ROUND TABLE 76 – WHAT ROLE DO ANALYTICS AND STATISTICS PLAY IN SHAPING YOUR STRATEGIC DECISIONS? – EPISODE 1086

Welcome to the 76th edition of the Coach’s Corner Round Table on the Hoop Heads Podcast. Each episode of the Coach’s Corner Round Table will feature our All-Star lineup of guests answering a single basketball question.  A new Coach’s Corner Round Table will drop around the 15^th of each month.

April’s Round Table question is:  What role do analytics and statistics play in shaping your strategic decisions?

Our Coaching Lineup this month:

• Jerry Buckley – Bishop Kenny (FL) High School
• Chris Delisio – Olmsted Falls (OH) High School
• Stephen Halstead – Grace College
• Joe Harris – Lake Chelan (WA) High School
• Chris Kreider – Rice University
• Bob Krizancic – Mentor (OH) High School
• Matt Mann – Skills Within Hoops
• Raul Placeres – Maryville College
• Don Showalter – USA Basketball
• John Shulman – University of Central Arkansas
• Ben Veshi – Hargrave Military Academy
• David Vogel – Ohio Wesleyan University
• Bob Williams – Fork Union Military Academy

Please enjoy this Round Table episode of the Hoop Heads Podcast and once you’re finished listening please give the show a five star rating and review after you subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Be sure to follow us on twitter and Instagram @hoopheadspod for the latest updates on episodes, guests, and events from the Hoop Heads Pod.

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THANKS COACHES!

If you enjoyed this episode let our coaches know by clicking on the links below and sending them a quick shout out on Twitter:

Click here to thank Jerry Buckley on Twitter!

Click here to thank Chris DeLisio on Twitter!

Click here to thank Stephen Halstead on Twitter!

Click here to thank Joe Harris on Twitter!

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Click here to thank Bob Krizancic on Twitter!

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TRANSCRIPT FOR ROUND TABLE 76 – WHAT ROLE DO ANALYTICS AND STATISTICS PLAY IN SHAPING YOUR STRATEGIC DECISIONS? – EPISODE 1086

[00:00:00] Narrator: The Hoop Heads Podcast is brought to you by Head Start Basketball.

[00:00:20] Mike Klinzing: Hello and welcome to the 75th edition of the Coach’s Corner Round Table on the Hoop Heads Podcast. Each episode of the Coach’s Corner Round Table will feature our all-star lineup of guests answering a single basketball question. A new Coach’s Corner Round Table will drop around the 15th of each month.

April’s Round Table question is, What role do analytics and statistics play in shaping your strategic decisions?

Our coaching lineup this month includes:

• Jerry Buckley – Bishop Kenny (FL) High School
• Chris Delisio – Olmsted Falls (OH) High School
• Stephen Halstead – Grace College
• Joe Harris – Lake Chelan (WA) High School
• Chris Kreider – Rice University
• Bob Krizancic – Mentor (OH) High School
• Matt Mann – Skills Within Hoops
• Raul Placeres – Maryville College
• Don Showalter – USA Basketball
• John Shulman – University of Central Arkansas
• Ben Veshi – Hargrave Military Academy
• David Vogel – Ohio Wesleyan University
• Bob Williams – Fork Union Military Academy

Please enjoy this Round Table episode of the Hoop Heads Podcast and once you’re finished listening please give the show a five star rating and review after you subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Be sure to follow us on twitter and Instagram @hoopheadspod for the latest updates on episodes, guests, and events from the Hoop Heads Pod.

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[00:02:25] Chris Sullivan: Hi, this is Chris Sullivan head men’s basketball coach at Denison University and you’re listening to the Hoop Heads Podcast.

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Let’s hear from our panel about the role analytics and statistics play in shaping their strategic decisions.

Jerry Buckley, Bishop Kenny High School, Jacksonville, Florida.

[00:03:36] Jerry Buckley: This is Jerry Buckley answering this month’s questions about analytics and statistics. We definitely try to be aware of as much as we can from the stats and analytics side. Obviously for ourselves we feel like our stats are fairly accurate as far as knowing who shoot shoots the ball well from different spots on the floor.

