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.”
For all the hype that other Big Ten POY contenders have gotten, it's E.J. Liddell who started the day as the highest rated Big Ten play via KenPom, and he scored 34 points today on a ridiculously efficient 12-for-20 shooting (72.5 eFG%).
— Jeff (BPredict) (@BPredict) January 10, 2022
The formula takes into account things like a player’s efficiency, team success, and more. In the case of Liddell, who has been trending away from the national awards, his floor game is likely a bit underrated based on what the kPOY says.
Behind the top two in the rankings and rounding out the top five are Kofi Cockburn of Illinois (3), Fresno State’s Orlando Robinson (4), and Trayce Jackson-Davis of Indiana (5).