Our Data Journalism team aims to write short articles each quarter that are driven by data science and statistics. Through meaningful visualizations and analysis, these pieces take a quick dive into contemporary sports topics. We look into all sports, from gymnastics and horse racing to the NFL and NBA.
Data Journalism Co-Chair
Data Journalism Co-Chair
Over the recent decades, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has evolved in its pace, playing style, and athlete development. NBA team rosters are built with players of different ages, ranging from rookies to veterans, and each group brings different skills to the team....
WESTERN CONFERENCE TOP 8 · TWO-SEASON EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS Kawhi Leonard played 68 games last season. He averaged 23.5 points. He was the best player on a team that won 50 games. And the dominant frame around him, in every national conversation, was durability: injury history,...
In the modern NFL, play-calling success on both sides of the ball is often decided within seconds of the ball being snapped. For a defensive coordinator, the blitz is the ultimate gamble. Bringing an extra pass rusher offers a chance to blow up the play early, but risks...
With about 20 games left in the 2025–26 NBA regular season, the standings and data reveal contrary tales. More specifically, two teams have distinguished themselves from the rest of the competition, and several others are winning games their numbers say they shouldn't. Among...
Here at UCLA, all it takes is a trip to Pauley Pavilion to see an Olympic athlete compete. Watching Jordan Chiles’ thrilling routines and dominant performance is exhilarating, and the many perfect “10s” (or scores very close) she has put up indicate judges are impressed, too....
Controversy surrounding “foul-baiting” in the NBA perennially permeates discourse around the Association, especially in the late spring, when MVP awards are allocated and playoff competition stiffens. With the increased defensive intensity of playoff basketball and the lower...
The NBA, home to over 500 elite players across 30 teams, offers an 82-game regular season followed by a high-stakes playoff run. In recent decades, fans were captivated by iconic showdowns—LeBron vs. Curry, Kobe vs. the Celtics. But recently, that excitement has faded. Fans...
Predicting the success of college prospects in the NFL has been a difficult task for professional scouts and league analysts, and a perfect formula for evaluating talent has yet to be created. However, as there has become an even higher emphasis set on data analytics within...
As sports are a very prevalent aspect in a child's upbringing it has come to wonder whether a child's hometown has an impact on their probability of becoming a professional athlete. This sports article looks into the frequency of professional athletes based on their hometown...
NCAA D1 Men’s Volleyball is a growing sport, attracting greater audiences every season. Collegiate volleyball matches consist of a best-of-five sets. Teams must win 3 sets to win the match, with sets going to 25 points, except for fifth sets, which are played to 15. In these...
By Kevin Li and Jason Cheung Over the past few years, the landscape of college basketball has shifted dramatically. Since the NCAA implemented the one-time transfer rule and the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era began in July 2021, student-athletes have gained unprecedented...
In elite women's gymnastics, athletes typically compete either as all-around gymnasts, participating in all four apparatus events, or as specialists, focusing on excelling in one or two apparatuses. In this article, we explore how these two competitive pathways influence...
The NBA infamously played a Taco Bell commercial during the Denver Nuggets’ selection of Nikola Jokic with the 41st overall pick in the 2013. The Washington Wizards called Tyrese Haliburton on draft night in 2020 to tell him they would select him with the 9th overall pick,...
Few roles in football are as scrutinized—or as celebrated—as that of the play caller, and the NFL has seen its share of legendary minds orchestrating games like grandmasters. From the great Bill Belichick to the unpredictable Andy Reid, great play callers have shaped eras,...
College basketball is in the midst of a transformation. The NCAA’s introduction of the transfer portal in 2018 gave players more control over their careers, making it easier to move from team to team with little consequence. Then, in 2021, the introduction of Name, Image, and...
Kickers are among the most overlooked, scrutinized, and peculiar players in the NFL. Yet, the outcome of a game often comes down to execution on special teams. This raises a key question of how we should judge a kicker’s performance in terms of contribution towards team...
Sports analytics is limited by what data can be recorded during a game. But as technology has advanced, so has the ability to find data in hard to reach places. For example, in basketball, defense had been a hard thing to measure - as the only defensive data recorded was...
The “pocket passer” refers to a quarterback who excels from throwing behind the offensive line, relying on their accuracy and strong decision-making abilities rather than mobility. Historically, the traditional quarterback has been modeled around the pocket passer archetype,...
While basketball coaches preach a variety of different concepts, one is consistently harped on at all levels: hustle. Coaches love players that “do the little things”, such as playing hard defense, boxing out, and grabbing loose balls. Unfortunately, players that hustle in...
The National Basketball Association (NBA) draft is an annual event where teams select eligible players to join their rosters. Among the pool of talents, certain NBA teams have drafted prodigies that have defined dynasties—take, for example, the drafting of Tim Duncan by the...
In an effort to increase player safety and enhance game excitement, the NFL introduced a new set of kickoff rules for the 2024 season. Per the NFL rulebook, the major changes include: All players on the kicking team, except the kicker, must line up with one foot on the...
Saquon Barkley’s dominant 2024-25 NFL season has turned heads and significantly changed the discourse surrounding the running back position at the professional level. His season, alongside the campaigns of other ball-carriers including Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs, has in...
Across all professional sports leagues, the National Basketball Association is notorious for demanding one of the more backbreaking schedules, requiring its teams to play in an 82-game regular season over just 6 months. Because of the large number of games played in a...
Throughout NBA history, teams have done everything they can to win the elusive NBA championship. Whether it’s tanking for a possible championship in the future, reworking the front office by hiring a new general manager, or reconstructing the roster to a more win-now...