Three point shooting percentage, overall shooting, shooting percentage. As simple as who should be shooting our technical free throws, if that happens. Anything like that with our opponents, sometimes we try to get as much information as we can. If we have statistics on them, we obviously want to be aware of who shoots the ball well for them Also, typically, how many points do they score and how many do they give up as far as getting a general feel for their style of play. And then certainly down the stretch of a game whom to foul if needed with pressure free throw situations and stuff like that. So we really try to make sure we’re aware of as many stats as possible, and then certainly take them into account for those end of the game situations, especially just overall general impressions on the game.

[00:04:39] Mike Klinzing: Chris DeLisio, Olmsted Falls High School, Olmsted Falls, Ohio.

[00:04:46] Chris DeLisio: Hey, Hoop Heads, Chris DeLisio. Olmsted Falls. Believe that analytics has to be a pretty important and big part of what you do in your basketball program. I think the starting point of it is looking at how you play both offense and defense and how those analytics.

Make or play a role in the decisions that you make and the design of both your offense and defense. Analytics has obviously been a big part of changing offensive styles with threes and layups in the, in the past handful of years. And I think that’s just one example of how you can use it to your benefit.

And also take a look at your personnel and what they can do within the scope of your offensive. Scheme and, and game plans individually. And then I think you can use it with individual players to take a look at their skill improvement and what they need to do to improve in certain areas and what role they play in your offensive scheme as far as what they’re good at.

And allow those kids to be able to improve in those areas if they want to be a bigger part of, of, of those offensive schemes and change their roles.

[00:05:59] Mike Klinzing: Stephen Halstead from Grace College.

[00:06:03] Stephen Halstead: Hey, this is Stephen Halstead from Grace College Hopping on the Hoop Heads Round Table number 76. And the question this week was, what, what role do analytics and statistics play in shaping your strategic decisions?

And this could probably be something that is an entire podcast, not just a minute answer, but I think with how. Deep, you can get into analytics and statistics now that as a coach you have to realize what you truly value and what stats that you want to look at. And two key stats that we look at at Grace.

Is this, we really believe in the team that takes the higher quality shots throughout the game is going to be the team that ultimately wins the game. So I know coaches that use Synergy are able to look in and there’s something they have that’s called expected point value from each game. And it factors into each shot, the team takes the amount of points per possession that would be generated from that.

And that was one thing that we look at each game because we feel if we can force teams into tougher shots and then. Vice versa, if we take better shots, that we’re going to be able to have a chance to win the game. And then the second thing that we look at that help helps us shape our strategic decisions is paint touches.

We believe that every time that we get a paint touch, we have a much higher chance of scoring and our points per possession goes up. This is actually something that we have a manager or student assistant track every single game. And we have done that for the last four years, and it is unbelievable to see the differences for when we get a paint touch compared to when we don’t get a paint touch.

So those are two analytical and statistics that we monitor year round, and obviously there are hundreds more, but those are the two that we deem most important for us.

[00:07:43] Mike Klinzing: Joe Harris Lake, Chelan High School, Lake Chelan, Washington.

[00:07:50] Joe Harris: Hello Hoop Heads. This is Joe Harris at Lake Chelan. Jumping back in with this month’s round table question, what role do analytics and statistics play in shaping your strategic decisions?

Analytics is really taking a bigger role in today’s game and tracking your athletes in real time and with real performance can be used in in many different ways. It can help with the recovery of your athletes, the actual training of your athletes. Or even formulating your own game plan as a coach, we found it very useful and helpful for us, especially the second time around in conference play or when we moved on to the playoffs and played for someone for the first time.

The tendencies of our opponent, we, we would track and use then to, to be able to take something away or what we’re going to do in specific situations within the clock or. Or game management, but we also placed a premium on our athletes and teams playing with great effort and playing together. And we felt we needed a way to measure that those intangibles.

