If you’ve been following college basketball, watched any NCAA Tournament shows, or just flat-out filled out a bracket over the past two decades, you’ve probably heard of the KenPom rankings.
Ken Pomeroy uses a wide range of advanced statistics to calculate rankings based on analytics as opposed to the naked eye.
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Now, this is no guarantee when it comes to rankings or picking winners, but it is a trusted system that attempts to sort through more than 360 Division I basketball teams.
Within the KenPom system, teams are evaluated using several key metrics:
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Adjusted Offensive Efficiency – Points scored per 100 possessions (adjusted for opponent)
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Adjusted Defensive Efficiency – Points allowed per 100 possessions (adjusted for opponent)
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Adjusted Tempo – Possessions per 40 minutes (adjusted for opponent)
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Non-Conference Strength of Schedule
The Spartans currently sit in 10th place in the overall KenPom rankings with a net rating of +29.25.
For comparison, here are the current top 10 teams in KenPom’s net rankings:
While the Spartans may sit 10th overall, a dominant road win in Seattle against Washington pushed Michigan State to No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency.
They edged out in-state rival Michigan for the top spot, giving the state of Michigan the No. 1 and No. 2 defensive teams in the country.
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Michigan State and Michigan are currently the only two teams with defensive ratings in the 90.0s. The Spartans hold a 90.5 rating, while the Wolverines sit at 90.8. Like golf, lower is better.
Beyond the rankings, Michigan State’s defensive identity shows up on every possession. Ball pressure, disciplined rotations, and relentless rebounding force opponents into tough shots late in the clock. It’s a brand of basketball that travels well and becomes even more valuable as March approaches.
For couch warriors who live and die by obscure stats in hopes of beating coworkers in a March Madness pool, KenPom is often gospel. Tom Izzo, however, has made it clear he doesn’t care much for these types of rankings. He has previously stated that chasing analytics can lead to running up scores rather than getting depth players meaningful minutes, which is why he tends to shy away from them.
That said, it’s hard to imagine Izzo isn’t proud of this ranking.
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Elite defense is nothing new for Michigan State. Spartans teams consistently hold opponents under 70 points, and often closer to the 60-point mark.
Defense and rebounding have been the backbone of this team all season and will continue to be what they rely on moving forward.
For now, the Spartans can glance at one of the most trusted analytical rankings in college basketball and know one thing for certain: Michigan State is the No. 1 defensive team in the country.
The Spartans defense will be on full display this coming Tuesday at Oregon for their second of a two-game west-coast trip.
