ShotTracker tech nets entry into NCAA Division 1 sports with Hall of Fame tourney
August 2, 2018 | Austin Barnes and Tommy Felts
ShotTracker is advancing in the bracket of startup success, company officials announced Thursday, revealing their game-changing, sensor-based, stat and analytics tracking system will debut this fall at the 2018 NCAA Division I Hall of Fame Classic.
ShotTracker tech in action
In partnership with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), ShotTracker technology — which uses sensors in players’ shoes, afixed to arena rafters, and tucked away inside basketballs to track motion — will capture every shot, dribble, and pass inside the Sprint Center during all four games of the Nov. 19-20 tournament.
“This will back up our coaches and players — with something they understand. They’re from this world of analytics,” said Reggie Minton, NABC director, Thursday morning at ShotTracker’s Merriam headquarters.
The partnership allows for unprecedented engagement and coaching precision, Minton said. It’s an exciting development for ShotTracker, which now gets its athletic shoe-clad foot in the door of NCAA Division 1 sports, added Davyeon Ross, co-founder and chief operating officer.
“This is an amazing first,” he said, noting the NABC’s ambitious and forward-looking views on innovation made the organization a perfect fit for ShotTracker’s product.
Thursday’s announcement follows the company’s successful NAIA partnership that used augmented reality and real-time analytics to revolutionize the in-game fan experience; allowing users of the ShotTracker Fan app to view stats beyond the scoreboard.
Bruce Ianni, ShotTracker co-founder
ShotTracker also has taken on substantial investments from Magic Johnson and former NBA commissioner David Stern. Still, the company’s leadership — which includes co-founder Bruce Ianni — can’t stop looking at ShotTracker as a startup, Ross said.
“We’re still learning, we’re still evolving … There’s a lot of innovation that happens,” he said, describing the emotion he and his partners still experience as they build the brand. “It’s in our DNA to be a startup.”
ShotTracker is also rolling out technological advancements for broadcasters like ESPN – the network set to carry the hall of fame classic. Ross demonstrated Thursday the product’s latest augmented reality feature that will allow networks to more efficiently highlight activity on the court — previously done in post-production by a host of video editors.
Fans can also expect to immerse themselves in new AR features. The ShotTracker fan app will allow users to compete against each other in interactive, prediction based games that make use of players in-game stats.
Ross believes the hall of fame classic will be a slam dunk for ShotTracker, he said, pushing the company even closer to its goal of becoming for gyms what WiFi is for coffee shops.
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
CRWND as a KC pitch contest winner, Keliah Smith expands her product line (and comfort zone)
Keliah Smith was nervous. She’d never been a fan of speaking in front of a crowd, but knew exposing her discomfort and weakness through the Alchemy Sandbox pitch competition was just part of the ongoing journey of an entrepreneur, she said. Avoiding that spotlight, Smith noted, already had kept her — and her business, CRWND…
DeBruce integrates career toolbox into HBCU’s programming for Black and Brown entrepreneurs
A new partnership between The DeBruce Foundation and Harris-Stowe State University showcases a shared goal of unlocking the potential within individuals and equipping them for bright careers and bright futures, said Leigh Anne Taylor Knight. “This is one of those relationships that reminds us that partnerships don’t need to be complicated,” said Taylor Knight, executive…
Heart by hand: Paper illustrator crafts intricate designs with an evocative pop of culture
Andrea Cira can trace the inspiration for her hand-crafted, colorful, paper illustrations back to her upbringing in Mexico, she shared. “You see a lot of things that are done by hand or by scratch,” she explained. “I’ve lived in different places in Mexico, so I got to see a few things from artisans. I always…
Sleep tech designed to combat night sweats moves toward consumer market with KS bedfellows
A Leawood company’s bed-based sleep technology — designed to reduce night sweats and help people better regulate their temperatures while they sleep — is headed to market in early 2024 with backing from the Kansas angel tax credits program and a swelling pre-seed round, said Win Hansen. Rairflow, Inc., which designed and developed prototypes for…