And we came up with a way of charting, charting this, using our own game stats with 10 different categories, seven positive categories, and three negative ones. An example of these would be minus three for a turnover, plus two for a steal. Plus two for taking a charge. You miss a land minus three hustle plays, which deflections diving on the floor, we would give a a plus one.

And we used it to try and get a good read on how our teams and players are doing with the standards that we had set. But really, whatever you collect is for the coaches to help supplement and to influence what you’re doing as coaches. But it cannot be an end all be all to your game planning hoping this is something you’ll find useful.  And good luck as you jump into the summer season.

[00:09:46] Mike Klinzing: Chris Kreider from Rice University

[00:09:52] Chris Kreider: Analytics and statistics are so important when it comes to shaping strategic decisions, not only on the court, but also in recruiting. I think the use of numbers can dictate a lot. First and foremost, it’s about how you want to use ’em on the front end. I know you like to use your eyes and trust your gut.

Go with the feel that you have.  when it comes to a game, let’s say in real time in a practice, and then also you watch the film after and you have the feel. I personally always like to lean into the numbers as a guide, as a tool to help me. Stay away from any potential mistakes that I might make from what I thought I saw or thought I felt.

Sometimes it does back up what you feel and see, but then sometimes I know I found myself not really being correct and, and you use ’em as a guide and you use ’em as a tool to fix that. You always want to be there before you get there when it comes to these decisions. And I think on the front end you can use it.

To stay away from wasting time and doing something you might regret. And then I also feel like on the back end it can help you auto correct or correct think mistakes you might have made and, and make those changes moving forward to not make the same mistake. And I think doing the same thing over and over expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

And I think the numbers help you stay away from being insane.

[00:11:19] Mike Klinzing: Bob Krizancic, Mentor High School, Mentor, Ohio

[00:11:26] Bob Krizancic: Coach K, Mentor High School, statistics, analytics, how they play a role in our strategic decisions. They definitely do. Each game, we know who we want to foul, who their best free throw shooters are, who their worst are. Three point shooters, who we want to let shoot the basketball. Who we want to deny end of game situations.

Analytics definitely play a role. I like the fact that analytics in the NBA now up six with maybe under 25 seconds, they’re going to foul and give the two points versus a three point shot. So it definitely plays a role in our game plan and our decisions at the end of the game. Best of luck,

[00:12:15] Mike Klinzing: Matt Mann from Skills Within Hoops.

[00:12:21] Matt Mann: Matt Mann Round Table question. What role do analytics and stats play in shaping your strategic decisions? The analytics and statistics play a pivotal role when it comes to shaping the strategic decisions with my basketball training and the kids that I train. By leveraging the data it helps me make informed decisions that not only enhance the effectiveness of the training, but it also.

Helps me tailor the coaching to the individual needs for instance, if I went and used player performance stats to identify areas where each player needs improvement this allows me to. Basically tailor or customize the drills that we do in each of our sessions, like more effectively. Using a data-driven approach ensures that we’re not just guessing what skills to develop, but we are more so guided by the data and the concrete metrics.

And, and people know numbers don’t lie. So that’s what I, what I use. Additionally, stats help in setting realistic, achievable goals for my players. We will, we will look at the sort of trends.  we can set, set the bar or benchmarks. For them that it gives them a challenge and something to be ambitious towards, but they’re not so far out that they’re not attainable.

And this helps just to keep the players motivated to push their limits in, in a more structured way. I think lastly, analytics help in evaluating the success of my training programs.  by comparing sort of stats from early on when the kids first started training to after a couple weeks or even a couple months, even some kids, just even after a couple of sessions, we can see the level of improvement when we’re actually looking at the results.

 like. Made layups or maybe pull up jump shots and they’re becoming more consistent because we’ve made like a tweak. So refining the methods using data helps me to continually, to improve the quality of my training. That being said I just want to thank you for the opportunity to share my insights and I look forward to.

Seeing or hearing the compilation of responses from some of the other coaches and contributors. I love the round table. It’s a fantastic initiative and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.

