Tempo Free Stats: The Blog Goes Sabermetric

Basketball fans love numbers, and to some extent numbers help us understand the game better, and the tendencies of teams and players. Since we launched the blog nearly a year ago, we've considered offering statistical analysis, but until now had not figured out how to get it done.

Enter Marquette graduate and faithful blog reader 'MUTPM'. He stepped up and volunteered to run the numbers for the Big East basketball community -- and our Marquette basketball community in particular. We're happy to provide him with the forum to share the knowledge.

Here's what we've done:

• Since Blogger does not offer a categories feature, we've created a separate blog called Marquette Basketball: Tempo Free Stats. We added the link in our blog roll as well.
• Every week (more if we can make it work) we'll update as many as 15 separate statistical categories.
• These stats will be updated for the entire Big East Conference, not simply MU.
• Every week, we'll notify you of those updates here at Cracked Sidewalks.
• We'll do our best to look 'behind the numbers' but give us time to digest this stuff.
• Coment as you see fit -- or if you'd like to guest author a post about the numbers -- just email us.
• Don't understand Tempo Free Stats? Read the definitive primer on the subject over at the BigTenWonk - - great info.

Enjoy the new feature, and THANKS again to Marquette's answer to Bill James, MUTPM.

Please follow this link to Marquette Basketball Tempo Free Stats. The categories are:

• Team Turnover Percentage
• Team Possession Per Game
• Team Offensive Rebound Percentage
• Team Offensive Efficiency
• Team Field Goal Efficiency
• Team Defensive Rebound Percentage
• Team Defensive Efficiency
• Team A/TO Percentage
• Individual TO/1o0 possessions
• Individual Rebounding Percentage
• Individual Points per Weighted Shot
• Individual Free Throws per Field Goals Attempted
• Individual Field Goal Efficiency
• Individual A/100 possessions
• Individual True Shooting Percentage