The MVP selection process

Have you ever watched some sort of sporting event, like the Super Bowl or an all-star game, and then wondered who got to select the game's MVP? And why, exactly, did those voters select who they did?

I'll fill you in on our thought process for the R&L Holiday Classic, specifically the boys game. And I'll be honest, I think our job of selecting a tournament-wide MVP is much tougher than selecting one for a single game. We have multiple games to consider, and in some cases, teams play a different number of total games, which skews stats.



Before the boys championship game between Lake Norman and Statesville, fellow sports writer Brian Meadows and I compiled a list of players who had done well and deserved MVP consideration. Anybody is eligible for MVP but, like in most instances, it typically goes to a member of the winning team.

Once the game was final - Lake Norman 68, Statesville 58 - there was only time for a brief consultation of stats and discussion before presenting our selection.

It's pretty demanding, actually. We're already there to cover the game, look for interesting story lines and keep our own stats, in addition to constantly thinking about the MVP selection.

It came down to two people, both from Lake Norman - sophomore Paul Larsen and senior Nathan Bowers (if Statesville won, it probably would have been either T.J. McCombs or William Marion).

Let's take a quick look at the numbers: Nathan Bowers finished with 37 points and 24 rebounds in two games. He played great defense and picked up timely rebounds and blocked shots. Paul Larsen finished with 39 points and 22 rebounds in two games. He also played great defense and picked up timely blocked shots and rebounds.

Talk about a doozy - nearly identical numbers and impact.

Here's a few other things we considered: Bowers' best game was against North Iredell in the semifinals. He had 24 points, was 9-of-16 from the field and pulled down 11 rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter. There's no way Lake Norman would have won without him.

Larsen's best game was in the championship, when he scored 26 points and had 14 rebounds. He scored 11 points in the final six minutes of the game, including eight in a row at one point. In the semifinals against North Iredell, he made two game-winning free throws with 0.7 seconds left.

Taking all of that into consideration, Paul Larsen won the MVP. The biggest reason behind that was his clutch play in the championship game. That doesn't take anything away from Bowers, because he had an outstanding tournament as well. It was about as close as you could get.

Thanks for reading, and have a happy New Year.