Sometimes you don’t have to leave home to chase your dreams. Every tool you need is right in your backyard. For aspiring basketball coach Riley Arnold, that happens to be the campus of The University of Alabama.
Tuscaloosa born and bred, Arnold, a sport management major, always knew UA was it for him.
“I never even applied anywhere else,” he said. “Growing up an Alabama fan, I always knew UA was where I wanted to go.”
Fortunately for Arnold, UA has the tools to help him achieve his career aspirations.
Learning the Science Behind Basketball through Bamalytics
As a student manager with the men’s basketball team, Arnold is learning the science of sport performance metrics and analysis from one of the most innovative teams in the nation.
“We collect data similar to other schools, but we go a little further,” Arnold said of the UA Athletics’ Bamalytics program. “We’re getting even more data because we’re tracking stats during practices, not just games. From what I’ve heard by talking to people at other schools, they don’t do anything near what we do here. Not even some NBA teams.”
The data collected helps team management produce tangible numbers that show how a player and the team overall are performing.
“I’m looking into front office roles within the NBA,” Arnold said. “I get to connect with professionals in the industry because of my experience.”
Bamalytics not only tracks stats like how many threes a player sinks or who assisted who with successful play, but also minute details, like where on the court a player was standing when they made a certain shot and which foot was in front of the other. They even log the smallest piece of data for every move and shot every single player makes.
“Coach Oats wants the players to understand these numbers and what they mean. He wants them to see what works, what doesn’t, and then how to do more of what is working to be more successful.”
These teachable moments don’t impact just the players.
“We’re just so much more involved in the actual process of scouting and helping make sure our players and coaches are ready for the next game,” Arnold said. “I’m also learning and applying skills to help in my future career.”
Game Day for Riley
Arnold started working with the team as a freshman. Now, as a senior, he travels with the team. He said Bamalytics keeps him as busy off the court as the players are on the court.
“We’re tracking this data in real time throughout the game, and we have to be ready to get it to the coaches immediately after the game or when they need it,” he said. “We’re tracking deflections, rebounds, steals, floor dives, charges and things like that.
“If Mark Sears shoots a three, I’m labeling his footwork on that. If it was a shot in his pocket, where was it taken at.”
Arnold has been there for some historic moments, including the team’s win over Clemson in the Elite Eight during the 2024 NCAA tournament.
“I was a sophomore, and it’s rare for a sophomore to be in that position,” he said. “I didn’t know I was going on that trip until maybe an hour before we left.”
It’s one moment Arnold won’t soon forget. “The final horn rings. We have to quickly print out a couple of things to give to Coach Oats, so we do that, and then we get to go out on the court with the celebration and all the fans just cheering for us.”
UA is Shaping Riley’s Future
Riley aspires to be a head basketball coach someday — perhaps at UA. He believes every aspect of his Alabama experience is leading him there.
He helps with the men’s basketball team’s summer camps and uses his experience as a lifelong basketball player to help with local youth basketball camps when he can.
The friendships and bonds he’s forming with coaches and players as a student manager working with Bamalytics are life-changing for Riley.
“Coming here, I thought I just wanted to be a head coach. Obviously, that’s a hard field to break into,” he said. “Now that I’ve been involved in the analytics and learning how to build out reports and explain tangible numbers that players learn from, I’ve really enjoyed that. And so my focus has shifted into learning more about that aspect.”
In the sport management program within the College of Human Environmental Sciences, students like Arnold engage with professors and industry professionals on a multitude of topics, including sports ethics, NCAA rules and regulations, recruiting, marketing and strategy.
Even if it’s not coaching, Arnold’s career path is certainly headed toward leadership.
“I’m actually looking into front office roles within the NBA,” he said. “I get to connect with professionals in the industry because of my experience.”
And he didn’t have to leave home to create this path.
“For anyone thinking you have to leave Tuscaloosa to pursue what you want to do, you don’t,” he said. “UA offers more than you think.”