Do per minute analytics matter in high school or college basketball
Professional basketball’s obsession with per minute tracking of the game of basketball is influenced by several factors; how much money you put into data capture, team salary cap considerations, availability of precise(semi precise) player tracking and the drive for offence/defence matchups. In lower levels of basketball the per minute data tracking frenzy makes much less sense. First lets understand the per minute analytics;
Points per minute (PPM): Points scored by a player per minute on the court.
Rebounds per minute (RPM): The average number of rebounds a player secures per minute played.
Assists per minute (APM): The average number of assists a player dishes out per minute.
Steals per minute (SPM): The average number of steals a player achieves per minute.
Blocks per minute (BPM): The average number of blocked shots by a player per minute.
Turnovers per minute (TPM): The average number of turnovers a player commits per minute.
Fouls per minute (FPM): The average number of fouls a player commits per minute.
Player Efficiency Rating (PER): A comprehensive rating that measures a player's per-minute statistical production, taking into account both positive and negative contributions.
Plus-minus per minute (PM/Min): The net point differential when a player is on the court, measured per minute.
These analytics are not as relevant in high school or college basketball for several reasons:
Limited sample size: High school and college basketball seasons are significantly shorter than professional seasons, resulting in fewer games and minutes played. As a result, per-minute statistics are less reliable and more prone to fluctuations.
Uneven competition: The level of competition in high school and college basketball can vary greatly from one game to another. This can lead to inflated or deflated per-minute statistics that do not accurately reflect a player's true abilities.
Different rules and regulations: High school and college basketball follow different rules and regulations than professional basketball (e.g., shorter games and a shorter shot clock). These differences can affect the pace of play and overall statistics, making per-minute comparisons less meaningful.
Developmental focus: High school and college basketball prioritize player development over immediate success, which can result in rotations and game plans that may not optimize individual player statistics. While this is a consideration it is not the norm. In fact, some would posit, that we are quickly moving away game management and more towards player showcasing. There is much more available on this in discussions around what AAU and elite prep programs have done for the game - both positive and negative.
No midseason trades: High school and college basketball teams do not engage in midseason trades, which means that per-minute analytics are less critical for roster management decisions. Instead, coaches and team management may focus on long-term player development and season-long performance metrics. Depending on what country you live in there may even be measures in place to discourage after season transfers, although we at Edge Flow Analytics believe that after season transfers (through the transfer portal) will continue to push the game of basketball to new heights.
We can’t play with peach baskets and broken broom handles forever.
Focus on the analytics that will drive success in games and more importantly will drive successful practice development/preparations. Use those analytics at the end of season to influence off season work out plans. For more information on this and other data driven workouts hit the subscribe button below.