Erik Haslam - Haslametrics

Erik Haslam is a UW alum who started his own college basketball analytics website. He uses analytical methods to evaluate teams in multiple ways. By comparing teams to opponents they have both played, teams are compared against the average team and eventually ranked. A final score can be projected for any of the 62,128 possible matchups in college basketball. The data and algorithms can also be used to determine "bracketology deserves", meaning the teams that deserve to be in the tournament and at what seed. 

"Analytics are only successful if you can successfully translate them for the consumer". 

Limitations are still occurring: 
Data acquisition can be challenging and expensive
Injuries aren't accommodated into the data

Questions:
Q. ​Do you take into account a star player, like a Trae Young?
A. No, I treat all teams as a constant. You could add in a piece for a star player but sometimes a star player can also be a negative if they start to try to do too much. 

Q. What do you say to those who doubt analytics? 
A. Analytics are a tool that can be used to help you get a better picture of the scene. It can be hard to accommodate them at first if you have a very traditional background, but they can be a really useful tool to help you turn an overtime game into a 2 or 3 point victory.

​Q. Who's the biggest user of your data?
A. Fans and coaches historically. The gambling industry has led to a growth in those type of users as well.

Haslametrics.com

Slides