Can the UConn Huskies maintain their dominance in college basketball despite a surprising preseason ranking? Dan Hurley reacts to Evan Miyakawa's analytics, which placed the UConn Huskies at 9th, sparking a debate on the accuracy of these predictions.

Explore how the UConn Huskies are mastering roster building in the transfer portal era, retaining key players while strategically adding new talent. Evan Miyakawa shares insights on evaluating incoming freshmen, using recruiting rankings as a baseline. Discover the significance of "kill shots"—10-0 scoring runs—and their role in predicting team success. The episode also touches on the growing acceptance of analytics in college basketball, with many coaches embracing these tools for a competitive edge.

Join us for an engaging discussion that offers unique insights into the UConn Huskies' strategies and the evolving landscape of college basketball.

Segment 1: Introduction and Context

The episode begins with Speaker A introducing the podcast "Locked on UConn," a daily show dedicated to the UConn Huskies. The host encourages listeners to subscribe and follow the podcast on various platforms, emphasizing the benefits of doing so, such as supporting UConn NIL initiatives and the Husky Ticket Project. The episode is sponsored by Game Time, and the host sets the stage for a discussion about Dan Hurley's reaction to Evan Miyakawa's analytics, which ranked UConn lower than expected. Evan Miyakawa, a respected data scientist with a PhD in statistics, is introduced to share his insights on the rankings and the analytics behind them.

Segment 2: Discussion on Rankings and Analytics

Evan Miyakawa explains his approach to player and team evaluations, highlighting the use of Bayesian performance ratings to assess individual player contributions. He discusses the challenges of preseason rankings, particularly for teams like UConn, which have experienced significant roster changes. Evan emphasizes the importance of not overreacting to single games or tournament outcomes when evaluating teams. He also touches on the predictive nature of his analytics, which focus on player impact and team dynamics rather than just traditional statistics.

Segment 3: Insights and Fan Interaction

The conversation shifts to fan questions and the broader implications of analytics in sports. Evan addresses the challenges of evaluating incoming freshmen and the reasons why some highly recruited teams may underperform. He also discusses the concept of "kill shots" or scoring runs, which can significantly impact game outcomes. The segment concludes with a lighthearted interaction with fans, addressing humorous questions and emphasizing the value of analytics in understanding team performance. Evan shares his experiences with the reception of his work and the growing acceptance of data-driven insights in coaching and team management.