Marshall’s Cinderella-like win over fourth seed Wichita State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last week was a validating moment for head coach Dan D’Antoni.
With the team’s first ticket to the big dance since 1987, the tshirt-and-blazer-clad D’Antoni led Marshall to its first tournament win in program history by practicing what he’s been preaching since a memorable rant in 2016 that had him shouting to reporters: “I haven’t finished my damn analytics story yet.”
D’Antoni has spent the last few years pushing the power of analytics and data. If there’s a lesson to be learned from D’Antoni and his team’s first-round win, it’s that data-based playmaking matters, and the three-point shot may be the smartest play there is.