Battle For No. 1
VanDam Vs. Reese: 2-Year Comparison
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
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Photo: BassFan
Kevin VanDam (left) is still No. 1 in the world, but red-hot Skeet Reese is chasing him.
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The current battle of Kevin VanDam vs. Skeet Reese is nowhere near finished, but it's already a memorable one.
VanDam, as always, remains incredibly consistent. Reese is consistent too, but absolutely red-hot right now as he steps right from a win at the Potomac into this week's Bassmaster Legends Major at Lake Dardanelle.
For a brief period, VanDam held a seemingly insurmountable lead in the BassFan World Rankings presented by Tru-Tungsten, but with a win at the Potomac, Reese trimmed that lead back down to a little less than 5 points.
It's worth noting too that both are locked in a duel for the BASS Angler of the Year (AOY) award. Reese leads that race, which is based on a straight points system for a single year, by 107 points. The Legends Major doesn't affect the AOY race, but it does affect the World Rankings.
To help characterize the battle for the No. 1 spot in the World Rankings, here's an overview of how both VanDam and Reese have finished over the past 2 years, with some statistical notes.
2-Year Look
Below are VanDam's and Reese's finishes that currently count toward the World Rankings, dating back 2 calendar years. Note that the Top Gun Championship, held in early August 2005, will drop from Reese's ranking after this week's Major. VanDam elected not to fish Top Gun.
| Date | Site | Field | VanDam's Finish | Reese's Finish | Differential |
| 8/12/05 | Eagle Mt. (Top Gun) | 25 | DNF | 12 | N/A |
| 2/24/06 | Toho (Classic) | 51 | 5 | 24 | V+19 |
| 3/9/06 | Amistad | 106 | 6 | 57 | V+51 |
| 3/16/06 | Sam Rayburn | 105 | 3 | 14 | V+11 |
| 3/30/06 | Santee Cooper | 105 | 104 (DQ) | 3 | R+101 |
| 4/20/06 | Guntersville | 104 | 4 | 34 | V+30 |
| 5/4/06 | Clarks Hill | 104 | 50 | 46 | R+4 |
| 5/18/06 | Eagle Mt. (Major) | 55 | 26 | 5 | R+21 |
| 6/1/06 | Grand | 103 | 22 | 70 | V+48 |
| 6/15/06 | Kentucky Lake | 102 | 3 | 4 | V+1 |
| 7/6/06 | Oneida | 102 | 3 | 43 | V+40 |
| 7/13/06 | Champlain | 102 | 9 | 41 | V+32 |
| 7/27/06 | Wylie (Major) | 55 | 2 | 29 | V+27 |
| 8/10/06 | Potomac | 102 | 30 | 2 | R+28 |
| 8/24/06 | Ark. River (Major) | 55 | 11 | 43 | V+32 |
| 9/14/06 | Table Rock | 101 | 13 | 10 | R+3 |
| 2/23/07 | Lay (Classic) | 50 | 3 | 2 | R+1 |
| 3/8/07 | Amistad | 108 | 5 | 9 | V+4 |
| 3/22/07 | Calif. Delta | 108 | 6 | 4 | R+2 |
| 3/29/07 | Clear Lake | 108 | 19 | 2 | R+17 |
| 4/19/07 | Clarks Hill | 107 | 55 | 6 | R+49 |
| 4/26/07 | Guntersville | 108 | 1 | 53 | V+52 |
| 5/17/07 | High Rock (Major) | 51 | 14 | 24 | V+10 |
| 6/7/07 | Smith Mt. | 107 | 39 | 4 | R+35 |
| 6/21/07 | Grand | 108 | 1 | 67 | V+66 |
| 7/12/07 | Champlain | 108 | 27 | 2 | R+25 |
| 7/19/07 | Erie/Niagara | 108 | 16 | 13 | R+3 |
| 7/26/07 | Oneida (Major) | 51 | 22 | 7 | R+15 |
| 8/9/07 | Potomac | 107 | 21 | 1 | R+20 |
| | | Average = 17.93 | Average = 21.75 | Net = V+99 |
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Notes:
> Differential signifies disparity in finishes. Advantage VanDam noted as V+; advantage Reese noted as R+.
Contrasts And Comparisons
Both VanDam and Reese have performed notably better than any of their peers over the past 2 years – that's why they're ranked 1st and 2nd in the world.
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Photo: BassFan
Kevin VanDam's won two events over the past 2 years, and in both, Reese finished in back of the 50th-place cut spot.
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Between them, though, are several differences, many of which are significant factors in the World Rankings. Some examples:
Championships carry more weight than regular-season events in the Rankings. VanDam's two Classic finishes are 5th and 3rd, while Reese's are 24th and 2nd. In other words, VanDam has been Top 5 both times, Reese just once, with his other showing a middle-of-the-pack performance.
Wins also carry more weight in the Rankings than near-misses. VanDam's won twice in the past 2 years. Reese has one win. That was in the last event, and was one of the factors that helped him climb back within reach of VanDam.
Both anglers are darn close in average finish. VanDam's average is about 18th, while Reese's is about 22nd.
Disparity between finishes, called "differential" in the table, is telling. VanDam has the edge there over Reese by 99 places. That's roughly equivalent to one full-field event. The biggest differential occurred at Santee Cooper in 2006, when VanDam was DQd. But also note the last four events in the table, in which Reese finished 2nd, 13th, 7th and 1st. His total advantage in the differential for those events is 63, which is still less than the single differential immediately prior when VanDam won Grand and Reese finished 67th. A similar differential occurred when VanDam won Guntersville and Reese finished 53rd.
Both anglers have had some tremendous runs. Check out VanDam to start 2006, when he made the Top 6 in four of his first five events. Also check out June and July later that season, with two 3rds, a 9th, and a 2nd. Reese's best stretch came at the start of this current year, with five consecutive Top 10s, two of which were 2nds.
Two Left in '07
The battle for the No. 1 spot will continue, and after this week's Legends Major, only one more event will affect this year's Rankings – the final Elite Series event at Lake Toho.
The above stats are not a look inside how the World Rankings database computes standings – much more goes into the statistical calculations, such as the performance of other anglers, respective strength of fields, and other factors.
But the data does provide an overview of the two hottest anglers in the sport right now. How will this year's Rankings shake out? Who'll end the season ranked No. 1? That all depends on the final two events.
Notable
> VanDam has largely dominated the Rankings since their inception in 2001 and has finished every season except one in the top spot. Greg Hackney unseated him and ended the 2005 season ranked No. 1.
> Reese was first ranked No. 1 in Feb. 2005, and held the spot until April of that year.
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