Tutorial: Using VMI for Division One Basketball

We provide the game schedule, the arena elevation and the Visual Memory Index which shows the effect on every player, for each D-1 game including the off-campus tournaments.

Unlike the results stats we provide in VMI categories from NBA games, we are providing only the VMI for you ahead of College games.  What does that encompass?  VMI gives you a perspective of the individual players for the upcoming game that you will not find any other place.  The severity of the VMI, which is an index, gives you an understanding of what the outside shooters are feeling as they release the ball.  Since a greater Plus VMI means that the players from that team will initially be shooting longer than they are used to, it will either relax them or cause them to feel they are off their game.   A greater Minus VMI means the opposite.  It will not relax them, but cause them to force the ball more until or unless they adjust well. 

You will be one of the few observers that have any clue about the way the long shooters are feeling during a game.  They will shoot too long, they will adjust, then they will shoot short, then they will get on a little run, then it will come back to haunt them as they fall back into the frustration the VMI identifies in advance of the game. 

If you watch the 3-point data from the NCAA website, observing the teams that sport a more extreme VMI, say those above 5 to 7 either plus or minus, you will notice the teams will often shoot less than the average three-point percent versus the opponent with the smaller VMI's.  You will be able to observe which teams are winning with big men or, whether they are often good from the outside or sometimes not so much.  Those teams will most likely be the strongest at bracket time.   If you know which part of their game is the strongest (i.e. 3-pt, defensive rebounding, big men under the basket, fast break, turnovers), you will be able to match up your brackets better when needed.  The issue is:  Why is their 3-point percent what it is, and when?  Remember, all these teams fail to make their three point shot about 60% to 65% of the time, so a tiny bit less successful and/or without strength of big men/women can easily cause a loss at a crucial time.  

That's what VMI allows you to know ahead of the game if you are watching closely.  And, "the more you know"...