Welcome to the first KenPom update of the 2020-21 Rutgers men’s basketball season! For those new to the site or these articles, this is something I write up every 4-5 games during the season, to offer a big-picture view of Rutgers basketball built primarily off of advanced analytics (particularly the KenPom efficiency metric, which you can access here and read more about how it works here).
Advanced analytics, of course, are designed to supplement, not replace, the eye test. I continue to trust the eyes and experiences of people who professionally coach basketball and evaluate basketball talent, but it’s also important (and for nerdy people like me, interesting) to take a look at the numbers behind the performances and see what trends emerge.