Okay so I went back and looked at kenpoms defensive rankings since 2002. Here is the final 4 teams, their defensive ranking and rather then won or were the runner up.
2002
Maryland 7 champs
Indiana 5 Runner up
Kansas 6
Oklahoma 4
2003
Kansas 3 runner up
Syracuse 14 champs
Marquette 109
Texas 58
2004
Duke 3
Oklahoma st 11
Georgia tech 4. Runnerups
Uconn 6. Champs
2005
Unc. 5. Champs
Illinois 4 runner up
Louisville 20
Mich st 28
2006
Florida 7 champs
UCLA 4 runnerups
LSU 3
George Mason 13
2007
Florida 7 champs
Ohio st 11 runner ups
Georgetown 21
UCLA 2
2008
Kansas 1 champs
Memphis 2 runner up
Unc 14
UCLA 5
2009
Mich st 9 runner up
Villanova 10
Unc 18 champs
Uconn 3
2010
Duke 5 champs
Butler 7 runner ups
West Virginia 21
Michigan st 27
2011
Uconn 15 champs
Butler 46 runner up
Vcu 78
Kentucky 16
2012
Kentucky 7 champs
Louisville 1
Ohio st 4
Kansas 3 runner up
2013
Shockers 20
Louisville 1 champs
Syracuse 6
Michigan 37 runnerups
2014
Florida 3
Uconn 10 champs
Kentucky 32 runnerups
Wisconsin 35
2015
Kentucky 1
Duke 11 champs
Wisconsin 35 runnerups
Mich st 27
2016
Villanova 5 champs
Unc 21 runnerups
Oklahoma 17
Syracuse 18
2017
Gonzaga 1 runner-up
Unc 11 champs
Oregon 17
South Carolina 3
Results 1 to 10 of 50
Thread: Past final 4 defensive rankings
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02-19-2018, 04:23 PM #1
Past final 4 defensive rankings
If I was going to school for school, I wouldn’t have picked the University of Cincinnati. Dontonio Wingfield
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02-19-2018, 04:32 PM #2
My calculations have to be off but maybe they arnt. The avg championship game defensive record was 22.5 and the avg final 4 60.25. Is that right? I think other then a few exceptions defensive teams are the ones who make the final
4.If I was going to school for school, I wouldn’t have picked the University of Cincinnati. Dontonio Wingfield
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02-19-2018, 04:44 PM #3
Just one outlier in that bunch - 2003 Marquette.
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02-19-2018, 04:53 PM #4
VCU was a 78
If I was going to school for school, I wouldn’t have picked the University of Cincinnati. Dontonio Wingfield
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02-19-2018, 05:08 PM #5
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I completely understand the defense needs to get better thought. I think come tournament time we will bring out the 1-3-1 a little more. It is hard to prepare for that when you don't see it and it worked well during last years run (from what I remember).
By now, most Big East teams have seen it enough to at least understand how to play against it which is why I think we haven't gone to it much. It has been much more effective in the tournament and we will see it more, IMO.
I also have confidence in Marshal/Scruggs man defense. Together, they can do a pretty solid job on opponents better wing/guard play. Again, stats could say otherwise and I could be wrong but just how I feel when watching. I am more worried about the defense when playing a team that passes well and uses everyone over a dominant player. The Big East has a few teams who just spread the ball well and is tough to defend.
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02-19-2018, 05:31 PM #6
I am sure the offensive rating was just as high if not higher.
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02-19-2018, 06:48 PM #7
You can have an average offense and still make the final 4. But typically only teams in the top 40 of defense make the final four.
If I was going to school for school, I wouldn’t have picked the University of Cincinnati. Dontonio Wingfield
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02-19-2018, 07:20 PM #8
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02-19-2018, 07:25 PM #9
Youre looking at data from after the tournament. If you look at where teams are before the tournament, most F4 teams are not elite defensively. In general though, I dont put a lot of stock into all these Kenpom "check boxes" to make a run in the tournament. It all boils down to finding fancy ways to say better teams have a better chance of advancing in March. Well Xavier is really good, and they have intangibles a lot of teams dont. Senior leadership, tournament experience, and having the best player on the floor in almost every game they play. If their defense was better they would have a better chance of making a F4, but even factoring in defense, I still think Xavier is one of the 8 most likely teams to make the F4. Maybe poor defense loses them a game in the tournament. But I dont think its any more or less likely than the flaws of any other team in America.
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02-19-2018, 07:25 PM #10
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