When LL Cool J created Mama Said Knock You Out , he must have had this year's Final Four in mind. For Kentucky, Wisconsin, Duke, and Michigan State, there's no need to call their Final Four appearances a comeback, because they've been here for years.
Specifically, in the six-year era since John Calipari bolted Memphis for Kentucky, you'd be hard-pressed to find four better squads over that time period than the 2015 Final Four participants. Especially when it comes to success in March and April.
Using our signature in-house KenPom.com, we can truly see how good these programs have been since that 2009-10 season, adjusted for schedule and opponents.
Without further ado, let's jump in to the advanced metrics. The table below shows the average nERD, Adjusted Offensive Rating and Adjusted Defensive Rating from the 2010 through 2015 seasons for top teams who had coaching continuity over the time examined.
| Team | nERD | Team | Adjusted O. Rating | Team | Adjusted D. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 17.84 | Duke | 119.0 | Louisville | 89.9 |
| Kansas | 17.73 | Wisconsin | 116.2 | Kansas | 90.6 |
| Kentucky | 17.07 | Kentucky | 115.7 | Ohio State | 91.5 |
| Ohio State | 16.65 | Ohio State | 114.6 | Kentucky | 91.9 |
| Wisconsin | 15.74 | Kansas | 114.0 | Michigan St. | 92.3 |
| Louisville | 15.60 | Gonzaga | 113.4 | Wisconsin | 93.2 |
| Michigan St. | 14.30 | Michigan St. | 112.1 | Duke | 94.7 |
| Gonzaga | 13.57 | Louisville | 111.1 | Gonzaga | 94.8 |
While we previously anointed the Kansas Jayhawks as the recruiting. Coach Cal gets the players, knows they may be there only a year or two and then quickly integrates them into his system, which is predicated on swarming defense. He masks their weaknesses well (for instance this year's team aren't great shooters) and plays a deep lineup.
How good have the Wildcats been under Calipari? Four Final Fours, one national championship and potentially the fourth year player he's coached to the Final Four. So, he skipped a year? All that does is make the gritty, defensive-minded Spartans even more dangerous this weekend.
Taking Their Talents to Indy
Excellent coaching, premier talent, signature offensive and defensive systems, and recruiting are why Kentucky, Wisconsin, Duke and Michigan State are in the Final Four this year, and why they've dominated the advanced metrics over the past six years. We're clearly in for a historic Final Four where the best programs of recent history are all competing for college basketball's biggest prize.