Miller vs. Allen, by the Numbers

Jerome Allen has now coached as many games this season (7) as Glen Miller did before he was fired. So I figure now is as good a time as any to compare the performance of each coach this season.

Seeing as I am a statistics minor, I figure I'll try and take care of this statistically. I looked at the team's performance in a number of statistical areas, and performed a t-test to determine if there was any significance between the means. If there were (and Allen's team was higher in that metric), then that may indicate better play by the team since Allen has taken over.

DISCLAIMER: This is by no means statistically accurate for two major reasons. First of all, there are not enough data points to reasonably assume normality in the data, a key assumption in performing this test. Furthermore, a number of factors make the two parts of the season incomparable, including injuries, strength of schedule, and factors such as momentum in certain areas.

That being said, I still think this is a fun exercise, and one I decided to undertake anyways. Again, if any of my stat professors happen to be reading this, please don't fail me.

The numbers for each category are the team's averages/percentages over the games played under each head coach. Significance tested at the 5% level (If yes, then there is a statistically significant difference between the two numbers).

Winning Percentage Miller: 0% (0/7) Allen: 14.28% (1/7) Significant? Not at All

Points for Penn Miller: 66.43 Allen: 59.29 Significant? Nope

Points Against Penn Miller: 79.86 Allen: 80.29 Significant? Not even a little bit

Margin of Victory Miller: -13.43 Allen: -21 Significant? No

Free Throw Shooting Miller: 66.13% Allen: 79.98% Significant? Very much so

Rebounding Margin Miller: -3.29 Allen: -3.43 Significant? Nope, basically the same

Points by Zack Rosen Miller: 14.86 Allen: 18.43 Significant? No

Field Goal Percentage Miller: 39.44% Allen: 38.26% Significant? Nope

3-pointers as a Percentage of Total Field Goal Attempts Miller: 40.81% Allen: 43.75% Significant? Nope

3-Point FG Percentage Miller: 27.70% Allen: 30.68% Significant? No

Turnovers Miller: 15 Allen: 17.57 Significant? Nope

Conclusions: Well, as I said before, no true statistical conclusions can be derived from this analysis. The sample size is far too small and the variables are being acted on by a number of different, unaccounted-for factors. But the averages are still nice to look at.

And the one area in which the team has shown a statistically significant improvement? Free-throw shooting. That would seem to me to be one of the fastest changes to implement, but it may also have to do with momentum and confidence built up from making previous attempts.

Take a look, see if you can read anything into the numbers that I couldn't, and let me know if there is any other numbers I should look at. Look forward to seeing your comments.