As an abundance of statistics and technology infiltrates the daily vernacular of the sports industry, it can be challenging to bridge the gap between analysis and impact. At KINEXON, we strive to collaborate with partners on both the professional and collegiate level to not only collect data but to transform numbers into actions that enable a sport’s most valuable asset: the players on the court.

Author: Gregory Bernstein

  Led by fifth year seniors Mike Bothwell and Jalen Slawson, the time for the men’s basketball team at Furman University to take the next step is now. For a mid-major program battling in a one-bid league, the emphasis for the Paladins is on peaking at the Southern Conference tournament and being physically prepared to make the extra play that could earn them their first NCAA tournament bid since 1980. 

KINEXON and Player Tracking at Furman 

  The journey for this group of players and coaching staff towards perfecting their preparation methodologies has been underway for several years. After a successful regular season in the 2019 – 20 campaign, Furman suffered a disappointing loss in the opening round of their conference tournament. 

  In collaboration with head strength coach Matt Aldred, KINEXON analyzed both game and practice tracking data and identified that some of the season’s most strenuous work load had been sustained on the practice court in the days leading up to their final game. 

  Armed with a full season of collected data to define expected work load ranges for both games and practice, Aldred and staff were able to make adjustments to practice plans beginning in the pre-season and continuing throughout conference play, helping their players peak for the games that mattered most. 

  We saw a massive difference from year 1 to year 2. After collecting data for a year, we were able to quantify in-play demands and what an easy, medium, or hard day should look like in terms of work load, which allowed us to tailor our practice schedule for the days leading up to a game. Coach (Bob Richey) would consider our input because we had the numbers to back up what everyone was seeing on the court.