six weeks. It does not measure confidence, poise or how a young roster handles pressure.

That's why spreadsheets are useless when evaluating youngsters as player-of-the-year candidates.

Buy the ticket, turn the TV on and enjoy the game of basketball at its purest.

Appreciate Greatness

Why the Eye Test Matters

Latest Hogs Headlines