Originally Posted by
JasonEvans
Baylor had an efficiency margin of +34.84 coming into the ISU game. Today, their EM is down to +33.00. That is a fairly large move but still gives Baylor a pretty big leg up on the #3 team, Michigan, which has an EM +30.59. Gonzaga is in another stratosphere at +38.30.
To put that +38.30 in perspective, here are the annual EM leaders over the past decade. These are all post-tournament numbers, so not exactly a good match to pre-tournament figures but still...
2020- Kansas +30.23, Gonzaga +26.95 (last year was a pretty weak year at the top in college basketball, would have made for a wild tourney... oh well)
2019 - Virginia +34.22, Gonzaga +32.85, Mich St +30.81, Duke +30.62
2018 - Villanova +33.76, Virginia +29.53, Duke +28.86
2017 - Gonzaga +32.05, Villanova +29.88
2016 - Villanova +32.01, UNC +29.82
2015 - Kentucky +36.91, Wisconsin +33.72, Duke +32.48
2014 - Louisville +30.41, Arizona +30.11
2013 - Louisville +32.92, Florida +31.18
2012 - Kentucky +32.59, Ohio St +30.07
2011 - Ohio St +33.47, Duke +28.42 (what about only games in which Kyrie played?)
2010 - Duke +33.29, Kansas +31.85
As you can see, Baylor would be the top team most years in the past, though not every time. This year's Gonzaga though has a higher EM than any team over the past decade. In fact, if you go back even further in Ken's database (back to 2002), you cannot find any year where Gonzaga's +38EM would not be easily the highest in the land (wish I could find numbers on 1999 Duke!!). We will see if it holds up for Gonzaga into the post-season, but it would appear the Zags have a real shot at being a truly legendary team this year and going down as one of the greats in the history of the sport.
-Jason "and yes, I will be cross posting this into the dork poll thread seeing as it is about 98% dork poll content" Evans