Power Scores: An Introduction In Indiana

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When I first started with Prep Girls Hoops back in the Fall of 2018, I believe Indiana was the third state to be added nationally by the Prep Network in the girls' hoops realm. At this time, in girls' basketball alone, we cover 35 markets that incorporate 40 states. We also cover boys' basketball (Prep Hoops), football (Prep Redzone), volleyball (Prep Dig), and have more recently added Prep Soccer, Prep Lacrosse, Prep Girls' Lacrosse, and Prep Softball. I guess my point here is there has been a great deal of growth throughout the Prep Network over the last several years, which brings me full circle back to Power Scores.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Over the first couple of years Prep Girls Hoops Indiana existed, it was simply articles and rankings. More recently, we've upgraded several features in those categories, added player profiles, enhanced those profiles, added grassroots and high school team profiles, plus last year we added a "ticker" to the top of the main page during the high school season that began reporting high school scores and highlighting upcoming games. This year, we have added Power Scores.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Power Scores are similar to the Sagarin Ratings you might find on John Harrell's scheduling website, or the RPI (<em>Rating Percentage Index</em>) used by the NCAA to calculate basketball and football teams' ratings mathematically. All of these tools take the human element and bias out of the, for lack of a better word, equation, and they make strictly mathematical decisions based on a team's strength of schedule, point differential, opponent win percentage, plus wins and losses, and they don't overly calculate a lopsided win, nor do they penalize too much for a "good" loss. There are other items taken into account as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Additionally, since they are reliant on mathematical algorithms, Power Scores (<em>and these other tools</em>) are much more valid once there have been 10 or more games played be each team in the state. So, in November and December you might see some things that are a little "off", but as January and the state tournament in February roll around, it should calm itself and settle in to being more "accurate", if you will.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now, nothing is perfect, and we completely understand that. So, if after January 1st you see something that still looks incredibly "off", please contact us <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.zendesk.com/hc/en-us"><strong>HERE</strong></a> and we will do what we can to address it with you then fix it if it truly does appear to be incorrect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the meantime, this feature on our site is all new to me as well, but I plan on taking a look at it each week, offering an opinion or two, and highlighting a number of teams who are outplaying their ranking or who have made major jumps from week to week. I appreciate your time reading this, and I look forward to watching 2 1/2 more months of strong girls' high school basketball in this state!!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->