Over the summer, I spent a lot of time reflecting over the Four Factors model of college basketball. If you have ever read the book Basketball on Paper by Dean Oliver, then you know what I'm talking about and it is probably a good explanation as to why you are reading this blog. One of the big concerns I have always had with the Four Factors model is the Free Throw Rate (FTR). In fact, most advanced metrics analysts, including Dean Oliver, have conceded that FTR is the least significant of the Four Factors. Since I always want my understanding of the game and the numbers to be at the highest level, I sought a different solution to the Free Throw Rate component, which brings us to this article. I'll start with a crash-course on advanced metrics, then elaborate on the details of the FTR, then introduce my new concept of Free Throw Advantage.
