University of Richmond adding Smart Sports AI technology

The University of Richmond Spiders are set to become the latest collegiate athletic program to add PlaySight’s Smart AI and connected camera sports video technology to its basketball teams and facilities. The Spiders basketball coaches and student-athletes across their men’s and women’s programs will soon benefit from PlaySight’s pro-level video and performance tools, in both the Robins Center Arena and the state-of-the-art Queally Athletics Center, a new practice facility opening later this year. Richmond is the first Atlantic 10 Conference basketball program to partner with PlaySight, the same technology company powering close to 100 other NCAA programs and 15 NBA and WNBA organizations.

PlaySight talked to John Studer (Director of Program Development, Women’s Basketball), Chris Mooney (Head Coach, Men’s Basketball) and Aaron Roussell (Head Coach, Women’s Basketball) to learn more about Richmond’s basketball programs and how they plan to use technology to get an edge over the competition.

: Chris Mooney – Men’s Basketball Head Coach

: Aaron Roussell – Women’s Basketball Head Coach

: John Studer – Women’s Basketball, Director of Program Develompment

“What separated PlaySight is its player-development capabilities.”

Why did Richmond decide to make the investment in PlaySight?

Studer: “PlaySight enables our programs to be on the leading edge of sports technology. With our new state-of-the-art Queally Athletics Center and Practice Facility opening in August 2020, PlaySight provides us with a cutting-edge video technology platform in both the Queally Athletics Center and our Robins Center Arena.”

Mooney: “PlaySight was very diligent in their process of showing how their system works, what it can bring to our program and how it can make our new practice facility the best it can be for our student-athletes in their development and recruiting.”

Queally Athletics Center – coming August 2020

How do you anticipate using PlaySight technology?

Studer: “PlaySight’s automated multi-angle sports video management system provides us with real-time, on-court performance analysis and player feedback. PlaySight’s system provides our coaches and staff with greater efficiency and teaching tools for next level preparation of our players.

As an added bonus, PlaySight is enhancement ready for forthcoming sensor, wearable and biomechanical technology.”

Roussell: “PlaySight will allow us to see all of our practices and workouts to better use in teaching and developing our student-athletes. Not only does the technology allow us to watch with our players after a workout, but PlaySight will allow us to watch a clip almost instantaneously during a workout too. This immediate feedback will greatly boost the takeaways from each workout.”

Mooney: “What separated PlaySight is its player-development capabilities. During recruiting, we’re going to be able to show individuals through film exactly how we can help them with their game. We’re really looking forward to the playback features with iPads and tablets. We’re going to have the latest technology right on the court in our practice facility that PlaySight can hook directly into and it will allow us to show players right after a practice real-time video that will help them with their games. “

Robins Center Arena – Spiders basketball home court

What role does video play in your program?

Studer: “Video and analytics is an integral part of our teaching philosophy and essential to our daily player and team development. PlaySight’s seamless integration provides players with a deeper understanding of our system, principles and concepts and takes our investment in our players’ and teams’ success to an entirely new level. Our players and coaches are tremendously excited about PlaySight.”

Roussell: “Video is essential to improvement with our student-athletes. Repetition is great, but being able to watch and study those repetitions really drives home teaching points and leads to improvement.”

Mooney: “Everything these guys see now is on social media and on their phones and computers, so as coaches we need to be able to adapt to that. What PlaySight provides in terms of how fast you can get feedback and video and information and data from a system like this is critical to how the game is changing.”

What current technology does Richmond use?

Roussell: “Right now we man a camera during the times we film practice. PlaySight will allow us to allocate our staff to breaking down the film and doing other things during our workouts and practices. Our staff couldn’t be more excited about this technology and what it will allow our staff to do with this video.”

Before PlaySight, how did you used to capture video?

Mooney: “It was a little more of a process to cut it up and edit it before it was ready to use for meetings with players or meetings with staff. With PlaySight we’re expediting that process and also making it easier to share clips and videos with our players.”

To find out more information on PlaySight and its college basketball platform, you can request a free product demo here.