Ball is Psych LVI
“Using analytics is about making better decisions, but it’s also about simplifying the decision-making process for players.”
- Brad Stevens
Introduction: Navigating Mental Overload in Today’s Game
Today’s college athletes face a world drastically different from previous generations. They manage a complex mountain of responsibilities between academics, NIL opportunities, managing social media, the public magnifying every move, staying healthy, team commitments, and their personal lives. These pressures have created an environment where mental overload is almost inevitable, and focusing on performance is more challenging than ever.
Even at the pro level, they struggle to stay sharp because of all the distractions. After the Las Vegas Aces lost the first two games of the WNBA Semifinals, Coach Becky Hammon called out the “celebrity distractions” that impacted her players, highlighting the importance of mental clarity. She pointed out that as expectations rise, so do distractions and cognitive load, making focus more important and elusive than ever. Can coaches afford to overlook the mental demands placed on players today?
New Challenges Demand New Solutions
The need for mental sharpness doesn’t rest solely on players. Coaches are also overwhelmed by the workload and have minimal time to recover. A few weeks ago, Tony Bennett suddenly retired, citing difficulties navigating the current landscape and a measure of burnout due to the profession’s modern realities. The workload for everyone involved has skyrocketed over the last few years.
WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson adopted a strategy commonly used by top leaders, politicians, and CEOs: wearing the same outfit daily. For most of the WNBA season, A’ja wore white T-shirts to games to reduce decision fatigue and conserve mental energy. Preserving cognitive load (our brain’s capacity to process information and make choices) is pivotal in high-stakes environments like sports.
How can college programs support their players’ focus without lowering expectations? For programs committed to winning and well-being, advanced analytics offer an invaluable tool for preserving cognitive energy, enhancing focus, and simplifying decision-making.
A Brief History of Analytics in Basketball
The optimization of analytics is relatively new to basketball, but baseball has been numbers-driven for a while. In 2011, the movie “Moneyball” triggered the rise of advanced analytics in other sports. The movie showcased that by utilizing analytics, smaller-market teams realized they could bridge the gap and compete with more talented teams. The NBA’s analytics revolution quickly followed. Before “Moneyball,” only 4 or 5 NBA front offices used any advanced statistical information. In 2012, nine teams had full-time analytics statisticians. By 2016, all 30 NBA teams employed at least one analytics person.
Today, NBA teams have entire departments dedicated to analytics; the OKC Thunder have the largest analytics department, employing 12 people. It’s no coincidence that the Thunder are currently the top-ranked team in the league, still undefeated, and winning games by an average margin of over 17 points. When the Boston Celtics hired Joe Mazzulla, he was heavily criticized for his non-traditional, numbers-driven approach. He was called a crazy analytical junkie. However, the doubt and criticism turned to praise when he won an NBA Championship in June, becoming the youngest coach in over 50 years to do so. Instead of being crazy for his analytical obsession, he’s now a genius.
Alabama’s Analytical Advantage
Alabama’s commitment to advanced analytics is a prime example of its potential. Under Head Coach Nate Oats, Alabama has leveraged data to transform preparation strategies, reaching three Sweet 16s and the National Championship game in just five seasons. Oats, a former high school math teacher, has applied an analytically driven approach grounded in the philosophy that math doesn’t lie. This belief has driven Alabama to invest six figures in its analytics service. That consulting firm only has two college basketball clients: Alabama and Duke; both teams made the Elite 8 last season. Their significant financial commitment underscores the value of these data insights. Oats acknowledged in a recent podcast, “We rely on analytics quite a bit around here.”
While the advantages of analytics are undeniable, college basketball has adapted much slower than the NBA, but the revolution is coming. Nate Oats is one of the early adapters in the college game. He stated, “I think you can win playing this way. They win playing this way in the NBA. We’ve just proven you can make a final four run.” Alabama made it all the way to the National Championship game before losing to the UConn Huskies, led by Dan Hurley, who also uses a third-party analytics consulting service.
Analytics are the future of college basketball, not just for creating a winning strategy but for sharpening focus. Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist and author of The Organized Mind, wrote, “Our brains are busier than ever before. When we filter out what’s irrelevant, we become more efficient, and our minds are freed to engage in deeper, more productive thought.”
The Benefits of Analytics
Analytics offer three key benefits that are crucial for coaches and athletes in today’s game:
Increased Efficiency and Effectiveness: Analytics help coaches focus their time on the most impactful elements of the game, cutting out wasted efforts. This targeted preparation ensures that every practice moment prepares the team for what truly matters against each specific opponent.
Simplifying Decision-Making: Analytics highlight only the essential stats, simplifying the game plan for coaches and players. With focused goals, players can give their all to clear, achievable objectives that strengthen performance without unnecessary distractions.
Enhancing Mental Clarity: In a world of constant information, analytics act as a filter, helping athletes ignore irrelevant data and focus on what impacts the game. This mental clarity frees up energy, allowing players to stay sharp and make quick, effective decisions during high-pressure moments.
Strength in Numbers
Analytics provide an objective lens that the human eye alone can’t achieve. Coaches frequently trust their gut on strategies, and analytics can give you the detailed insight needed to confirm and refine that intuition. However, our instincts and observations can miss essential details that math doesn’t. Data exposes patterns and insights invisible to the naked eye, giving you an edge that traditional methods can’t offer. Rajiv Maheswaran (CEO of Second Spectrum) said it best, “The power of having good algorithms is that it’s like you have a million pairs of eyes watching every single game. It’s as if you have someone who has watched every single second of your opponent’s game and you can get very complete scouting.”
As college basketball evolves, teams that leverage analytics gain a competitive edge in focus and preparation. Preserving cognitive load is vital, and analytics offer the framework to filter out noise, enhance decision-making, and sharpen performance under pressure. With big investments like Alabama’s six-figure commitment, analytics have proven their worth. Utilizing analytics could unlock game-changing insights, allowing your team to compete at its best, block out the noise, and stay focused on winning.
Does it sound absurd to think your program could access the same high-level analytics that Alabama pays six figures for? Not anymore. We’re proud to partner with Strength in Numbers, a firm that delivers these high-caliber analytics to programs of all sizes. Contact us here to explore how analytics can help your program.
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