Marquette Basketball: The Analytical Edge Fueling Their Performance

St. John’s is aiming for its 12th consecutive win as they head to Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee to face Marquette on Wednesday night. However, they’ll encounter a significantly improved Golden Eagles team compared to their previous 24-point victory on January 13th at Madison Square Garden. Both teams have evolved over the past month, but Marquette’s offensive transformation is particularly noteworthy.

While Marquette’s record since their last encounter with St. John’s stands at 3-5, their offensive efficiency has dramatically increased. Previously averaging 1.03 points per possession (ranking 192nd nationally), they now average 1.14 points per possession, placing them at 44th in the country. A key contributor to this improvement is Royce Parham, boasting a 71% shooting percentage on two-point attempts and 37% from beyond the arc.

The Statistical Guru Behind the Scenes

St. John’s coach Rick Pitino and his staff are keenly aware of Marquette’s resurgence, thanks in large part to Jason Fortin, a statistical analyst who has been advising the team since the 2023-24 season. Fortin, a lifelong St. John’s and Knicks fan, transitioned from a successful finance career to applying his analytical skills to basketball.

Fortin developed his own mathematical formula for evaluating player performance, while also expertly tracking key trends. He now dedicates his time to providing St. John’s with a data-driven edge. He’s a constant presence at practices and games, meticulously analyzing data on his laptop from the bench.

“He’s a big contributor to our program — not small — big,” Pitino stated. “I have as much analytical knowledge as any coach could possibly have thanks to him and I use just about 90% of it.”

The Power of Data in Modern Basketball

Pitino emphasizes the importance of analytical insights in today’s game. “In this day and age, you’d better be ahead of the curve from an analytical standpoint. You’d better know all you can about a player’s tendencies, that a certain player is going left 78% of the time. Or that he’s going right and, when he goes right, he pulls up 90% of the time instead of going all the way [to the basket]. You’d better know all that information.”

Fortin provides Pitino with three to five daily emails detailing statistical observations about the Storm and their upcoming opponents. He also monitors the metrics used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

“It’s amazing to be right there watching coach Pitino and feeling a part of it,” Fortin said. “While I feel like I am a net positive for the team… it’s a tiny blip in terms of the impact compared to what coach Pitino, the players and the assistant coaches have. They are amazing in the amount of work they do and the detail that they go into. I just give them the view of the numbers from 30,000 feet that they can use as they see fit.”

St. John’s assistant coach Taliek Brown has affectionately nicknamed Fortin “A.I.” due to the comprehensiveness of his analyses.

From Wall Street to the Bench

Fortin’s journey to the basketball bench is an interesting one. He initially pursued playing basketball in high school but realized it wasn’t his path. He found success in tennis and later, golf, where he connected with Pitino through a mutual friend, Dennis McCauley.

Pitino initially dismissed Fortin’s offer to help, but Fortin’s persistence and a compelling presentation – highlighting how Carmelo Anthony’s statistical profile hindered team success – piqued the coach’s interest. Fortin agreed to a trial week with the team, and has been a valuable asset ever since, working entirely on a volunteer basis.

“I do this for free, but there’s an incredible payoff for me,” Fortin said. “I hear the greatest coach of all time. I’ve got a front-row seat to him at practice. I’ve got a seat behind the bench at games. And I get to hear what he says. He’s not only an amazing tactician, he’s a master motivator… Watching that is as thrilling as it gets.”

Learn more about the evolving landscape of college basketball analytics at NCAA.com.