2015 CCRUMMYS

The 2015 Carmody Court Awards show is a wrap.  For those who missed the telecast -- no need to wait for it to come out on Netflix  -- here are the award winners.


The CCRACKYS: Awarded for most outstanding game performances by a B1G team.  

The Glove (Best CCR-D: 0.310 PPP)
Wisconsin saved its best defensive effort for last and took home The Glove for its suffocating defensive effort at Ohio State on March 8.  The Badgers held the Buckeyes to just 48 points, or 0.8 PPP which was an impressive feat against the B1G's 5th ranked offense (adjO 108.3) at their house on Senior Day.

By the slimmest of margins that effort edged out Maryland's defensive effort at Michigan State in the Terps' first in-conference game ever (CCR-D 0.310 PPP) -- a 68-66 2OT win played over 82 possessions.


The Torch (Best CCR-O: 0.455 PPP)
The Badgers also had recorded the best offensive effort in B1G play when it defeated Iowa 82-50 in Madison back on January 20.  That nets-scorching 1.519 PPP effort came against the league's 8th best defense (AdjD 103.4).  

The league's second best offensive effort (CCR-O: 0.372 PPP) was achieved by Indiana in an 89-70 home victory over Maryland back on January 22 (64 possessions).

It should come as no surprise that Wisconsin and Indiana were in the hunt for The Torch.  The Badgers had above B1G-average offensive efforts in 16/18 games while the Hoosiers had above-average efforts in 15/18 games.  The Hoosiers' porous defense (16/18 of below-average efforts) could prove to be Tom Crean's undoing barring some March magic.  

Somehow Iowa -- the B1G's 2nd ranked offense overall -- didn't have any exceptionally great offensive games.


The Truth (Best CCR: 0.612 PPP)
The award for the best overall B1G performance goes once again to Wisconsin.  It was Wisconsin's aforementioned 82-50 trouncing of Iowa on 1/20 that earned the hardware.

In a distant second (CCR: 0.404 PPP) was Michigan State's 68-44 beat down of Northwestern in Evanston back on February 10 (55 possessions) -- a game that propelled MSU to a 6-2 finish and 3rd seed at the B1G Tournament but also caused NU's coaching staff to favorably reassess its defensive approach and launch the Wildcats into a 5-2 finish and the 10th seed at the B1G Tournament.

The Badgers had the league's most consistent overall efforts (16/18 games were above a B1G-average performance), and the Buckeyes were #2 (14/18 games).

So that means Wisconsin swept the CCRACKYS.  The Badgers really were The Truth this 2015 B1G season.


The CCRAZZIES: The 'razzies are awarded to B1G teams with the most dubious in league game performances. 


The Sieve (Worst CCR-D: -0.378 PPP)
The B1G's worst defensive effort in 2015 was mailed in by Northwestern in a 76-60 loss at Nebraska back on Feb 3 (57 possessions).  This marks the second straight Sieve earned by CCC et al.  The only saving grace in the 1.333 PPP effort against the league's 13th place offense (AdjO 92.7) was that it didn't happen at home (unlike that debacle against Penn State on Senior Day 2014).  

The next worst defensive effort (CCR-D: -0.337) was provided by the Wolverines in their 80-69 home loss to Sparty (57 possessions).  Sparty has a good offense (AdjO 109.5, 4th) but NOT 1.404-PPP-on-the-road-good.

The Mason (Worst CCR-O: -0.402 PPP)
Penn State laid the most B1G bricks in their 60-39 loss at Northwestern on Feb 21 (57 possessions).  While Penn State was far from a B1G juggernaut on offense (AdjO: 96.3, 12th) that pathetic 0.684 PPP effort came against NU which had the league's worst defense this year (AdjD: 111.5).

It may come as no surprise that Rutgers -- a team with the league's worst offense (AdjO: 89.5) -- was also in the running for a Mason.  Their 51-47 home loss to Northwestern in 62 possessions tallied a pathetic CCR-O of -0.383 which was exacerbated once again by the poor performance of NU's defense in league play.


The Angst (Worst CCR: -0.481 PPP)
The league's worst team -- Rutgers -- also turned in the league's worst overall performance. Rutgers "won" The Angst with its embarrassing 84-54 home loss (69 possessions) to a struggling Hoosier squad (4-8 over last 12 games, losers of 4/5 to end year) back on Feb 22.

Not to rub salt in the wounds but Rutgers -- which ended the B1G slate on a 14 game skid -- also had the second worst overall effort in a B1G game.  Their 79-51 loss at 13th place Penn State (63 possessions) on Jan 24 produced a CCR of -0.453.  Blech.

Sadly Rutgers underperformed an average B1G team in 17 of 18 games.  The one better than average performance was a real doozy --  a Twilight Zone-esque performance when the Knights somehow beat the formidable Badgers 67-62 in Piscataway back on Jan 11 (56 possessions).    

If it makes you feel any better Knights fans -- Nebraska had a CCR of -0.433 in their 74-46 drubbing at Iowa (61 possessions) back on Feb 22.


CCRUMMYS Summary:
Wisconsin: 3 CCRACKYS
Rutgers: 1 CCRAZZY
Penn State: 1 CCRAZZY
Northwestern: 1 CCRAZZY