Riccardo Fois analyzes stats to get most out of Bulldogs

Statistics reveal the basic ins-and-outs of every basketball game – but how do they determine an outcome?

Gonzaga’s assistant video coordinator Riccardo Fois analyzes which statistics are important to an overall result, along with finding the root to these crucial numbers.

“‘Why is this?’ That’s the question I guess,” Fois said.

The most challenging part of his job?

Determining what statistics have an impact on the Zags’ performance.

He analyzes tendencies such as the five players who are most efficient together, where on the court a specific player is the most accurate shooting, and the Zags’ performance under a certain type of offense mixed with a play call.

After discovering the root to a statistic, Fois will work with the Gonzaga coaches to ensure a game plan is developed in accordance with his research.

“(Analytics) plays into the culture and the ways you try to build your team,” Fois said.

A basic type of analytics research Fois implements on Gonzaga’s game plan is coaching players to avoid shots from just inside the 3-point line. A shot from the 3-point line has the same percent chance to be made as a shot from slightly inside the arc. However, the shot from inside the arc only counts as two points.

Therefore, taking a slight step behind the 3-point line would increase a team’s point total and increase their chances at winning.

According to Fois, the most efficient player on Gonzaga’s roster is freshmen Killian Tillie, especially when he is on the court with Zach Collins.

Relationships between players such as the one between Collins and Tillie are one of the many targets of Fois’ research.

Former Director of Basketball Operations Jerry Krause developed a set of goals for the Bulldogs to attempt achieving each game. Some of these goals are a specific offensive efficiency rating, defensive efficiency rating, turnover percentage, and field-goal percentage.

As of Feb. 17, Gonzaga reached the most goals in one game during their home match against San Francisco when they routed the Dons 96-61 despite only leading by seven at half.

“(Analytics have) made a difference in the way basketball is being played,” Fois said.

Fois’ career began as a graduate assistant coach at Pepperdine, where he also played as a walk-on for the Waves during the 2007-08 season.

The native of Olbia, Italy, played on the U-16 National Team for two years and also competed at the 2003 U-16 European Championships. On his national team was former NBA player Luigi Datome and current Denver Nugget Danilo Gallinari.

While at the Final Four in Dallas during the 2014 season, Fois met Gonzaga assistant coach Tommy Lloyd, who connected Fois with the Bulldogs program.

Now, three years later, Fois will be tasked with quickly analyzing Gonzaga and other teams during the NCAA Tournament, with hopes of bringing Gonzaga to their first Final Four and returning to the event where he met Lloyd.