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Raul Placeres from Maryville College?

[00:17:12] Raul Placeres: This is Coach Raul Placeres, head men’s basketball coach at Maryville College. What role do analytics and statistics play in shaping your strategic decision in in today’s game? I think it definitely helps with evaluating player performance. It gives you an accurate picture what a player’s value is.

Depending on the stats that you value most as a staff you can obviously see and have access to consistency of, of when they’re on the floor. They’re plus minus. And it obviously helps you determine ideal rotations. I think it helps with shot selection and efficiency as well.  with, with today’s analytics, the heat maps and the chart charts can show a, a better way of finding the right type of shots so your players can be more efficient and obviously helps you tailor your offensive scheme.

It definitely helps with scouting and matchups how players perform against certain defenses. Which matchups are favorable or should be avoided and lineup combinations that lead to the best net rating on the floor. And optimizing the lineup is critical as the season goes on.

What are the best five guys at certain points during the game that need to be on the floor? And those typically lead to the biggest impacts on the floor, which leads hopefully to winning.  we also use it not only for substitutions, but play calling and finding the guy the right look on when it’s needed and fouling certain people in certain situations.

So at the highest levels, I think they use it more for load management and injury prevention. But in short, I think it’s becoming, the game is becoming increasingly, increasingly data driven and, and successful teams.  are, are doing a better job at utilizing the analytics of the game.

So those are ways in which we use analytics and definitely has helped our program and my tenure here as the head coach,

[00:19:13] Mike Klinzing: Don Showalter, USA basketball.

[00:19:19] Don Showalter: Hi Don Showalter here from USA basketball and what role do analytics and stats play in the game of basketball, as far as I’m concerned. Well, I think there’s several ways to look at this. First of all stats are very important for us as far as figuring out what works and what doesn’t work. For instance we will track deflections.

We like to get four deflections, defensive deflections per quarter. If we do that, we’re playing pretty good defense. So. That’s a stat that’s not maybe normally kept. But we also try and get a stat the number of times the ball gets reversed, and then the shooting percentage off those times. So we found out if the ball gets does not get swung at all.

We shot about high 30s, 36, 37%. Ball gets swung one time to the other side of the court from the, from one side to the other. The shooting percentage goes about 8%. And we swing it back again, goes up another 8%. So we’re talking 16% difference from keeping the ball on one side to having two ball reversals.

So those are stats that we like to keep and like to show the players. Analytics are obviously you take a look at those. Maybe what five players that you have playing are doing the best. In the game you get a plus or minus from each of the time you substitute in with different players.

And, and, and I think that’s valuable. But that can change every game. So you’re maybe not looking at the situation where these five players are playing good this game. It depends on maybe the, the defense or, or that’s being played or the, or the matchups. So analytics are important.

Stats are important. I think it’s how you gauge everything in your system that makes them real valuable. Thank you.

[00:21:19] Mike Klinzing: John Shulman from the University of Central Arkansas.

[00:21:25] John Shulman: This is John Shulman, head coach at Central Arkansas. And the question of the month, what role do analytics and stats play in shaping your strategic. Decisions. Remember I’m old and it is no excuse, but I don’t I know this is the age of analytics and to change a lot of different things I’m trying to change, but I still think you have to have some feel of the game now, analytics and stats and.

 I think we do try to make an effort to, to shoot threes and layups, but I’m not going to stop a kid from shooting a mid-range j just because of analytics, if he’s really good at it. Latest things that I’m hearing and this is pretty good. You play the first. 35, 36 minutes of a 40 minute game with analytics, and then at the end of the game, you do have to play off a field.

I do think they’re important. Stats are definitely important dealing with scouting and who to foul. And I think you probably need to do a case study on Nova Southeastern and Jim Crutchfield and his mathematics and analytics because it’s the thing to do right now and the women’s coach at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, Mark Campbell does a great job with that also. And so I do think there’s a time and a place for it, but also I think there’s a time and a place for coaching off of feel and I probably coach off of feel more than I do analytics and stats, and that’s probably wrong. But as I said before I started this, I’m old and all the new analytics is great, but I still think there is a time that you better be coaching off of feel and in what you feel is right at that time. It helps me sleep at night. Hope this helps. Good luck to y’all. Have a great summer.

