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Arkansas HC Eric Musselman takes shot at coaches who are reliant on analytics

On3 imageby:Andrew Graham•02/18/23•

AndrewEdGraham

Florida v Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - FEBRUARY 18: Head Coach Eric Musselman of the Arkansas Razorbacks yells to his team during the second half of a game against the Florida Gators at Bud Walton Arena on February 18, 2023 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Gators 84-65. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman is no stranger to sticking his nose into things. The fiery coach is among the most animated figures in college hoops and it’s no surprise he’s spitting some fire in a postgame press conference.

Following a 19-point win over Florida on Saturday, Musselman took aim at coaches who he thinks are overly reliant on analytics. Similar to many of the analytics skeptics in football, Musselman reverted to a common trope to shoot down the analytically minded coaches: They never really played.

“I think that maybe at times we’ve been a little bit reluctant to take open shots, and that actually hurts your offensive flow. You know all the analytics guys will tell you that a midrange shot is the worst shot in basketball. You know the good thing is, they’re not on our staff. And most of those guys, by the way, have never dribbled a basketball. Called a timeout. You know, when you grow up, if you’re over the age of 55, the midrange shot was the best shot in basketball,” Musselman said.

Musselman continued”: “And that’s — you watch old NBA games and that’s all people shot. And a 15-foot, wide open shot should be a good shot. Again, regardless of what those guys that went to high academic institutions, that are statisticians or whatever you call them.”

While Musselman didn’t name drop any other coaches, it’s not hard to suss out that he might be referring to Alabama head coach Nate Oats.

Oats rose to coaching prominence in part because of his analytically-minded approach to shot selection. He wants his team to primarily take 3s and shots around the rim. The logic behind this being that the further away from the rim, the lower ones shooting percentage. So, if you’re going to take a jump shot, it makes more sense to take one that has a 50% greater value.

This general ethos has fueled an Alabama team that’s currently among the top squads in the country.

But for Musselman, nothing can replace the feel and borderline artistry of calling a timeout or knowing what play might work in a pinch.