Basketball Technology Providing Purdue Boilermakers’ Competitive Edge
Purdue Boilermakers Embracing Advanced Basketball Technology in Training
In the dynamic and competitive world of elite college basketball, adopting cutting-edge technology is crucial. The Purdue Boilermakers men’s basketball team, not only the first Big Ten program ranked as the #1 team in America for three consecutive seasons but also a back-to-back #1 seed over the last two seasons, competes when the stakes are high.
With a dominant record of 63-11 during this period, their success on the court speaks volumes about their strategic prowess and exceptional talent.
Coupled with this, some time ago, Jason Kabo, the Boilermakers’ Director of Strength & Conditioning, integrated Catapult’s T7 system to refine athletic performance and strategic gameplay. This technology is showcased in this video, highlighting how data-driven approaches are propelling the Purdue Boilermakers to maintain their edge.
Throughout the rest of this article, you’ll discover more about how Jason Kabo’s application of Catapult’s T7 system is revolutionising training and strategy for this elite basketball team.
Optimizing Purdue Boilermakers’ Daily Training with Real-Time Basketball Data
The daily application of Catapult’s data is transformative for the Purdue team.
“We use Catapult during every practice and game,” Kabo elaborates. “I am primarily using the data to communicate practice loads to the coaching staff and help them understand what high, medium, and low loads look like. I am also looking at live data to give immediate practice feedback as well as encouraging fueling at halftime of games. Lastly, I am also looking at intensities and acceleration counts to prescribe or reduce the amount of those movements that we do in the weight room.”
Purdue Boilermakers’ Strategic Adjustments Through Basketball Analytics
Catapult data enables strategic adjustments that are critical for maintaining optimal performance. Jason Kabo, with a remarkable 23-year tenure at UNLV before joining Purdue three years ago, quickly adapted to the unique coaching style of Coach Painter.
His deep understanding of Painter’s methodologies has significantly enhanced the way he communicates and implements data-driven strategies.
Kabo details, “Helping the coaches target certain practice loads is probably one of the main adjustments that we have used. I’m also using it to make adjustments in weight room workout regimens post-game based on loads and intensities as well as jump and acceleration counts. I do this both to enhance recovery and to inhibit regression of athleticism for those athletes that aren’t getting the reps in practice or games.”
This approach to training and recovery reflects Kabo’s depth of experience and his important role in subtly enhancing the Purdue team’s performance to meet their consistently high standards.
Custom Metrics: Basketball Movement Profile & Performance
In seeking deeper insights, Kabo takes advantage of the Catapult system’s ability to manipulate data and create custom reports, focusing on bespoke metrics to enhance efficiency. This feature stands out as a key strength of the system, allowing precise tailoring to meet specific analytical needs.
“I’ve done a lot of digging with custom metrics to create more of an efficiency rating for practices. I’m also looking at a comparison between IMA’s and some of the parameters that show high-level efforts to quantify if a practice is truly taxing from an intensity standpoint. I’m still looking at player load, player load per minute and accumulated acceleration numbers as well.”
Effective Communication and Preferences in Basketball Technology
Effective communication is essential in turning data into actionable strategies. “I verbally communicate to my head coach and some of the assistant coaches every day or so, informing them what practice looks like through the data. Sometimes even during or directly following practice. I also send a report about once every three weeks and share my opinions of how the next few weeks should or could look based on our schedule, along with a summary and charts of data from the previous few weeks.”
Kabo’s appreciation for the T7 system is clear, particularly its usability and supportive features. “The less invasive profile and the ease of wearing the device stand out. The ability to manipulate the data, use comparison charts, and create custom metrics allow us to focus more on the data we value most.”
Future: Athlete Monitoring x Purdue Boilermakers Basketball
Reflecting on the evolution of athlete monitoring, Kabo notes significant advancements since his start in 2009. “The evolution of athlete monitoring has come a long way… Catapult allows a lot of flexibility on how you can monitor and manipulate data in a way that makes sense to you and the coaching staff, as well as give you the information you need to make changes in your programming.”
For deeper insights into athlete monitoring technologies, explore our resources:
- The Intro to T7 Webinar featuring Duke University here,
- Movement Profile for Basketball here,
- Our comprehensive T7 Report here.
These resources provide an in-depth look at the latest standards and methodologies in basketball athlete monitoring, essential for anyone involved in the sport.