In partnership with
Follow the Hoop Heads Podcast on:
Turning basketball analytics into fundraising impact. Every stat tells a story — and now, every story drives sponsorship, engagement, and team growth.
This Week’s Hoop Heads Podcast Episodes
MATTHEW BOWMAN & WAYNE LECHEMINANT – CO-AUTHORS OF THE NEW BOOK, “GAME CHANGERS: AJ DYBANSTA, BYU, AND THE STRUGGLE FOR THE SOUL OF BASKETBALL – EPISODE 1223
Matthew Bowman and Wayne LeCheminant are the co-authors of the new book, Game Changers: AJ Dybantsa, BYU, and the Struggle for the Soul of Basketball. In one of the most unlikely coups in college basketball history, a religious school in Utah signed basketball phenomenon AJ Dybantsa. He now plays for Brigham Young University – hardly the sort of basketball powerhouse that typically attracts exceptional and non-Mormon players like him. Game Changers explores how BYU managed this stunning feat. A year before signing Dybantsa, the university lured coaching star Kevin Young from the NBA to run its basketball program. In the decade before, court rulings and institutional reform put money at the forefront of college sports in ways the American public had never seen. And for generations before that, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built a theological structure and institutional commitment to basketball that put the sport front and center at BYU.
BAM’S 83, TATUM’S RETURN, SGA TAKES CONTROL OF THE MVP RACE, & SOME CAVS THOUGHTS – EPISODE 1224
On this episode of the Hoop Heads Podcast Mike and Jason discuss Bam Adebayo’s 83 point game against the tanking Wizards. Next, they analyze the impact of Jayson Tatum’s return on the East playoff picture, before breaking down the SGA, Jokic, Wemby 3 man MVP race.
EDWIN B. HENDERSON II – AUTHOR OF THE BOOK, “THE GRANDFATHER OF BLACK BASKETBALL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DR. E.B. HENDERSON” – EPISODE 1225
Edwin B. Henderson II is the author of the book, The Grandfather of Black Basketball: The Life and Times of Dr. E. B. Henderson. Henderson is the grandson and namesake of Dr. E. B. Henderson who organized the first athletic league for Blacks, introduced basketball to Black people on a wide-scale, organized basis, and founded associations to train and organize Black officials and referees. He also wrote and co-edited the first Spalding publication that highlighted the exploits of African American participation in sports and authored The Negro in Sports. Outside of athletics, Henderson was instrumental in founding the first rural branch of the NAACP, advocated for school desegregation, and held executive board positions with multiple NAACP branches.
How Jennifer Aniston’s LolaVie brand grew sales 40% with CTV ads
For its first CTV campaign, Jennifer Aniston’s DTC haircare brand LolaVie had a few non-negotiables. The campaign had to be simple. It had to demonstrate measurable impact. And it had to be full-funnel.
LolaVie used Roku Ads Manager to test and optimize creatives — reaching millions of potential customers at all stages of their purchase journeys. Roku Ads Manager helped the brand convey LolaVie’s playful voice while helping drive omnichannel sales across both ecommerce and retail touchpoints.
The campaign included an Action Ad overlay that let viewers shop directly from their TVs by clicking OK on their Roku remote. This guided them to the website to buy LolaVie products.
Discover how Roku Ads Manager helped LolaVie drive big sales and customer growth with self-serve TV ads.
The DTC beauty category is crowded. To break through, Jennifer Aniston’s brand LolaVie, worked with Roku Ads Manager to easily set up, test, and optimize CTV ad creatives. The campaign helped drive a big lift in sales and customer growth, helping LolaVie break through in the crowded beauty category.
This Week’s Coaching Articles
This article outlines several key strategies for attacking a 2-3 zone, including pushing the ball in transition before the defense sets up. In the half-court, offenses should move the ball quickly, attack gaps in the defense, use the short corner, and occasionally overload one side of the floor. Consistent outside shooting is also essential because the zone’s structure naturally leaves perimeter shots open.
This article describes an AI-powered mock interview tool that allows basketball coaches to practice for job interviews by answering realistic, voice-activated questions. The system responds dynamically and provides feedback on clarity, structure, and key points hiring committees want to hear. Practicing interviews this way helps coaches improve confidence and communication before facing an actual search committee.
This article explains how coaches can design better practices by using constraints-based coaching, where rules, space, or scoring conditions are modified to encourage players to discover solutions on their own. Instead of running isolated drills, coaches create game-like environments that force players to read the defense, make decisions, and develop adaptable skills. This approach helps players learn faster because practice more closely mirrors real game situations.
This Week’s NBA Articles
This article details Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s pursuit of Wilt Chamberlain’s record for consecutive 20-point games. His streak, which began in November 2024, reached 126 games and put him on the verge of breaking one of the most legendary consistency records in NBA history. The achievement underscores SGA’s remarkable scoring reliability and statistical dominance over multiple seasons.
This article examines Bam Adebayo’s stunning 83-point performance and how it became one of the most unusual scoring explosions in NBA history. Adebayo had 62 points through three quarters and both teams began manipulating possessions late in the game to help him chase the record. The performance highlighted how rare opportunities and unique game circumstances can produce historic statistical moments.
This article analyzes lineup data and performance metrics to evaluate whether the Lakers actually play better without LeBron James on the court. While certain stretches show improved pace or ball movement without him, the overall numbers indicate the team still benefits significantly from his presence and leadership. The analysis suggests the narrative that the Lakers are better without LeBron is largely misleading when viewed across a full sample of games.
This Week’s College Basketball Articles
This article explains how the transfer portal is reshaping college basketball roster construction and offensive strategy. Programs like Duke, Purdue, and Texas are balancing traditional recruiting with experienced transfers to build more immediate contenders. Coaches are increasingly designing offensive systems that maximize veteran talent acquired through the portal.
This article discusses the chaotic race for NCAA Tournament at-large bids and notes that the 2026 bubble appears unusually weak. Several struggling teams remain in contention simply because other bubble teams keep losing. Programs like Texas and Auburn illustrate how late-season results and conference tournaments could dramatically shift the final bracket.
This article highlights certain teams that could be dangerous opponents in the NCAA tournament despite not being top seeds. These squads often combine strong analytics profiles, experienced players, and styles that can upset higher-seeded teams. The piece argues that avoiding these matchup nightmares could be crucial for contenders hoping to make deep tournament runs.
This Week’s YouTube Coaching Videos
This video breaks down a revolutionary basketball philosophy focused on relentless aggression and continuous movement. Discover how teams eliminate pauses in play through full-court pressure, unique rebounding strategies, and extreme pace.
This video breaks down elite drills from Sierra Canyon's Alicia Komaki to make training competitive, fun, and engaging!
This video breaks down ball screen coverages, transition offense, constrained games, lock left principles, inbound sets, and what separates a SAVI coach from a reactive one. If you coach at any level and want to think more clearly about how you watch film and design practice, this one is for you.
Forwarded this email? Sign up here