[00:23:22] Mike Klinzing: Ben Veshi from Hargrave Military Academy.

[00:23:28] Ben Veshi: What’s up Hoop Heads? This is Ben Veshi Post Grad basketball. Coach at Hargrave Military Academy.  The question was what role do analytics and statistics play in shaping your strategic decisions? And for us they do have some relative impact.  we don’t want to be too bogged down by analytics and statistics that we lose feel for the moment and vice versa. Right.  because I’m a math guy by trade.  I like the data.

We have specific offensive statistics and categories that we look at as are our KPIs, our key performance indicators. Those are free throw rate, three point field goal, rate assist, rate assist, the turnover ratio, and offensive rebound rate, right?  all those areas. If we can be in the plus, right in binary statistics, right? Like holding our opponents under 70 holding our opponents to under 12 offensive rebounds. Turning the ball over 12 or less times a game. Like those are all areas of, of performance indication that if we are successful in those areas, most likely we’re going to win, right?

So, here at the prep level, so we’re able to see and analyze trends and that will help us tweak things along the way. Right?  we, we don’t want to be so bogged down and married to, to our beliefs at the beginning of the season that we choose not to evolve, right? because the data and the statistics might tell us otherwise.

So in terms of shaping overall strategy, right? So that we can find success in those areas and then we’ll look at the trends throughout the season and, and make changes as necessary.  again, I think that in this era of basketball analytics is so important, right? And you have to embrace that to a certain point, but you don’t want to lose authenticity of who you are and how you run your program, right? So it’s about collecting that data and then using it appropriately.

[00:25:41] Mike Klinzing: David Vogel from Ohio Wesleyan University.

[00:25:46] David Vogel: What’s going on? This is David Vogel, assistant men’s basketball coach at Ohio Wesleyan University. This month’s question, what role do analytics and statistics play in shaping strategic decisions? We actually did a really deep dive on this.

Our head coach and I last off season looking at how our offense can be more efficient. We found a lot of things on paint touches and things like that. And this was more so not just strategic decisions, but educating our players on what the best shots were, how to get ’em and, and what’s good for us.

And it worked out really well this past season mostly because of our players. We were, I think, fifth or sixth in the country in points per possession on offense. We’re more than happy to share what we found last year. And then defensively, that’s something that we need to get better at.

And we are all ears in terms of looking at analytics statistics, things like that. So if anybody has anything to share we’d love to see it. My email is dvogel@owu.edu and look forward to hearing from you. Thanks.

[00:26:44] Mike Klinzing: Bob Williams from Fork Union Military Academy.

[00:26:50] Bob Williams: Hello, this is Bob Williams, Fork Union Military Academy. When we look at stats and analytics, I’m kind of an old school guy that still relies on longtime stats. I do, I mean, I am interested in rebound percentage, turnover percentage, things like that with the new analytics. But my, the first thing I look at after a game or halftime is field goal percentage defense.

We’ve always felt like if we can hold our opponents under 41% field goal, percentage defense, we have a chance to be successful. This year we held opponents to 38% overall on the season, which is one of the best defensive teams I’ve had over the years. And but obviously looking at turnover, margin, free throw, attempt margin, rebound margin, and things like that.

First thing we always look at is, is defense. And then we’ll, we’ll also look at what we’re shooting from the three point line. As far as how many attempts and what’s percentage of shots.  if we’re taking, we usually, I think this year was 40% of our shots were three point shots. And then what are we shooting from three as well. Thank you.

[00:28:10] Mike Klinzing: Thanks for checking out this month’s Hoop Heads Podcast Round Table. We’ll be back next month with another question for our all-star lineup of coaches.

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[00:29:10] Narrator: Thanks for listening to the Hoop Heads Podcast presented by Head Start Basketball.